Track and Field Heads to Gainesville for Florida Relays
April 3, 2008
CORAL GABLES – The <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>University of Miami track and field teams will be headed to Gainesville, Fla. to participate in the 64th annual Pepsi Florida Relays. The University of Florida is expecting over 40 collegiate teams to participate in this year’s event, as well as many of the sports top professional athletes.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The collegiate and open portion of the meet kicks off Friday with the running events at 12:25 p.m. The field events begin at 1:30 p.m.
Both track teams are coming off of a successful Hurricane Challenge, where the men saw four individuals take wins and the women had am impressive ten individuals qualify for the NCAA Regional as well as the 4×100 and the 4×400 relay teams.
Making his 2008 outdoor debut will be four-time All-American Tim Harris. Three weeks ago the senior and Miami native finished fourth in the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800-meters, earning his latest All-American nod. Harris is scheduled to participate in the 800-meter run and the 4×400 and the 4×800 relay.
Joining Harris is those same events will be senior Richard Bernard and junior Patrick O’Donnell. Sophomore Ryan Woodlee will join the trio in the relays and will also run in the 1500-meters. O’Donnell and Woodlee are both coming off wins at the Hurricane challenge in the 800-meters and 1500-meters respectively.
Senior Casey McGinn is coming off two straight pole vault victories at the Hurricane Invite and the Hurricane Challenge. He aims for his third straight win, when the men’s pole vault gets underway, Friday at 2:30.
Junior Elan Daviglus finished second in the long jump last week as he reached a height of 2.00m, while his freshman teammate Diego Rosado placed fourth with a leap of 1.85m. Both will look to better their marks in Gainesville this weekend.
So far in the young season, two Hurricane men have qualified for the NCAA Regional, both in the 110-meter hurdles. Cory Nelms and Les Bradley II have been impressive so far this season and look to improve on their already impressive times. Nelms is currently the nation’s 15th-ranked hurdler, while Bradley is 27th.
Fresh off her ACC Performer of the Week showing, freshman Ti’erra Brown will make her first collegiate outdoor appearance away from Cobb Stadium. Last week Brown was nothing short of amazing as she improved on her national leading time in the 400-meter hurdles to 58.08. Brown is also ranked in the 100-meter hurdles, her time of 13.56 puts her 16th, nationally.
Joining Brown in the 100-meter hurdles will be another freshman phenom Takecia Jameson, who along with Brown will look to improve on their regional marks. Sophomore transfer Nene Kamate return to UF where she spent her freshman season, running in the 100-meter hurdles as well as the 4×200 and the 4×100 relays.
Making her 2008 debut in style a week ago was NCAA Champion Krista Simkins, who took the nation’s top time in her first outdoor 200-meter run. The junior two-time All-American will run in the 200-meters and the 4×100 and the 4×200 relays.
Sophomore Kristy Whyte has produced improving times in her events the past two weeks and will look to continue that pattern, joining Simkins in the 200-meters, as well as participating in the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. Whyte will also run in the 1600-meter sprint medley relay, where teammates Charlene Fuller, Tameka Jameson and Ena Leufroy will look to take the top time.
After winning last week’s high jump at the Hurricane Challenge on her first and only attempt (1.75m), Viktoria Andonova will aim to improve on that regional time this weekend. She will be joined in the high jump by freshman Megan Novinger.
Sophomore Deandra Doyley will handle the triple and long jumps for the women’s squad. Two weeks ago, Doyley recorded her career-best mark in the triple jump at 12.28m. At last week’s Hurricane Challenge she reached the regional qualifying mark in the long jump with a leap of 6.06m.
Miami throwers Khadija Talley and Kaitlin Nazario will try to improve on the regional marks, Talley in the shot put, discus and hammer, and Nazario in the javelin.
The Pepsi Florida Relays will conclude Saturday at 9 a.m. Next week the Hurricanes will host the Miami Elite Invitational on Saturday, April 12.
