Auburn University’s track and field team earned four event victories and a relay win at the Florida Relays, held April 3-4 at Percy Beard Track in Gainesville.
The strong performance underscores Auburn’s promising start to the outdoor season, as athletes achieved 15 new personal bests and reached the podium 13 times during the two-day meet.
Standout performances included junior Ja’Kobe Tharp winning the men’s 200-meter dash with a personal best of 20.61 seconds in only his second collegiate race at that distance. Sophomore Mekhi Dupree finished third in the same event with a time of 20.67 seconds. On the women’s side, senior Danae Nembhard won gold in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal best of 12.93 seconds, marking her time as third fastest in NCAA this season.
In relay action, Auburn’s men’s 4×100-meter team—comprised of Tharp, Omari Lewis, Austin Kresley, and Dupree—claimed victory with what is now tied for the second-fastest time nationally this year. Field events also brought success: senior Megan Hague won shot put with a mark of 17.87 meters (the top mark nationally), while sophomore Camryn Massey took first place in discus throw for her first collegiate win.
Other notable achievements included freshman Norah Lind setting a new personal record in hammer throw to become sixth all-time among Auburn performers; senior John Leonard earning bronze and seventh all-time status for Auburn men’s hammer throw; and sophomore Camila Gomes recording top-three program times in both women’s 800m (2:03.95) and women’s 1500m (4:13.00).
Auburn will next compete on April 16 at both the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Tom Jones Invitational back in Gainesville.
