Auburn’s Atkins claims national title

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Auburn sophomore Joanna Atkins won a national championship in the 400 meters to highlight the final day of the NCAA Championships for the Tigers.

Atkins shattered her personal best time by nearly 1.5 seconds while posting the second-fastest time in the world this year at 50.39 seconds.

“I was a little nervous, so I told myself to just run, and I did and I’m so thankful,” Atkins said. “I decided if they wanted to beat me they had to come get me. I knew I had a 50 in me and it was a little discouraging because I have been a little inconsistent, but I’m just very excited that 50 finally came.”

Atkins’ win marked the 11th year in a row Auburn has brought home at least one individual title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Marcus Rowland finished third in the 200 meters for Auburn’s other highlight of the day.

The Tigers ended the four days of competition with eight individuals earning All-American honors, and seven of the eight, including all five that earned the awards in individual events, were freshmen and sophomores.

The men’s team finished the meet in 12th place with 18 points, while the women tied for 25th with 11 points.

“We had some young kids that really stepped up these last two days,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “I knew coming in we had a young team and we were hoping to crack the top 10 in both races, but we ended this meet on a high note. We return all but two people next year, so we’re setting the stage for the next couple of years, which should be pretty exciting. I’m proud of how we lined up this weekend and finished what we started.”

Rowland capped an outstanding freshman year with a third-place finish in the 200 meters. Rowland, who was the only freshman to even reach the finals, posted a time of 20.82 seconds while running into a headwind of 1.6 meters per second. He was also forced to run from lane one after finishing ninth and earning the final qualifying spot during Thursday’s semifinals.

“I’m usually hard on myself, but coming out of lane one and getting third, I’m pretty happy with my performance,” said Rowland. “I think it was my warm-up. My coaches were there and helped build up my confidence, and that’s always good. It helped motivate me.”

Rowland, who also anchored Auburn’s 4x100-meter relay team that finished seventh on Friday and was ninth in the 200 meters at the NCAA indoor meet, earned three All-American honors during his rookie campaign.

Auburn’s other competitor on Saturday was sophomore Cache Armbrister, who competed in the finals of the women’s 200 meters. She entered the meet ranked eighth, and finished in that same spot, posting a time of 23.80 into a headwind of 1.2 meters per second. Armbrister earned an All-American honor for the first time with her eighth-place finish.

“I think what got me was my start,” said Armbrister. “I didn’t fire out like I wanted to, so I ended up running a little bit out of my race on the curve, and having to set it up all over again coming home on the straightaway. Being an All-American helps me feel a little bit better, but I hate to feel like I settled for eighth, so it gives me something to work for next year.”

Texas A&M finished as the national champion in both the men’s and women’s team races. Auburn’s 12th-place finish in the men’s race marked the ninth time in the last 11 years that Auburn haor better. The women finished in the top 25 for the ninth straight year.