PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—The Auburn men's 4x100 and women's 4x400 relay teams both had strong showings Friday during preliminary rounds to advance to Saturday's finals of the 126th running of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
The quartet of Jason Reese, Brandon Smiley, Dante Brown and Christopher Grant won their heat in a season-best time of 39.55. The Tigers, who will compete for the Men's Championship of American on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET, were 22 hundredths of a second behind Houston.
Auburn's women also advanced after clocking a time of 3:39.56, good for seventh in prelims. The team of Asia Jinks, Tylar Colbert, Jennifer Dietrich and Aalliyah Francis will race in Saturday's finals at 3:20 p.m.
Grant ran a season-best 10.47 in the men's 100m prelims, finishing three one-thousandths shy of moving to Saturday's finals.
Saturday's final day of the Penn Relays will also feature four Auburn women in field events. Maura Huwalt will compete in the women's discus (9:30 a.m.) and shot put (12:30 p.m.), while Ashley Carter, Keira McCarrell and Shaniya Holley will throw in the women's javelin throw at 1:30 p.m.
In Athens, Georgia, at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial, James Courson won gold in the men's pole vault, clearing 5.27m/17-3.5. Courson's clearing height was his second best of the 2022 season as he claimed his fourth collegiate win.
All-American decathlete Alex Spyridonidis surpassed his previous PR in the javelin throw, taking sixth with a mark of 46.99m/154-2.
On the women's side, Janaya Jones had a great effort in the long jump, finishing second with a personal-best mark of 6.18m/20-3.5
Live results for Penn Relays can be found here, while Lawrence Invitational results can be found here.
PENN RELAYS
FRANKLIN FIELD
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Friday, April 29
Day 2 Results
Men's Shot Put
8. Ethan Richter 16.80m/55-1.5 (PR)
21. Quinten Wynn 15.01m/49-3
Women's 4x100 Championship of America
Auburn DQ
Tyler Colbert, Aalliyah Francis, Zatoria Thompson, Niya Benton-Andrews
Men's 4x100 Championship of America Prelims
2. Auburn 39.55 (Q)
Jason Reese, Brandon Smiley, Dante Brown, Christopher Grant)
Men's 100m Prelims
10. Christopher Grant 10.47
Men's Discus Throw
16. Kyle Moison 48.36m/158-8
17. Ethan Richter 48.31m/158-6 (PR)
Women's 4x400 Championship of America Prelims
7. Auburn 3:39.56 (Q)
Asia Jinks, Tylar Colbert, Jennifer Dietrich, Aalliyah Francis
TORRIN LAWRENCE MEMORIAL
SPEC TOWNS TRACK
ATHENS, GEORGIA
Friday, April 29
Day 1 Results
Men's Long Jump
7. David Edmondson 6.91m/22-8
Men's Pole Vault
1. James Courson 5.27m/17-3.5
Matthew Asplund NH
Men's Discus Throw
6. Alex Spyridonidis 46.99m/154-2 (PR)
Women's Long Jump
2. Janaya Jones 6.18m/20-3.5 (PR)
5. Essence Thomas 5.93m/19-5.5
16. Elise Heddens 5.37m/17-7.5 (PR)
Imani Jones FOUL
Women's Discus Throw
6. Trinity Love 41.12m/134-11
Men's 800m
12. Cooper Atkins 1:53.93
Women's 200m
18. Elise Heddens 26.81
Men's 400m Hurdles
4. Luke Roberts 53.54
5. Caden Ciul 54.08