UM Women Second At BIG EAST Championships
May 4, 2002
Storrs, CT (hurricanesports.com) – Senior All-American Kareen Clarke (Lithonic, GA) won the triple jump with BIG EAST record leap of 13.35 meters (43-09.75) and the Hurricanes are in a tie for second-place with 26 points heading into the final day of competition at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Storrs, CT.
Notre Dame leads the team competition with 29 points. The Hurricanes, who are looking to win their fourth title in the last five seasons are tied with Villanova (26 points).
Clarke, ranked second in the nation in the event, broke the old mark of 13.33 meters (43-08.75) set by Najuma Fletcher of Pittsburgh in 1996. Clarke easily defended her BIG EAST title from last season outdistancing her nearest competitor by nearly two feet. Christine Brown (West Virginia) finished second with a jump of 12.78 meters (41-11.25).
“Not only did I want to win the triple jump this year but I really wanted to set the BIG EAST record,” said Clarke. “It was one of my goals this season and I’m glad I was able to accomplish it.”
Miami junior Gina Harris (Philadelphia, PA) finished fourth with a season-best jump of 12.53 meters (41-01.50) helping UM record a total of 15 points in the triple jump.
In the heptathlon, Miami freshman Amber Williams (Succasunna, NJ) finished second with a UM record score of 4,951 points. Williams’ point total surpassed the old school-record of 4,833 points, which she set earlier this season at the Texas Relays. Williams, who was in third heading into the final day, recorded 1,782 points on Saturday in finishing second and earning eight points for the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are set up well heading into Sunday’s final day. Miami qualified two runners for the finals of the100-meters, two in the 200-meters, three in the 100-meter hurdles and three in the 400-meters.
“I am very happy with how the team performed today,” said head coach Amy Deem. “The women competed hard and put us in very good shape heading into tomorrow.”
All-Americans Lauryn Williams (Rochester, PA) and Wyllesheia Myrick (Miami Northwestern) both won their preliminary heats of the 100-meters and 200-meters to qualify for the finals in both events.
Williams recorded a new George J. Sherman track record and the top 100-meter time of the preliminaries (11.61) while Myrick posted the second-best time with a mark of 11.68. The two reversed positions in the 200-meters with Myrick recording the best preliminary time (23.57) followed by Williams (23.64).
In the 100-meter hurdles, junior Sharianne Lawson (Palm Beach Lakes) set a new track record winning her heat with the best time of the preliminaries (13.56). Also qualifying was Amber Williams, who won her heat in a time of 13.90, and junior Jamillah Wade (Philadelphia, PA) who posted a time of 14.24.
Wade also advanced to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles winning her preliminary heat and set a new track record with a time of 59.11. Wade is the defending BIG EAST champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
Senior Jenise Winston (League City, TX) won her 400-meter heat in a time of 54.44 to move into Sunday’s final. Also qualifying for the Hurricanes was sophomore Kitoya Carter (Miami Northwestern) with a time of 55.04 and junior Saraque Whittaker (Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas) with a time of 54.63.
Junior Patricia Pearson (Jacksonville, FL) advanced to the finals of the 800-meters with a time of 2:06.48. The time was the fastest of the preliminaries and shattered the track record of 2:13.78 by more than seven seconds. The time also provisionally qualifies Pearson for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 29-June 1, in Baton Rouge, LA.
In the final event of the day, senior Jennifer Geroux (Balto, MD) and junior Melissa Norris (Pembroke Pines – Flanagan) closed out the Hurricanes scoring in the 10,000-meters. Geroux recorded two points with a seventh-place finish (37:16.63) while Norris added one point finishing eighth with a time of 37:26.60.
