The men’s and women’s track and field team concluded competition in the NCAA Championships with top-8 finishes from sophomore Kahlil Henderson and junior Shawn Johnson on Friday, June 12, as well as a second place finish from Marshay Ryan in the triple jump on Saturday, June 13. Rachel Dincoff additionally made the highlights with her ninth place finish in the shot put on Thursday, June 11.
“I am pretty excited because our group came here and competed hard,” coach Ralph Spry said. “Kahlil Henderson was able to hang in there in one of the fastest 200m races in history and finished seventh. Shawn Johnson was able to compete and earn All-America honors in the high jump and triple jump, so I am really proud of him. We are a young team and these are the type of experiences we need to be able to get back to where we want to be, so I am excited.”
Henderson recorded a 20.38 finish to take seventh in the 200m, earning two points. The Hollywood, Florida, native is the first Tiger to earn back-to-back All-America honors in the 200m since Coby Miller in 2000.
Johnson, who was the only athlete to qualify in the high jump and triple jump, cleared 7-1/2.16m in the high jump to tie for eighth place and earned second team All-America honors in the triple jump with a distance of 52-2.75/15.92m.
Senior Ty McCormack, who earned his MBA in May, finished 18th in the 5000m at 14:26.63.
Ryan recorded a season-best distance of 44-4.75/13.53m on her last attempt to jump from fifth to second. Her finish is the highest by an Auburn female since Shelly-Ann Gallimore won the event in 2001.
“It is an amazing feeling,” Ryan said. “It has been a long journey and a long season. I owe a lot to God. I am still injured right now after having gallbladder surgery before the indoor season started. I am unbelievably grateful and I give all the glory to God. On my last jump, all I kept thinking about was what I had to go through to get here. I am incredibly blessed.
Dincoff earned a ninth place finish in the shot put, setting a personal-best with a throw of 55-0/16.76m on her third attempt, which ranks as the eighth-best mark in program history.
“We knew coming in that this was going to be a grind,” Spry said. “Rachel Dincoff had a great PR and just missed scoring by an inch. She is just a junior, so she will be able to come back stronger next year in the shot put.”
The NCAA Outdoor Championship concluded the Tiger’s 2015 season.
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