AU ROUNDUP: Former track stars shine

By: Special to the News | Opelika Auburn News
Published: July 18, 2009

Several former Auburn track and field athletes are performing well this summer on the international circuit.

Headlining the performers is Kerron Stewart, who owns the fastest time in the world this year in the 100 meters. Stewart posted a personal best of 10.75 seconds at the Golden Gala in Rome on July 10, which makes her the fifth fastest woman ever over that distance. She owned seven of the 14 fastest times in the world this year in the 100 meters entering this weekend’s competition.

Stewart is also in the running to claim the $1 Million Jackpot challenge offered by the AF Golden League. To claim the prize, an athlete must win all six titles in one event in the series, and Stewart is two-thirds of the way there with four titles in four tries in the 100 meters, including a victory Friday in Paris. Only four athletes (three women and one man) are still in contention for the prize after four competitions. The next opportunity comes August 28 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Another member of Auburn’s 2006 women’s national championship team, Josanne Lucas, currently ranks No. 2 in the world in the 400-meter hurdles after posting a personal-best time of 54.17 seconds Tuesday in Reims, France. Lucas, whose previous best had been 55.24, followed that with a time of 54.88 Friday in Paris.

In addition, five former Auburn letterwinners have been named to the Jamaican national team for the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics from Aug. 15-23 in Berlin.

The women’s squad will include Stewart as well as Jovanee Jarrett (long jump), Lacena Golding-Clarke (110-meter hurdles) and Vonette Dixon (110-meter hurdles reserve). The men’s team will feature decathlete Maurice Smith.

Moseley tied for 6th at Southern Amateur
CORDOVA, Tenn. — Former Auburn golfer and 2008 First-Team All SEC golfer Jay Moseley is tied for sixth-place at the 2009 Southern Amateur, 15 holes into his third round. Play was suspended Friday evening at the Southern Am due to darkness and is set to resume today at 7 a.m.

Fourth round action has been given an estimated start time of 9 a.m.

Moseley is currently at 8-under for the tournament after recording rounds of 67 and 72 and shooting 3-under through 15 on Saturday evening.

As a senior, the Bainbridge, Ga., native led all Tigers in seven tournaments and finished with a stroke average of 71.83, the fifth lowest single-season average in school
history.

Auburn senior Cole Moreland finished round three with his second consecutive round of 69, giving the Austin, Texas native a 54-hole total of 209 (-7). Former Tigers Glenn Northcutt (75-215) and Will Swift (75-218) are tied for 46th and 62nd, respectively. Auburn sophomore John Stembridge is tied for 68th at 4-over through 15 holes of round three.