AU ROUNDUP: AU wins seven events in Tiger Classic

Special to the News

Published: April 5, 2008

For the second weekend in a row, the Auburn track and field team battled rainy conditions, but it didn’t prevent the Tigers from having another successful meet, as Auburn set or improved on 21 regional qualifying marks and won seven events Saturday at the Tiger Track Classic at Hutsell-Rosen Stadium.

“For a lot of our athletes this was our outdoor opener because so much of last weeks’ meet was cancelled due to the weather,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “We had more rain to deal with today, but it gives us a chance to get tough and sometimes that’s what you need. For the most part, I’m pleased with how both our men and women lined up and competed.”

Freshman Joanna Atkins was perhaps the star of the day, as she had the top time by collegians in two events plus a relay, cracking the Auburn top 10 in both individual races. She won the women’s 100m with a time of 11.39, improving her regional qualifying mark of 11.43 set two weeks ago. Her time ranks ninth best in school history and only two collegiate athletes had posted better times entering this weekend.

Atkins also teamed with Shaquela Williams, Cache Armbrister and Amelia Anderson in the women’s 4x100m relay to finish second overall and first among collegians with a time of 44.68, improving their regional qualifying mark from last week of 44.79.

Anderson also won the women’s 400m hurdles with a regional qualifying time of 59.29. It was a personal-best time for Anderson that ranks her sixth in school history.

Zach Clayton of Opelika, in his first collegiate competition, won the discus throw with a regional qualifying mark of 54.98m (180-4) that ranks him sixth in Auburn history.

Cory Martin was the winner in the shot put with a facility record throw of 19.17m (62-10.75) that only two throwers had topped entering the weekend.

Raevan Harris won the jump with a regional qualifying mark of 1.83m (6-0), which she cleared on her third and final attempt. It marked the first time this year, indoors or outdoors, that she reached the six-foot mark.

The women’s 4x400m relay team of Danielle Gilchrist, Armbrister, Latoya Parkinson and DeAngela McDougald also finished first with a regional qualifying time of 3:40.04.

Katalin Mate eclipsed the regional qualifying mark in two events, placing second overall and first among collegians in the discus with a throw of 48.98m (160-8) and fourth overall and third among collegians in the shot put with a mark of 14.36m (47-1.5).

Dillette earns spot on Bahamian Olympic team
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Auburn sophomore Alana Dillette earned a spot on the Bahamas Olympic Team on Saturday as she clocked a 1:03.02 in the 100m backstroke preliminary at the Ohio Grand Prix.

Dillette earns her Olympic berth one day after Auburn senior Alexei Puninski made the Olympic team for Croatia with his performance in the 100m butterfly. They are two of three current Tigers who have already punched their ticket to the 2008 Olympic Games as junior Cesar Cielo has already earned a spot on the Brazil National Team.

“I’ve been looking at those times for a long time now and it was frustrating last summer when I would come so close and not get them,” said Dillette. “Because college swimming is in yards, I basically had to wait all year to swim a tapered long course meet, so getting here is really exciting.”

The sophomore from Nassau, Bahamas, finished second in the 100m back preliminary with her 1:02.03, a time that ranks fifth all-time at Auburn. To earn her way onto the Bahamas National Team, she had to come in under 1:03.87. Dillette came back in the evening session to finish sixth in the finals with a time of 1:03.25.

Softball game postponed until today at USC
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Heavy rains have canceled Saturday’s softball double-header between Auburn and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia. The teams will now play two games today.

Game 1 will begin at 10 a.m. Game 2 will begin at 1 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports South (Channel 26 in Lee County).

The Tigers are 31-9 overall and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 17-15 overall and 5-7 in the SEC.