Auburn track & field start off Razorback Invitational with a strong showing

Auburn track & field start off Razorback Invitational with a strong showingAuburn track & field start off Razorback Invitational with a strong showing

The Auburn track & field team had a strong first day at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas as the Tigers established 12 new personal-best marks and had five top three performances from the field and distance events. The Tigers efforts were highlighted by the women's pole vault unit, led by sophomore Alyssa Quinones-Mixson who had a huge personal best and a third-place finish against a strong field. 

A San Antonio, Texas native, Quinones-Mixson cleared 4.28m/14-0.5 on her third and final attempt at the bar to surpass her previous personal-best by nine inches and move her into a tie for 10th nationally. She equaled the winning height but had two fewer misses at 4.28m than Texas A&M's Heather Abadie and former Georgia athlete and United States Olympian Morgann Leleux who tied for first place. Quinones-Mixson, who successfully cleared her first four heights on her first attempts, moved into second on Auburn's all-time performers list and her mark of 4.28m was the sixth best effort in school history. Quinones-Mixson was not the only Tiger that performed well in the pole vault Friday, as junior Rhiannon Held, senior Lexie Leinneweber and freshman Brooke Walden each cleared 3.83m/12-6.75. Held and Walden each established new PRs in the event. 

Senior Sanaa Barnes continued her hot start to the indoor season with a silver medal performance in the women's high jump clearing 1.82m/5-11.5 for her third top-two finish of 2024. Barness, who established a new career-best a week ago at 1.85m at Vanderbilt, came up just short on three attempts at 1.86m. 

Senior Kyle Moison took home a bronze medal in the men's weight throw with a new all-time best throw of 20.86m/68-5.25 on his third attempt of the event. Teammate John Leonard also had a PR effort with a throw of 19.20m/63-0, moving him into seventh on the AU performer list. 

Sophomore transfer Aaron Davis II continued to shine as for the third outing in a row, the Houston native posted a personal best in the men's long jump. Davis II established PRs on three occasions on Friday, with leaps of 7.47m on his first jump, 7.53m on his third effort and 7.63m/25-0.5 on his fifth of sixth attempts. Davis II finished fifth in a field that saw two competitors post national top 10 marks and two others inside the country's top 20 this season. 

Auburn distance had a good night as senior Hannah Tarwater picked up a third-place finish in the women's 3000m, crossing in 9:52.90, while on the men's side, senior Carson Bedics had a two-second PR in same event with a time of 8:10.38 to finish third overall. In the women's mile, sophomore Gene Coetzee was fourth in a time of 4:50.06. 

Sophomore Michael May had a solid first day in the men's heptathlon, establishing new PRs in the shot put (12.55m/41-2.25) and high jump (1.96m/6-5). May crushed his previous high jump best of 1.83m by clearing 1.90m, 1.93m and 1.96m. The Port Aransas, Texas is in ninth place with 2996 points with three events remaining on Saturday. 

Day two of the Razorback Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center begins at 10:15 a.m. CT with qualifying rounds of the women's 60m dash. Live results can be found on flashresults.com. Live streaming on the SEC Network/ESPN app will begin at 11 a.m. 

Razorback Invitational – Day 1 
Randal Tyson Track Center 
Fayetteville, Arkansas  
January 26, 2023 

Men's Results  

Heptathlon  
9. Michael May (2996) 

Heptathlon, 60m 
8. 7.22 

Heptathlon, Long Jump 
11. 6.87m 

Heptathlon, Shot Put  
10. 12.55m 

Heptathlon, High Jump  
3. 1.96m 

3000m 
3. Carson Bedics 8:10.38 

200m 
DQ Makanakaishe Charamba 

Long Jump 
5. Aaron Davis II 7.63m 

Weight Throw  
3. Kyle Moison 20.86m 
10. John Leonard 19.20m 

High Jump 
10 (tie). Matthew Cless 2.07m 

Women's Results  

3000m 
3. Hannah Tarwater 9:52.90 
12. Mary Mac Collins 10:16.96 

1 Mile 
4. Gené Coetzee 4:50.06 
28. Cady McPhail 5:02.45 

200m 
26. Chanté Clinkscale 23:96 

Weight Throw 
15. Adrienne Adams 17.29m 
21. Megan Hague 14.73m

Pole Vault  
3. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon 4.28m 
14 (tie). Rhiannon Held 3.83m 
14 (tie). Lexie Leinneweber 3.83m 
20. Brooke Walden 3.83m 

Long Jump 
11. Amy Warren 5.91m 
20. Simone Johnson 5.59m 

High Jump 
2. Sanaa Barnes 1.82m