@MiamiTrack Set for ACC Indoor Championships
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Miami track and field program will compete against fellow conference members at the 2015 ACC Indoor Championships.
The three-day meet will showcase the best track and field student-athletes in the ACC, competing Thursday through Saturday at Rector Field House on the Virginia Tech campus. In addition to ACC team and individual titles, conference student-athletes will seek to enhance their rankings heading into the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 13-14 at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Sophomore Shakima Wimbley will be a key component to Miami’s success this weekend. The defending ACC indoor 200m champion and a member of last year’s gold medal-winning 4x400m relay, Wimbley established an ACC and school record with her time of 51.82 seconds in the 400 meters on January 23 of this season.
Senior Lea Johnson will also look to defend her women’s weight throw ACC indoor title from a year ago. Johnson’s mark of 20.98m ranks 13th in the country and second among ACC competitors this season.
Miami returns all four legs of its 2014 ACC champion 4x400m relay. Wimbley is joined by seniors Kelsey Balkwill and Taneisha Cordell, junior Jamika Glades and sophomore in the relay pool. The Canes’ top 4×400 time of 3:34.88 currently ranks ninth in the NCAA this season.
The Canes also feature several women who can make noise in Blacksburg this weekend including thrower Tiffany Okieme, jumper Dakota Dailey-Harris and hurdlers Kayann Richards and Stefani Kerrison.
On the men’s side, Miami features a good balance of youth and experience that should help the Hurricanes shine at the 2015 ACC Indoor Championships.
John-Patrick Friday has been a leader for the Miami men, setting a new school record in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 15.77m at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet. The junior also placed fourth at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite Meet in the men’s long jump with a personal-best mark of 7.45m that ranks third in UM history.
Freshmen Henri Delauze and Jaalen Jones have made an immediate impact for Miami’s men. Delauze has already set the indoor school record in the 600m and moved into the top three in UM history in the 400m, while Jones was excellent last week at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite Meet. The Alabaster, Ala., native placed second in the men’s open 200m with a personal-best time of 21.48 seconds that ranks second in UM history and finished sixth in the men’s 60m final with a personal-best time of 6.88 seconds.
Other men with strong performances this year include throwers Carlos Mangum and Gian Piero Ragonesi, sprinters Robert Grant, Anthony Wolliston, Josh Johnson and Joseph Ryan, hurdler Christian Cook, jumper David Njoku and the men’s 4x400m relay team of Ryan, Wollison, Delauze and Grant.
There is no charge for admission to the 2015 ACC Indoor Championships. Saturday’s action will be shown live via ESPN3, beginning at noon.
Men’s Entries
60m: Jaalen Jones, Josh Johnson
200m: Jaalen Jones, Josh Johnson, Ibrahim Dodo
400m: Henri Delauze, Robert Grant, Anthony Wolliston, Joseph Ryan
800m: Zack Garland
One Mile: Sean Grossman
3000m: Sean Grossman
60m HH: Christian Cook
4x400m: Henri Delauze, Robert Grant, Anthony Wolliston, Joseph Ryan
High Jump: David Njoku, John-Patrick Friday
Long Jump: John-Patrick Friday
Triple Jump: John-Patrick Friday
Shot Put: Gian Piero Ragonesi, Daniel Polinski
Weight Throw: Carlos Mangum, Gian Piero Ragonesi
Women’s Entries
60m: Lateisha Philson, Kayann Richards
200m: Shakima Wimbley, Jokira Jiles
400m: Shakima Wimbley, Kelsey Balkwill,Jamika Glades, Anthonia Moore
800m: Taneisha Cordell
60m HH: Kayann Richards, Jamika Glades, Stefani Kerrison, Alexis Wright
4x400m: Shakima Wimbley, Kelsey Balkwill, Jamika Glades,Taneisha Cordell, Anthonia Moore
High Jump: Dakota Dailey-Harris
Triple Jump: Alexis Wright, Niara Hill
Shot Put: Tiffany Okieme
Weight Throw: Lea Johnson, Tiffany Okieme
Pentathlon: Amy Taintor, Stefani Kerrison
For all the latest information on the Miami Hurricanes, follow the official Twitter feed, @MiamiHurricanes, or “Like Us” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes. Follow @MiamiTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
