Auburn track & field qualifies nine to NCAA Indoor Championships

AUBURN, Ala. –  Auburn track & field will have nine student-athletes compete in the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia March 14-15 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Committee announced Monday. 

On the men’s side, seniors Makanakaishe Charamba (200m) and Dario Matau (200m), junior Azeem Fahmi (60m), sophomores Kayinsola Ajayi (60m) and Ja’Kobe Tharp (60m hurdles) and freshman Israel Okon (60m) have qualified. The women will send seniors Vimbayi Maisvorewa (400m) and Maura Huwalt (weight throw) and sophomore Ana-Liese Torian (60m hurdles).   

“The athletes commit to being the absolute best when it matters the most is and they did it,” Auburn track & field head coach Leroy Burrell said. “I would not be surprised at all if we don’t see even more fireworks when we get to Virginia Beach for the NCAA Championships.” 

The top 16 declared athletes in each event and relays receive bids to the championships. 

Charamba will compete in his first NCAA Indoor Championships. He claimed gold at the conference championships, taking the 200m title by over a tenth of a second (20.13).  His time is the fastest in the world this year and the seventh fastest ever. He was Auburn’s first gold medalist since American Olympian Coby Miller won in 1999 and 2000.  

Tharp won the SEC Indoor title in the 60m hurdles last week, breaking his own school record in the process (7.48). He earned Auburn its first gold at SECs in the 60m hurdles since Ty Akins won in 2008. He equaled the second fastest college time of 2025, posted the eighth fastest collegiate time ever and broke the facility record. 

Making his SEC Championships debut, sprinter Okon also delivered a podium worthy performance at SECs in the men’s 60m. He finished second overall with a time of 6.55. Racing in the preliminary round, he equaled a 24-year-old World U20 Record set by Mark Lewis-Francis of Great Britian. Okon broke the Auburn freshman record, set the facility record and his time is tied for the second fastest in the nation this season.  

First Team All-American Ajayi will compete in his first NCAAs for the Tigers with the fastest 60m time in the nation (6.51), which he ran at the Tiger Paw Invitational in February.  

Fahmi delivered a collegiate best performance at SECs in the 60m (6.56) to earn him a bronze medal and a spot at his first NCAA Indoor Championships. He moved up to eighth on Auburn’s Indoor Top Performers List with the Malaysian indoor national record.  

Matau earned his NCAAs spot after running a PR in the 200m finishing fourth. He moved up to seventh on Auburn’s Top 10 List and is currently the 13th in the nation. 

Maisvorewa enters her second Indoor NCAA Championships after breaking the school record in the women’s 400m (51.55) at SECs. She finished the prelims in sixth and advanced to finals. The All-American placed seventh in the event final. At the 2024 National Championships, Masivorewa finished 14th, earning Second Team All-America honors.  

Huwalt will compete in her first indoor championships. She punched her ticket to NCAAs following a 22.27m mark at the Bob Pollock Invitational in February. Huwalt enters the meet ranked 13th in the country. 

After racing in her first SEC meet, sophomore transfer Ana-Liese Torain finished fourth in the women’s 60m hurdles. She ran a time of 8.07 and posted the second fastest time in Auburn history to deliver the best showing for an Auburn woman in the event since 2016.