Miami to Travel to Gainesville for Tom Jones Memorial
Jan. 22, 2009
CORAL GABLES – The University of Miami track and field team, with a No. 20 ranking on the women’s side, is set for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational at the University of Florida’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The meet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24.
The field events begin at 11 a.m. with the weight throw, while the running events start at 1 p.m. with the 55m hurdles. The women’s 4×400 relay will wrap things up at 7:35 p.m.
Both men’s and women’s teams from Auburn, Bethune-Cookman, Florida, Florida A&M, Florida State, Jacksonville and South Carolina will be participating. The women’s squad from UCF will also take part in the day’s events.
The men’s team that are ranked are: No. 4 Florida, No.5 Florida State and No. 16 South Carolina. For the women, No. 5 Florida State, No. 13 Florida and No. 16 South Carolina are the ranked squads.
Last week at the Kentucky Invitational, senior transfer Murielle Ahoure set a new school record with an automatic qualifying time of 7.17 seconds in the 60-meter dash. This week, the Bristow, Va. native will focus on the 4×400-meter relay. Last week, she ran the opening leg and finished with a split of 53.61.
Sophomore All-American Ti’erra Brown will also run the 4×400, but her specialty is the hurdles and she will compete in the 55-meter version this weekend after grabbing a provisional time in the 60-meter hurdles in Lexington, Ky.
Currently the conference’s sixth ranked long-jumper, junior Deandra Doyley will take part in both the long and triple jumps. She will be joined in the two events by teammate, freshman Brittni Finch.
Last season’s ACC Outdoor Performer of the Year Kristy Whyte is scheduled to participate in three events, the 55 and 200-meter dashes and the 4×400 relay.
On the men’s side, Mikese Morse will look to on his provisional mark in the long jump, he will also be making his season debut in the triple jump. Currently the junior All-American transfer from USF ranks No. 1 in the ACC in the long jump with a distance of 7.56m (24-09.75).
Senior Patrick O’Donnell will seek a provisional time in the 800-meters after he ranked No. 2 in the ACC with a time of 1:54.11 last week in Kentucky.
One student-athlete who is expected to make an immediate impact for the men will be making his season debut. Sophomore Patrick Blackie who missed much of last season due to injury will be running in both the 400 and 4×400 relay.
Freshman Devon Hill a New Jersey State champion in the 110-meter hurdles will be making his collegiate debut in the hurdles, as he will take part in the 55-meters, he is also scheduled to take part in the 4×400 relay.
Live results will be available at www.halfmiletiming.com throughout the day.
