Four Hurricanes Receive At-Large Selections
May 30, 2006
Coral Gables, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The third-ranked University of Miami women’s track and field team received four at-large selections on Tuesday and will now send eight women to compete in seven events and two relays at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, June 7-10, in Sacramento, Calif.
Receiving at-large selections on Tuesday were senior India Ransom (Largo, Md.) in the 100-meters, juniors Brenda Faluade (Katy, Texas) and Amy Seward (Virginia Beach, Va.) in the long jump, and junior Akera Lathan (Miami Southridge) in the shot put.
Miami is coming off of a second-place finish at the NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, N.C. The Hurricanes captured three event titles and recorded six automatic qualifying marks in five events.
The Hurricanes were led All-Americans Dominique Darden (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Ginou Etienne (Miami Central).
Darden, a 12-time All-American, successfully defended her 400-meter hurdle title. Darden, currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, was never challenged and cruised to the victory in a time of 56.26.
Etienne, who entered the meet ranked fourth in the East Region, recorded an upset win in the 800-meters posting a school-record time of 2:04.26, the fourth fastest time in the nation this season.
Darden and Etienne then teamed up to lead UM to a win in the 4×400-meter relay. The Hurricane team of freshman Krista Simkins (Ambler, Pa.), Etienne, freshman Ena Leufroy (Atlanta, Ga.) and Darden posted a time of 3:30.01 in winning the regional title for the second time in the last three seasons.
If Miami wishes to claim its first NCAA Track and Field title it will once again need strong performances from its corps of jumpers. Miami’s jumpers, led by junior All-American Tabia Charles (Pickering, Ontario), scored 26 of the team’s 71 points this past weekend.
Charles, an eight-time All-American, ranks No. 1 in the nation in the triple jump and third in the long jump heading into the NCAA Championships. She placed second in both events at the NCAA East Regional.
Faluade, who will also compete in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships, ranks 11th in the nation in the long jump and second in the nation in the triple jump. Faluade automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump with a third-place finish in Greensboro.
Both of Miami’s relays also have high expectations heading into nationals. The 4×400-meter relay ranks No. 1 in the nation and has recorded victories this season at the Texas Relays and Penn Relays, to go with its win at the NCAA East Regional.
The 4×100-meter relay of Seward, senior All-American Charlette Greggs (Miami Northwestern), Darden and Ransom, placed second at the NCAA East Regional and enter the NCAA Championships ranked sixth in the nation.
In addition to the 4×100-meter relay, Greggs is expected to run the third leg of the 4×400-meter relay and will compete in the open 200-meters. Greggs finished ninth at last year’s NCAA Championships and placed fourth at the regional.
