The Sunday News
Collin Matiza
IT keeps on getting better for Zimbabwean female sprinter Vimbayi Maisvorewa in the United States.
After successful performances at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, three Auburn University athletes, including Maisvorewa, earned All-America honours, as announced by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
Juniors Maisvorewa and Simone Johnson and graduate student Sanaa Barnes all earned second team All-America honours. The trio competed at The Track at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts.
“What’s most important to me is that they improved upon their placing coming in,” said Auburn Track & Field head coach Leroy Burrell told reporters on Monday. “But we’ve got to bring more people to the show and that will give us a better team environment and the athletes tend to feed off each other when there are more of them there pushing each other.”
Competing in her first indoor championships, Zimbabwean Maisvorewa finished 14th in the women’s 400m dash on the first day of championships with a time of 53.29 seconds.
Maisvorewa broke the 400m school record at the SEC Championships, two weeks prior (52.16). She became the Tigers’ first NCAA Indoor qualifier in the event since Joanna Atkins in 2010.
Johnson made her second indoor championships appearance after finishing 14th while at San Diego State in 2023. The Fresno, California native ended the day in 11th place (13.17m). Her finish was the best at nationals since 2017 where Marshay Ryan was fourth in the event.
Barnes made her third NCAA Indoor Championships appearance. Her lifetime best jump of 1.85m at the Vanderbilt Invitational qualified her for the championships.
She equalled her PR in high jump and her ninth-place finish was the best by an Auburn woman at national indoors since 2011 where Maya Pressley finished eighth. This was her sixth career All-America honours.
The top-8 individual finishers and relay teams in their respective events at indoor championships took home First-Team All-America honours and those who placed ninth through 16th individually and part of a relay team earned Second-Team All-America. Honourable mentions were given to the remaining athletes.
