With the IAAF World Championships coming to an end, Auburn has once again delivered a great performance with Leevan Sands finishing fourth and Josanne Lucas moving into the finals.
Ralph Spry, Auburn track and field coach, said the performance of Sands and Lucas came as no surprise.
"I know it's really tough, but we have high expectations and I know they can do it," Spry said.
Sands, who finished third at last year's Olympics, came just four centimeters short of getting a medal. Although leaping a season-best 17.32 meters, Sands lost to Alexis Copello who beat him on his final attempt.
Coach Spry was pleased with the performance and emphasized Sands' experience.
"He's very experienced," Spry said. "Sands has been the triple and long jump national champ as well as placing third in last year's Olympics. He's one of those guys that works hard and leads by example."
For the women, it was Josanne Lucas who delivered. She finished second overall and earned a spot in the finals on Thursday.
Lucas finished the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 53.98 seconds, breaking her Trinidad and Tobago record of 54.17.
Along with Sands and Lucas, former Tigers Donald Thomas, Shamar Sands and Maurice Smith competed. Thomas just missed a spot in the high jump finals, clearing 2.27 meters once but failed to clear it the second time.
Shamar Sands finished 15th in the 110-meter hurdles, with a time of 13.57 seconds, putting him through to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Jamaica's Maurice Smith, a silver medalist at the 2007 decathlon meet, was forced to withdraw due to a thigh injury suffered during the 100 meters.
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