AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn track and field delivered several record-breaking performances, highlighted by school records from senior Megan Hague and sophomore Camila Gomes, while junior Ja’Kobe Tharp ran the nation’s fastest time in the 60m hurdles, this weekend.
Competing at the Tiger Paw Invite in Clemson, South Carolina, and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, the Tigers also established 17 personal bests, posted eight top-10 performances in school history, notched four top-10 marks in the NCAA, and had five podium finishes.
Hague continued her dominant indoor campaign, setting a new indoor record in women’s shot put with a mark of 18.42m/60-5.25, breaking the previous school record by 0.15m that she had set two weeks prior at Bob Pollock Invitational. The All-American made a triumphant return to Clemson as she captured gold in the event and now ranks third nationally and first in the SEC this season. Hague currently holds nine of the top-10 best marks in Auburn history in the women’s shot put.
Competing at the Boston University Indoor Track and Tennis Center, Gomes broke the Auburn school record in the women’s mile with a crossing time of 4:36.24. The sophomore from Portugal’s mark surpassed the previous record set by Presley Weems in 2022. Gomes finished 22nd in the event and now holds the eighth-best time in the SEC.
The Tigers dominated the men’s 200m in Clemson, producing two podium finishes and five personal bests, with one from each student-athlete. Sophomore Israel Okon led the way with a silver-medal performance in 20.63, the 14th-fastest time in the NCAA this season. Fellow sophomore Mekhi Dupree finished third in a personal-best 20.75, while senior Omari Lewis clocked 20.86 for sixth. Senior Azeem Fahmi broke the Malaysian Indoor National Record he set two weeks ago, running 21.20 to better his previous mark by 0.30 seconds. Freshman Alejandro Cardenas joined the action with a personal best of 21.75.
National Champion Ja’Kobe Tharp made the most of his second appearance of the season, running the fastest 60 hurdles time in the country at 7.46. The Bowerman Award Finalist was just 0.01 off his personal best time he set winning the NCAA title a year ago. The junior owns nine of the top-10 marks on the AU performances list in men’s 60m hurdles.
Junior Kayinsola Ajayi ran a 6.54 in the men’s 60 prelims, the sixth fastest time in the NCAA this season. He followed that up with a 6.55 in the semifinals to advance to the finals. Okon turned in another strong performance with a 6.57 in the semis, good for the 15th best mark in the country, while Lewis finished closely behind with a 6.58 as the Tigers took three of the top four spots in the semifinal round.
On the women’s side, senior Reese Webster set a new personal best in the 60m semifinals in 7.24, improving upon the top time she had also set in Clemson two weeks ago. In the women’s 60m hurdles semifinals, senior Danae Nembhard crossed in 8.06, shaving 0.11 seconds off her personal best and giving her second-best performance in Auburn history and the ninth-best time in the NCAA so far this season.
In Boston, sophomore Nickson Chebii set a new personal best in the men’s 3000m with a finish of 7:57.75, shattering his previous PR by nearly 22 seconds. The Kenya native now holds the fourth-best time in AU school history. Sophomore Joshua Kosgei ran a 4:00.77 in the men’s mile, while senior Gene Coetzee competed in the women’s mile.
Senior Alyssa Quinones-Mixon captured the silver medal in the women’s pole vault invite and turned in the fifth-best performance in Auburn history as she cleared 4.32m/14-2 on Saturday. Quinones-Mixon now holds four of the top-five spots on the performance list for women’s pole vault.
Auburn throws had another impressive performance as junior John Leonard took home silver in the men’s weight throw Invite with a mark of 21.79m/71-6 on Saturday. Senior Seth Allen finished in seventh with a new personal best 20.19m/66-3 on his second toss of the day. In the men’s shot put, junior Matthew Rueff came in fourth with a mark of 18.34m/60-2. On the women’s side, sophomore Camryn Massey followed Hague’s record-breaking performance with a 16.23m/53-3. Massey is the No. 5 performer in Auburn history in women’s shot put.
In the men’s 400m race, seniors and Pennsylvania natives Lebron Bessick and Davin Nugent each recorded personal bests, finishing in 46.63 and 47.03, respectively.
In the women’s mile, junior Hallie Porterfield and freshman Arianna Roy both set new personal bests as they finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Porterfield crossed in 4:44.91, shattering her previous mark by nearly four seconds, while Roy finished in 4:47.69. Junior Evan Hill joined in on the action as he set a new personal best in the men’s mile in 4:09.99, finishing eighth.
Closing out the weekend, The Tiger’s 4x400m squad had the third-best time in school history as the quartet of Bessick, Nugent, Dupree, and Tharp crossed in 3:05.50, good for the 18th-best time in the NCAA.
The Auburn track and field now sets its sights on the postseason as six performances from the weekend are currently among the top-16 nationally, which would qualify for the NCAA Championships if they stand.
The Tigers will have a week off and then will travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas for the SEC Indoor Championships, which will take place Feb. 26-28.
TIGER PAW INVITATIONAL
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Women’s 60m Hurdles Prelims
6. Danae Nembhard 8.17
10. Ana-Liese Torian 8.22
Women’s 60m Hurdles Semifinals
5. Danae Nembhard 8.06 PR #6 NCAA #2 AU
14. Ana-Liese Torian 8.25
Women’s 60m Prelims
13. Reese Webster 7.32
Women’s 60m Semifinals
9. Reese Webster 7.24 PR
Women’s 200m
16. Reese Webster 23.62
61. Sophia Efetobore 24.71
Women’s 800m
17. Cady McPhail 2:11.83 PR
Women’s Mile
5. Hallie Porterfield 4:44.91 PR
17. Arianna Roy 4:47.69 PR
Women’s High Jump Invite
T-7. Alvah Lind 1.61m/5-3.25
Women’s Long Jump
Nedra Richardson FOUL
Women’s Pole Vault
T-6. Brooke Walden 3.67m-12.50
Women’s Pole Vault Invite
2. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon 4.32m/14-2 #5 AU
Women’s Shot Put
1. Megan Hague 18.42m/60-5.25 PR SR #3 NCAA #1 AU
6. Camryn Massey 16.23m/53-3
Women’s Weight Throw
12. Camryn Massey 17.46m/57-3.50
Women’s 4x400m Relay
11. Auburn A 3:39.19
Cassidra Thompson, Zuriel Reed, Brieanna Boyce, Shakynah Tresvant
17. Auburn B 3:43.76
Sophia Efetobore, Ana-Liese Torian, Danae Nembhard, Reese Webster
MEN’S RESULTS
Men’s 60m Hurdles Prelims
1. Ja’Kobe Tharp 7.46 #1 NCAA #2 AU
Men’s 60m Hurdles Semifinals
2. Ja’Kobe Tharp 7.54 #5 AU
Men’s 60m Prelims
1. Kanyinsola Ajayi 6.54 #5 NCAA
T-2. Israel Okon 6.59 #15 NCAA
4. Omari Lewis 6.60
13. Azeem Fahmi 6.70
14. Jehlani Gordon 6.71
Men’s 60m Semifinals
2. Kanyinsola Ajayi 6.55
3. Israel Okon 6.57
4. Omari Lewis 6.58
9. Azeem Fahmi 6.65
12. Jehlani Gordon 6.69
Men’s 200m
2. Israel Okon 20.63 PR #14 NCAA
3. Mekhi Dupree 20.75 PR
6. Omari Lewis 20.86 PR
21. Azeem Fahmi 21.20 PR Malaysian NR
25. Alejandro Cardenas 21.45 PR
Men’s 400m
23. Lebron Bessick 46.63 PR
36. Devin Nugent 47.03 PR
Men’s Mile
8. Evan Hill 4:09.99 PR
Men’s Long Jump
7. Asande Mthembu 7.58m/24-10.50
27. Ibukunoluwa Daramola 5.04m/16-6.50
Men’s Shot Put
4. Matthew Rueff 18.34m/60-2
Men’s Weight Invite
2. John Leonard 21.79m/71-6
7. Seth Allen 20.19m/66-3 PR
Men’s 4x400m Relay
7. Auburn A 3:05.50 #3 AU
Lebron Bessick, Devin Nugent, Mekhi Dupree, Ja'Kobe Tharp
DAVID HEMERY VALENTINE INVITATIONAL
MEN’S RESULTS
Men’s Mile
23. Joshua Kosgei 4:00.77
Men’s 3000m
25. Nickson Chebbi 7:57.74 PR #4 AU
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Women’s Mile Invite
22. Camila Gomes 4:36.34 PR SR #1 AU
Women’s 3000m
40. Gene Coetzee 9:24.71
KEY
PR – Personal Record
SR – School Record
NR - National Record