AUBURN, Ala. - Sophomore Paula Grauvogel took home silver in the women's heptathlon Saturday in Coral Gables, Florida to headline Auburn track & field's split duty weekend at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational and Crimson Tide Invitational in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Grauvogel ended the meet with a new personal best of 5,572 points. Her efforts were aided by four PRs, which included the 200m (24.69), 800m (2:24.73), 100m hurdles (13.60) and shot put (11.69). Currently, she is No. 8 in the nation and No. 4 in the SEC. Grauvogel is now third on Auburn women's outdoor top performers list.
Also in Coral Gables, sophomore Elise Heddens established a lifetime best in the heptathlon with 4,991 points. The Park City, Utah native had PRs in every event. In the 200m, she finished fifth with a time of 25.79, 800m in 2:22.79, 100m hurdles in 14.05, high jump with 1.61m, long jump with a leap of 5.56m, shot put with a toss of 11.33m and javelin with 22.59m.
Three pole vaulters for the Tigers had top-five finishes. For the second weekend in a row, Alyssa Quinones-Mixon earned silver in the event. She tied her outdoor PR with a vault of 4.20m. She was followed by junior Rhiannon Held who finished fifth (3.95).
Fellow vaulter, James Courson cleared 4.95m to earn a fourth-place finish.
While at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational, five Auburn throwers had top-10 finishes in at least one of the events they competed in this weekend. Graduate student Shaniya Holley claimed bronze with a throw of 48.33m in the javelin throw. She moved up her mark to become number seven on Auburn's top performers list.
Freshman Marley Raikiwasa finished fifth in discus throw with her mark of 51.21m. In shot put Raikiwasa had a strong throw of 15.91m to finish fifth. Sophomore Megan Hague finished just in front of her with a toss of 16.07m to earn fourth.
For the Auburn men, sophomore Matthew Rueff had a throw of 18.36m in the shot put invite to earn sixth place. Sophomore Grant Griffin finished in tenth place of the open shot put with a mark of 15.70m.
It was the Auburn distance side that delivered solid outings on behalf of the Tigers at the meet in Tuscaloosa. For the men, sophomores Hayden Judge and Joseph Perry established new PRs in the 5000m. Judge finished first with 14:19.79, while Perry finished behind in second (14:20.61). Judge beat his previous time by over 30 seconds (14:54.31) and is currently No. 21 in the SEC.
Competing in their first outdoor season, freshman Evan Hill and junior Fuji Anday, finished fourth (14:31.07) and fifth (14:35.91), respectively.
For the distance women, Hannah Thuss had a major PR in the 5000m. She finished fifth with a time of 17:15.66. Her previous time was 4:38.66. Thuss was closely followed by graduate student Hannah Tarwater (17:17.70), who finished seventh and freshman Audrey Dunn (17:20.58), who finished tenth.
Competing for the second time this outdoor season, freshman Shonedra Richardson leaped out 5.75m in long jump for a new personal best. She finished in sixth place.
Other notable performances came by way of freshman Oke Opeyemi in the 400m and sophomore Ian Myers in the 200m. Opeyemi crossed the line in 53.70 to earn a silver finish and the No. 16 time in the SEC. Myers won his heat with a time of 21.42 to finish 15th overall.
Hurricane Alumni Invitational
Cobb Track & Field Facility
Friday-Saturday, April 5-6
Men's Results
Pole Vault
4. James Courson 4.95m
Shot Put - Open
10. Grant Griffin 15.70m
Shot Put - Invite
6. Matthew Rueff 18.36m
Decathlon
DNF. Michael May
Decathlon, 100m
7. May 11.07
Decathlon, 400m
6. May 50.08
Decathlon, 110m Hurdles
3. May 14.63
Decathlon, High Jump
2. May 1.97m
Decathlon, Pole Vault
NH. May
Decathlon, Long Jump
3. May 7.03m
Decathlon, Shot Put
5. May 12.97
Decathlon, Discus Throw
4. May 37.69
Decathlon, Javelin Throw
3. May 49.23
Decathlon, 1500m
DNS. May
Women's Results
Heptathlon
2. Paula Grauvogel 5572 points
12. Elise Heddens 4991 points
Heptathlon, 200m
5. Grauvogel 24.69
15. Heddens 25.79
Heptathlon, 800m
7. Heddens 2:22.79
10. Grauvogel 2:24.73
Heptathlon, 100m Hurdles
2. Grauvogel 13.60
7. Heddens 14.05
Heptathlon, High Jump
5. Grauvogel 1.64m
10. Heddens 1.61m
Heptathlon, Long Jump
2. Grauvogel 5.82m
10. Heddens 5.56m
Heptathlon, Shot Put
8. Grauvogel 11.69m
10. Heddens 11.33m
Heptathlon, Javelin Throw
3. Grauvogel 38.68m
19. Heddens 22.59m
Pole Vault
2. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon 4.20m
5. Rhiannon Held 3.95m
9 (tie). Lexie Leinneweber 3.80m
9 (tie). Brooke Walden 3.80m
Shot Put
4. Megan Hague 16.07m
5. Marley Raikiwasa 15.91m
Discus Throw
5. Marley Raikiwasa 51.21m
11. Megan Hague 43.81m
Javelin Throw
3. Shaniya Holley 48.33m
Crimson Tide Invitational
Sam Bailey Track & Field Stadium
Friday-Saturday, April 5-6
Men's Results
200m
15. Ian Myers 21.42
400m
10. Luke Roberts 48.10
13. Ian Myers 48.26
5000m
1. Hayden Judge 14:19.79
2. Joseph Perry 14:20.61
4. Evan Hill 14:31.07
5. Fuji Anday 14:35.91
400m Hurdles
24. Matthew Rainer 57.13
High Jump
11. Kayden Slay 1.95m
Women's Results
4x400m
3. Auburn 3:41.27
O. Opeyemi, L. Hasbrouck, A. Akpan, A. Sharpe
100m
11. Danae Nembhard 11.86
400m
2. Oke Opeyemi 53.70
20. Ariel Sharpe 57.87
800m
27. Presley Miles 2:29.36
1500m
13. Hailey Marston 4:38.14
5000m
5. Hannah Thuss 17:15.66
7. Hannah Tarwater 17:17.70
10. Audrey Dunn 17:20.58
100m Hurdles
3. Ashanti Harvey 13.74
400m Hurdles
3. Lalah Harbrouck 59.18
4. Zuriel Reed 59.62
Long Jump
6. Shonedra Richardson 5.75m