UM Track Qualifies 10 Individuals, Two Relays For NCAA's

June 5, 2003

Coral Gables, FL (hurricanesports.com) – University of Miami seniors Sashanie Simpson (Miami, FL) and Gina Harris (Philadelphia, PA), and juniors Adrienne Moss (Miami Southridge) and Jennifer Penrose (Mesa, AZ) received at-large bids to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, June 11-14, in Sacramento, CA.

With the addition of Simpson (400-meters), Harris (long jump), Moss (shot put) and Penrose (shot put), Miami has qualified a school-record 10 individuals and two relays for next weekend’s NCAA Championships.

The Hurricanes had six automatic qualifiers including sophomore Lauryn Williams (Rochester, PA) in the 100-meters, freshman Charlette Greggs (Miami Northwestern) in the 400-meters, senior Patricia Pearson (Jacksonville, FL) in the 800-meters, senior Sharianne Lawson (Palm Beach Lakes) in the 100-meter hurdles, senior Jamillah Wade (Philadelphia, PA) in the 400-hurdles and junior Kitoya Carter (Miami Northwestern) in the triple jump.

In addition, the Hurricanes’ 4×100-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay were also automatic qualifiers.

Miami, the 2003 BIG EAST Champions and 13th-ranked team in the nation by Trackwire, enter the NCAA Championships with high expectations. The Hurricanes boast eight women that have earned All-America honors during their UM careers.Leading the Hurricanes’ strong contingent is Greggs and Williams. Greggs, the 2003 BIG EAST and East Regional Champion at 400-meters, is undefeated against collegiate competition this outdoor season. Greggs also competes as a member of the 4×100-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay.

Williams, a three-time All-American, is the 2002 World Junior Champion at 100-meters and currently has the sixth fastest time in the NCAA this season. Williams also runs on the 4×100-meter relay.

Lawson and Wade look to continue the Hurricanes’ strong tradition in the hurdles. Lawson has had an impressive season earning All-America honors in the 60-meter hurdles during the indoor season and capturing the BIG EAST title in the 100-meter hurdles during the outdoor season.

Wade earned All-America honors last season as a member of the 4×400-meter relay and is a member of this season’s fourth-ranked relay. She will compete as an individual in the 400-meter hurdles were she ranks ninth in the nation.

In the jumps the Hurricanes will look to Harris, a two-time All-American in the long jump, and Carter, the 2003 East Regional Champion in the triple jump.

Harris is the UM record holder in the long jump and ranks 14th in the nation heading into the Championships. She is the only long jumper in UM history to earn All-America honors in consecutive seasons.

Carter earned All-America honors last season as a member of the 4×400-meter relay. She ranks 14th in the nation in the triple jump and is also a member of the Hurricanes’ fourth-ranked 4×400-meter relay.

Pearson ranks 16th in the nation in the 800-meters and looks to be returning the form that earned her All-America honors as a sophomore in 2001. Her time of 2:05.78 at the NCAA East Regional Championship was the second fastest in school-history.

For the first time in school-history the Hurricanes will have throwers competing at the NCAA Championships. Moss, the 2003 BIG EAST Champion in the shot put, has had arguably the best season by a thrower in UM history. She has bettered the school-record record in the shot put three times this season and currently ranks 20th in the nation. Penrose, who as a freshman in 2001, became the first Hurricane thrower to record an NCAA provisional mark, ranks 24th in the nation in the shot put.

2003 NCAA QUALIFIERSEvent         Name                 Mark   NCAA Rank100-meters      Lauryn Williams         11.20    6th400-meters      Charlette Greggs        51.65    4th400-meters      Sashanie Simpson        53.17   26th800-meters      Patricia Pearson      2:05.78   16th100-hurdles     Sharianne Lawson        13.25   16th400-hurdles     Jamillah Wade           57.62    9thLong Jump       Gina Harris              6.44m  14thTriple Jump     Kitoya Carter           13.11m  14thShot Put        Adrienne Moss           15.88m  20thShot Put        Jennifer Penrose        15.79m  24th4x100-meter relay                       43.96    5th4x400-meter relay                     3:30.74    4th