Hurricanes Head to NCAA East Regional

May 24, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s track and field teams will head to Gainesville, Fla. this weekend to compete at the 2007 NCAA East Regional Championships held May 25-26 at the University of Florida’s James G. Pressley Stadium at Percy Beard Track. Miami will send 11 student-athletes to Gainesville as they compete for a berth into the 2007 NCAA Track and Field Championships held June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif.

The top five finishers in each individual event and top three teams in the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays automatically qualify for the 2007 NCAA Championships in Sacramento.

Leading the UM women’s team is senior Brenda Faluade who heads to Gainesville with the region’s best mark in the triple jump (44-05.00 feet) and the second-best mark in the long jump (21-05.00). Also competing in the long jump will be 2007 ACC Outdoor Field Performer of the Year Amy Seward, whose mark of 20-11.50 feet ranked fifth in the region, and freshman Deandra Doyley, who posted a mark of 20-07.75 which ranked just behind Seward.

Junior Khadija Talley, who claimed the 2007 ACC Outdoor title earlier this season, could be considered the front-runner in the discus with the region’s best mark (174-06) this season. Talley also holds the East’s fifth-best mark in the shot put (54-00.00).

Sophomore Krista Simkins’ 2007 200-Meter ACC Championship time of 23.08 seconds marked the third fastest time in the region. Simkins will also run as part of the UM 4×100 and 4×400-meter relay teams.

In the high jump sophomore Viktoria Andonova will compete behind a UM-record-setting performance earlier this year which saw her clear six feet – the third-best mark in the East region.

Competition is slated to begin Friday and Saturday at 12 noon with field events. Events conclude Friday at 8:50 p.m. with the women’s 5000-meters and Saturday at the same time with the women’s 4×400-meter relay.