PETALING JAYA: National sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi continued his encouraging indoor season by finishing second in the men’s 60m final at the Samford Open.
He posted a time of 6.60s in a high-quality race on Saturday that underlined Auburn University’s growing strength ahead of the National Collegiate Athetics Association (NCAA) Championships.
Azeem lost to Auburn teammate Omari Lewis, who claimed victory in 6.58s, while Jayval Wright of Hinds Community College took third place in 6.64s.
Speaking after the race in a video shared by Auburn Track and Field on Instagram, Azeem jokingly attributed his runner-up finish to a late stumble that opened the door for Lewis to win.
Despite that, the Malaysian sprinter was quick to praise his fellow senior, stressing the importance of teamwork as Auburn prepare for a strong NCAA campaign.
"It was great. I’m happy for him. I knew he could do something and he proved himself," said Azeem when contacted.
"I’m excited to see every single one on this team show up at the right time."
The Samford Open marked Azeem’s second indoor outing of the season.
He had opened his campaign by winning the men’s 60m final at the UAB Blazer Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama, also in 6.60s.
While his personal best and national record in the 60m stands at 6.56s, set in March 2025, opening the year with back-to-back 6.60s performances represents the strongest start to a season of his career.
"It was a decent day, 6.60s back-to-back in a week, but it could’ve been better if I didn’t stumble at the start," he admitted.
"I hope to stick with the plan. We’re back on schedule, competing every two weeks, with the full squad at the next meet in Clemson."
Azeem is aiming to climb higher in the NCAA Division One qualifying rankings by doing well at the Clemson Invitational at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex in South Carolina.
All I have to do is stay patient and trust the plan," he said.
"I’ve run much faster than last year, and that already says a lot about how my season is going to be."
Currently, Azeem sits seventh in the top 50 with his 6.60s mark, while Tennessee’s Davonte Howell leads the list with a blistering 6.49s.
Azeem holds the national 100m record, having clocked 10.09s at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia.
