April 25, 2006
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Auburn Athletes Head To The Penn Relays
A group of Auburn athletes will head to Philadelphia to compete in the 112th running of the Penn Relay Carnival, the oldest and largest relay carnival in the world. The meet is held at Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
Auburn will have 18 athletes competing in a variety of relays and individual events. Representing the women's team will be: Jennifer Amobi, Raevan Harris, Angela Homan, Ronda Gullatte, Markita James, Jovanee Jarrett, Josanne Lucas, Katalin Mate, Kerron Stewart, Tamara Thomas and Michelle Williamson. Members of the men's team making the trip are: Ty Akins, Jamaal Barnes, Jordan Davis, Andrew Heath, Reuben McCoy, Shamar Sands and Tavaris Washington.
Last Year At The Penn Relays
Auburn had three top-five performances in relay events to highlight the Tigers' trip to the 2005 Penn Relays. The men's sprint medley team ran a close race with Texas Tech (3:15.08), but just missed winning the bronze plaque coming in second. The group of Ty Akins, Reuben McCoy, Damion Barry and Sherridan Kirk ran the third fastest time in AU history: 3:15.49.
The Tigers concluded a rainy final day with the running of the 4x400 "championship" relays. The men's team of Akins, Barry, McCoy and Kirk ran their fastest time of the season, 3:06.05, to place fifth and improve their regional qualifying mark. Barry had the fastest split of the four-man team, running 45.10, in the third position.
Also placing fifth in the 4x400 "championship" final was the women's group of Josanne Lucas, Markita James, Kareen Gayle and Tamara Thomas. The group finished a regional qualifying time of 3:34.44. Gayle ran the fastest split of the team as she ran 53.0 followed by Thomas at 53.1.
Follow the Tigers on the Web
Information on the Penn Relays is available on the official Penn Relays website: www.thepennrelays.com. Results and a recap of Auburn's performances, as well as information on the Auburn track program, can be found after every meet on the Auburn athletic department's website: www.auburntigers.com.
Recapping The Auburn Invitational
The Auburn women's team had nine first-place finishes and seven new regional qualifying marks last Saturday at the Auburn Invitational. Kerron Stewart won the 100m (11.27), Tamara Thomas won the 200m (23.74), Markita James won the 400m (52.00) and the trio combined with Jovanee Jarrett to win the 4x100m relay (43.74). James' 400m time is the best in the SEC this season, while Josanne Lucas won the 400m hurdles in 56.19 seconds, which is the second-best mark in the SEC this year. Katalin Mate won both the javelin (45.23m) and discus (52.77m) with regional qualifying marks, Ronda Gullatte won the hammer throw (58.36m) and Michelle Williamson won the high jump (1.75m).
The men's team had four first-place finishes and posted two new regional qualifying marks at the Auburn Invitational. Reuben McCoy won the 400m hurdles with a time of 50.16 seconds, which ranks fourth in the NCAA this season. Ty Akins won the 110m hurdles in 13.77 seconds, and the 4x100m relay team improved its regional qualifying mark with a winning time of 40.57 seconds. Drew Lovette won the pole vault for Auburn with a personal-best height of 4.90m (16-0.75).
SEC Leaders
Two Auburn women lead the SEC in their events this season, including one athlete who has the top mark in two events. Markita James has the conference's best times in both the 400m (:52.00) and the 400m hurdles (:55.40), while Angela Homan has the SEC's top time in the 10,000m (33:25.40).
In addition, Josanne Lucas ranks second in the 400m hurdles (:56.19) and third in the 100m hurdles (13.21), Kerron Stewart has the fourth-best mark in the 200m (:23.18), Ronda Gullatte is fourth in the hammer throw (193-5), Katalin Mate is fourth in the javelin (148-5) and the 4x100m relay (:43.77) and the 4x400m relay (:3:28.47) both have the second-fastest times in the league.
For the men, Reuben McCoy has the SEC's best time in the 400m hurdles with a mark of 50.16 seconds. Others who rank in the top five include Andrew Heath (second in the 10,000m - 28:55.48), Ty Akins (third in the 110m hurdles - :13.76), Tavaris Washington (fourth in the 400m hurdles - :51.52) and Jordan Davis (fifth in the 5000m - 14:14.80).
Hitting The Regional Marks
Seventeen Auburn athletes (six men, 11 women) have qualified for the NCAA Regionals in individual events or as part of a relay team. Of those 17, eight (Ronda Gullatte, Markita James, Josanne Lucas, Katalin Mate, Reuben McCoy, Kerron Stewart, Tamara Thomas and Tavaris Washington) have qualified in at least two individual events each. Katlin Mate is the lone Tiger to be qualified in three individual events: shot put, discus and javelin
A complete list of Auburn's regional qualifiers and notes on their qualifying performances can be found on page four of these notes.
Records Continue To Fall
Auburn set two more new school records during the Texas Relays April 6-8, bringing the list of records set this season to five. Ronda Gullatte broke Stacy Martin's record in the hammer throw with a mark of 58.95m (193-5), and the women's 4x400m relay team of Josanne Lucas, Kerron Stewart, Tamara Thomas and Markita James set a new school mark with a time of 3:28.47.
Long-Time Records Fall
Two long-standing school records fell on the same day as new Auburn records were set March 31 in both the men's and women's 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational.
Andrew Heath broke the men's record with a time of 28:55.48, clipping the previous record of 28:55.54 set by Terry Baker in 1977. Baker's record was one of three that still stood from the 1977 season that were the oldest in the books at Auburn. Heath's time was also a provisional qualifying mark.
Angela Homan put her name at the top of the women's list by clocking a time of 33:25.40 while finishing ninth and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Homan broke the 10-year-old school record of 33:26.91 set by Rachel Sauder in 1996.
James Ranks Among World Elite
At the Yellow Jacket Invitational April 1, Markita James not only broke the school record in the 400m hurdles with a time of :55.40, but she also ran what was then the fastest time by an American and the fastest time by a collegian this season. James' time, which broke teammate Josanne Lucas' record of 55.59 seconds set last year, still ranks her seventh in the world and second among Americans this season.
Nationally Ranked
The Auburn women are ranked ninth in the latest installment of the Trackwire 25 which was released on trackwire.com April 24. The men's team, which is redshirting some of its top performers, has dropped out of the rankings. The women's team was ranked seventh in the first rankings released April 3 and has been No. 9 the last three weeks.
In addition, the Auburn women's team is ranked No. 11 by the U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association.
New Track Dedicated As Hutsell-Rosen Track
In a ceremony April 22 at the Auburn Invitational, Auburn's new track and field facility was officially dedicated as Hutsell-Rosen Track. Hutsell-Rosen Track is named after Auburn's first two track and field coaches - Wilbur Hutsell, who served 42 years as head coach, and Mel Rosen, who was head coach for 28 years before stepping down to serve as head coach of the 1992 United States Men's Olympic team, and still serves on the staff as Coach Emeritus.
Hutsell-Rosen Track features a BSS 2000 track surface from Beynon Sports Surfaces and is Class I IAAF certified. The season-opening Springtime Invitational March 25 was the first home meet hosted by Auburn since 2003.
Auburn Record Holders
Nine members of the current Auburn track and field squads (three men, six women) currently own 12 indoor and outdoor school records. A list of the school record-holders currently on Auburn's roster:
Men
Andrew Heath 10,000m 28:55.48
Edis Elkasevic Shot Put (i) 64-7.25
Edis Elkasevic Shot Put (o) 68-6
Cory Martin Weight Throw 75-1.25
Cory Martin Hammer 216-9
Women
Kerron Stewart 55m 6.71
Angela Homan 5000m (o) 16:22.62
Angela Homan 10,000m 33:25.40
Markita James 400m (i) 52.56
Markita James 400m hurdles 55.40
Lucas, Stewart,
Thomas, James 4x400m relay (o) 3:28.47
Lucas, Stewart,
Thomas, James 4x400m relay (i) 3:29.50
Ronda Gullatte Hammer 193-5
Ronda Gullatte Weight Throw 67-0.75
Up Next
After a week off, Auburn will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the SEC Outdoor Championships May 12-14.
