Five Hurricanes Geared Up for U.S. Olympic Team Trials

June 21, 2012

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Two student-athletes from the 2011-12 University of Miami track and field roster and three program alums are set to compete at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the coming days at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore. Competitors from across the country will gather to contend for spots on Team USA in the upcoming Olympic Games in London in the largest national championship track meet in the world.

Director of Track and Field Amy Deem will coach each of the five current and former Canes at the meet and will serve as the head women’s coach of Team USA at the Games. The Trials are the country’s most prestigious pre-Olympic event and more than 1,000 athletes will compete for the right to represent Team USA.

Rising junior Thandi Stewart and alums Ti’erra Brown and Dominique Darden will run in the 400m hurdles preliminaries on June 28 at 8:30 p.m. (EST). Alum Lauryn Williams will compete in both the 100m and 200m preliminaries on June 22 at 9 p.m. (EST) and June 28 at 9:45 p.m. (EST) in hopes of another Olympic appearance. Recent graduate Devon Hill will participate in the 110m hurdles preliminaries on June 29 at 7:05 p.m. (EST).

Brown was the first Hurricane to ever win a USA Title at the 2010 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and also won first place in the 400m hurdles at the 2011 NCAA Championships. The Hampton, Va., native was also named the ACC Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Year following her senior season last year. She wrapped her illustrious collegiate career with seven All-America honors.

Darden, who graduated in 2006, is the most decorated All-American in UM history with 15 honors throughout her collegiate career. Originally from Harrisburg, Pa., she was the 2005 NCAA East Regional Champion in the 400m hurdles and the U.S. Champion in the indoor 400m dash. She was ranked ninth in the nation in the 400m hurdles in the 2010 Track & Field News Women’s Rankings

Hill recently finished his UM career after earning the distinction of All-American, four-time ACC Hurdle Champion and multiple-time All-ACC performer during his four years for the Canes. He earned his fourth conference title in April when he ran a winning time of 13.35 in the 110m hurdles to set the ACC, Championship Meet, facility and UM school records. He competed in the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year earlier this month.

Stewart earned All-America status at this year’s NCAA Championships with a fourth place finish in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best 56.53 mark, the fourth-best time in UM history in the event. The time improved from her previous best of 56.62 in the preliminary stage of the meet. She also finished second at the ACC Championships this season with a time of 57.46 to earn All-ACC.

Williams hopes to qualify for the Games for the third time after being the top American finisher in the women’s 100m in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a silver medal in Athens. She is also a three-time world champion and was a nine-time All-American during her time at UM. The Rochester, Pa., native won the 2004 NCAA title and was considered the World’s Fastest Women in 2005.

The Trials will take place over 10 days from June 21 to July 1 with two off days mixed in. Click here for the official website of the meet.

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