OUR PREMEET PROGNOSTICATIONS looked brilliant after the semifinals: the predicted top 6 all auto-qualified and our picks for places 7–9 went through on time.
Such perfection couldn’t last, of course — the short relay always comes with a dose of built-in mayhem.
In fact, the semis gave the first hint that we might have the final order wrong. We picked South Florida to win and Auburn to place 3rd, but the Tigers made a statement by equaling Florida’s ’19 meet record of 37.97.
In the final, Auburn made it clear from the gun that the fast semi was no fluke — leadoff Azeem Fahmi almost made up the stagger on South Florida’s Shomari Pettigrew. Their lead solidified when second leg Kanyinsola Ajayi smoothly handed off to Dario Matau while South Florida bobbled the stick and slowed.
Auburn didn’t have it wrapped up, however — flawless handoffs had Minnesota poised to pull even.
Then came the mayhem: Golden Gopher anchor Devin Augustine pulled up injured with about 20m left. Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba — the eventual silver medalist in the 200 — stormed to the finish in 38.33 and USC took 2nd in 38.46.
More mayhem: LSU crossed the line in 38.56 but was DQed for running out of their lane, so Arkansas (38.72) was promoted to 3rd. (By the end of the meet, that extra point would have Arkansas tantalizingly close to a team title.)
South Florida took 4th in 38.73, while Minnesota fell to 7th in 38.88.
Auburn coach Leroy Burrell’s sprinters were unconcerned with not matching the sub-38 heroics of the semis. Repeat champions owe no apologies to anyone.
“Today, if the goal is just to finish 1st, that’s all. We don’t care about the time,” said Fahmi. “I mean, even though the goal was to break the Collegiate Record… 10 points back-to-back. That’s all we want to know.
“It’s way harder to maintain the championship, you know, to stay at the top. So we’re coming here with all the pressure. We actually wanted this pressure. So we went out there, just did everything because we knew we would push through it. We also know that we are the best team here, so we just had to execute the race.”
“It’s very special, you know, with the new era to come here and win a national championship,” said Matau. “So to see us come and do it back-to-back, that’s very special.”
MEN’S 4 x 100 RESULTS
FINAL (June 13)
1. Auburn 38.33
(Azeem Fahmi’, Kanynsola Ajayi’, Dario Matau’, Makanakaishe Charamba’);
2. USC 38.46
(Travis Williams, Max Thomas, Taylor Banks, Garrett Kaalund);
3. Arkansas 38.72
(Connor Washington, Tevijon Williams, Jaden Smith’, Jordan Anthony);
4. South Florida 38.73
(Shomari Pettigrew, Jaleel Croal’, Alexavier Monfries’, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu’);
5. Tennessee 38.79
(Deron Dudley, Davonte Howell, Kalib Branch, T’Mars McCallum);
6. Kentucky 38.85
(Miles Jones, Clinton Muunga’, Josh Onwunili, Carli Makarawu’);
7. Minnesota 38.88
Zion Campbell, Kion Benjamin’, Aaron Charles, Devin Augustine);
8. Texas 39.10 (Kendrick Smallwood, John Rutledge, Almond Small, Xavier Butler);
… dq—[3]LSU [38.56] (Jahiem Stern’, Jaiden Reid’, Myles Thomas, Jelani Watkins).
SEMIS (June 11)
I–1. Tennessee 38.47; 2. USC 38.71; 3. Arkansas–Pine Bluff 39.27; 4. Florida State 39.31; 5. Florida 39.42; 6. Cal State Fullerton 39.48; 7. North Carolina A&T 40.43;… dnf—Arizona.
II–1. South Florida 38.12 (10 C);
2. Minnesota 38.16 (11 C) (#6 school);
3. Arkansas 38.51; 4. Kentucky 38.60; 5. Sam Houston 39.03; 6. Ole Miss 39.29; 7. Ohio State 39.40; 8. Washington State 39.41.
III–1. Auburn 37.97 (=3 C; #3 school);
2. LSU 38.14 (11 C); 3. Texas 38.70; 4. Utah Valley 38.90; 5. Georgia 39.15; 6. Texas A&M 39.23; 7. Pitt 39.32; 8. TCU 39.35.
