Hurricanes Host Gatorade Classic

March 30, 2000

Coral Gables, FL – The University of Miami men’s and women’s track teams will host the 14th Annual Miami Gatorade Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 1 at the Cobb Stadium for Soccer, Track and Field in Coral Gables.

The meet, which is the second of three hosted by the University of Miami this season, will start with field events at 9 a.m. Running events will begin at noon. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $3 for children 17-and-under.

Joining Miami at this year’s Gatorade Classic will be a strong field including Florida International, Illinois and New York Tech, as well as BIG EAST rivals Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Villanova.

The Miami women, the two-time defending BIG EAST Outdoor Champions, will be led by All-Americans Kareen Clarke and Natalie Watson. Clarke recently earned All-America honors in the triple jump on the strength of her fifth-place finish (43-02.50) at the 2000 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Watson, the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor 800-meter run, also took home All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 800-meters (2:06.85).

The Hurricane men will be led by All-American Caldrequis Lesley (110-meter hurdles) as well as defending BIG EAST Champions Daryl Jones (100-meters) and Ed Reed (javelin).

In addition to the teams competing, several independent competitors will be participating as they prepare for the Olympic Trials this summer. Those expected to compete include 1996 Olympic bronze medalist in the 400-meter hurdles Tonja Buford-Bailey, former Hurricane and five-time NCAA Champion in the hurdles Gillian Russell, and two-time All-American in the pole vault and 1994 UM graduate Bill Deering.