Auburn track and field posted one of the best performances in program history a few weeks ago, breaking five school records and recording two NCAA-leading times to conclude the 2024-25 regular season.
Competing in Clemson and Boston at various meets across the East Coast, 20 Tigers established new personal bests while five others were among the top-16 nationally that would meet the NCAA Championship qualifying threshold, should they remain.
On Feb. 15 at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, senior Makanakaishe Charamba ran a 20.16 in the men’s indoor 200m to post the world’s fastest time of 2025. The performance marks the world’s eighth-fastest indoor 200m ever and broke the previous school record of 20.50, set by U.S. Olympian Coby Miller in 2000. Charamba’s 20.16 ranks seventh in collegiate history and the fastest ever by an SEC runner in the regular season.
On Friday night of the same meet, sophomore Ja’Kobe Tharp tallied three of the eight fastest 60m hurdle times in Auburn history. Tharp set a new school record in the event, recording a 7.53 in the finals and breaking Shamar Sands’ previous time of 7.59, which was set in 2003. The time would have claimed gold in 16 of the past 24 NCAA indoor championships in the event, and currently sits at No. 3 in the nation this season.
Another sophomore sprinter who made his presence known in Clemson is Kayinsola Ajayi, whose time of 6.51 in the men’s 60m semifinal ranked him No. 3 in the world this year. The performance marked this season’s top NCAA time, and fell just one hundredth short of equaling the school record.
Freshman Israel Okon and junior Azeem Fahmi also set new records in the men’s 60m over the weekend. Okon broke the Auburn freshman record with a 6.52 in the semifinal round, currently sitting as the world’s second-fastest U20 time ever. The Nigeria native ran the NCAA’s No. 2 time, only trailing Ajayi, and the world’s fourth-fastest this year indoors.
Fahmi set the Malaysian national record in the same race with a 6.60 in the semifinals, moving him into the top 10 on the Auburn performers chart in the event.
Headlining the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational, sophomore Max Hardin set a new school record in the men’s mile with a time of 3:57.67.
One of seven distance runners competing in Boston, Hardin shattered Ryan Kinnane’s previous mark of 3:58.28. He also became the first runner in program history to achieve two sub-four-minute miles, with both coming in 2025.
Transitioning to women’s pole vault, junior Alyssa Quinones-Mixon cleared 4.44m/14-6.75 to set new school record, breaking the previous mark of 4.40m set in 2016 by Jessie Johnson.
Winning the individual competition in Clemson, Quinones-Mixon ranks second in the SEC and twelfth nationally this season.
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Gunner is a freshman majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
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