The SEC Outdoor Championships All-Conference Team includes six Tigers.

The 2025 SEC Outdoor Championships delivered fierce competition, jaw-dropping performances, and history-making efforts, but few programs walked away prouder than the Auburn Tigers. With six student-athletes earning placement on the SEC All-Conference Team, Auburn Track & Field cemented itself as one of the top programs in the country.

From sprinters to throwers and multi-event stars, the Tigers put on a display of elite athleticism and competitive grit, showcasing the depth, talent, and coaching excellence that has become a hallmark of Auburn’s program. The All-SEC recognition is reserved for those who finish in the top three in their events, a testament to both individual brilliance and team-wide effort.

Here’s an in-depth look at each of the six Tigers honored and how their performances at the SEC Outdoor Championships defined a standout season for Auburn Track & Field.

Junior hurdler Jaheim Watson had long been circling the SEC Outdoor Championships on his calendar. After a stellar regular season, Watson exploded when it mattered most. He clocked a personal best of 48.92 seconds in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, securing a gold medal and First-Team All-SEC honors.

His time currently ranks in the top five nationally and is the second-fastest in Auburn history, trailing only the legendary Kerron Stewart. Watson’s effort was a combination of technique, confidence, and rhythm, and it capped off what may go down as one of the greatest hurdle seasons in Auburn lore.

“Jaheim’s been locked in all season, but he found another gear this weekend,” said head coach Leroy Burrell. “He’s a leader on and off the track, and that performance was pure determination.”

Sophomore Jade White leapt into SEC stardom with a second-place finish in the women’s long jump, marking a wind-legal personal best of 6.59 meters (21 feet, 7.5 inches). Her consistency across all six rounds and her poise under pressure were evident as she battled a field stacked with NCAA contenders.

White’s emergence as a championship-caliber jumper has Auburn’s staff buzzing with excitement, particularly given she still has two more years of eligibility. The future is bright, and White’s ceiling only appears to be rising.

“Jade came in as a raw talent,” said jumps coach Micah Ramsey. “Now she’s putting the technical aspects together, and we’re just scratching the surface.”

Senior thrower Christian Cobb delivered the best performance of his collegiate career when it mattered most. With a massive heave of 76.01 meters (249 feet, 4 inches), Cobb not only won the men’s javelin but also moved to third on Auburn’s all-time list.

The emotional win came after a season of ups and downs, including a mid-season injury scare. Cobb’s resilience paid off with a First-Team All-SEC honor and a real shot at All-American status as nationals loom.

“I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to compete this season,” Cobb said. “To come out and win the SEC… it means everything.”

Speedster Nia Langston solidified herself as one of the SEC’s premier quarter-milers with her silver-medal finish in the women’s 400 meters. Langston crossed the line in 50.83 seconds, a personal record and the fifth-fastest time in school history.

Langston’s performance was part of a grueling double as she also anchored the women’s 4x400m relay team later that day. Her progression this season—from SEC semifinalist to conference medalist—has been one of the best storylines for the Tigers in 2025.

“Nia trained like a pro all year,” said sprint coach LaTanya Sheffield. “She’s embraced the grind, and now she’s seeing the rewards.”Decathlete Marcus Dennis delivered a gutsy performance across two days of brutal multi-event competition to take bronze in the men’s decathlon. Amassing a personal-best 7,812 points, Dennis battled through scorching heat and a stacked field of athletes.

His marks in the 100m (10.83), shot put (14.61m), and pole vault (5.05m) were season bests and key to his climb onto the SEC podium. Dennis’s resilience in the final 1500 meters helped him edge out a fourth-place finisher by just 12 points.

“Marcus defines what a Tiger is,” said Burrell. “He doesn’t quit. He finds a way.”

Graduate senior Tamara Gillespie capped off her collegiate career with her first SEC podium, finishing third in the women’s hammer throw with a personal best of 66.40 meters (217 feet, 10 inches).

Gillespie’s journey has been one of perseverance. After transferring to Auburn in 2023 and redshirting the 2024 outdoor season due to injury, she returned stronger than ever in 2025. Her All-SEC recognition is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable comeback season.

“There were moments I wasn’t sure I’d ever compete again,” Gillespie said, wiping tears after her throw. “To leave with an SEC medal? I couldn’t ask for more.”

The six All-SEC honors reflect a broader truth: Auburn’s Track & Field program is on the rise. In an era where the SEC has become arguably the deepest and most competitive conference in collegiate track and field, placing six athletes on the All-Conference list is no small feat.

Head coach Leroy Burrell, now in his third year, credited the coaching staff’s unity and the athletes’ buy-in for the program’s forward momentum.

“We talk a lot about belief,” Burrell said. “These kids believe in themselves, they believe in their teammates, and they believe in Auburn.”

The Tigers finished fifth overall in the men’s standings and sixth in the women’s, but perhaps more importantly, Auburn saw 14 athletes and two relay teams qualify for NCAA East Prelims—positioning themselves for a strong national showing.

The SEC All-Conference team selections are determined based solely on SEC Outdoor Championship performances. First-Team includes event winners, Second-Team goes to runners-up, and Third-Team honors those finishing third.

Auburn’s six selections this year represent the program’s most since 2012, signaling a return to form. Burrell, a former world-class sprinter and Olympic gold medalist, has been methodically rebuilding Auburn into a national power since taking over.

“We’re just getting started,” he said. “We want this to be the new standard.”

The NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, will be the next stop for most of Auburn’s stars. With Watson, Langston, and Cobb expected to contend for national titles, the Tigers could very well turn SEC recognition into national honors.

Beyond the current season, the future looks exceptionally bright. Of the six All-SEC honorees, only Gillespie is out of eligibility. The remaining five—Watson, White, Cobb, Langston, and Dennis—could all return next season.

In addition, Auburn’s 2025 signing class has been lauded as one of the strongest in recent memory, featuring state champions, international youth standouts, and high-upside multi-event athletes.

Perhaps what stood out most over the SEC Championship weekend was the culture of camaraderie among the Tigers. Whether it was teammates lining the rails to cheer on Marcus Dennis in the 1500m or Langston embracing White after the long jump, Auburn’s athletes showed they were more than competitors—they were a family.

Assistant coach Ken Harnden said it best: “You can have talent, but talent without love for your team doesn’t win titles. These kids love wearing the ‘AU.’”

Six All-SEC selections. A fifth-place men’s finish. A sixth-place women’s showing. And perhaps most importantly, a statement to the rest of the nation: Auburn Track & Field is no longer rebuilding—it’s ready to contend.

As the Tigers turn their attention to the NCAA postseason, one thing is clear. The foundation is strong, the culture is clicking, and the track leads straight ahead—to glory.