Hurricanes NCAA Track and Field Run Starts Thursday
May 26, 2010
CORAL GABLES – The University of Miami track and field teams will look to begin a run at the NCAA Championship, Thursday, May 27 in Greensboro, N.C. at the three-day NCAA Preliminary Rounds hosted by North Carolina A&T at Irwin Belk Track.
The fields in Greensboro will consist of 48 athletes in each of the individual events and 24 teams in each of the relays. The top-12 individuals or relay teams at the end of the weekend earning a trip to Eugene, Ore., June 9-12 to participate in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 12 in each event from Greensboro and the 12 in each event from Austin, Texas, site of the West Preliminary Rounds, will comprise the 24 athlete and relay team fields that will compete for the national title.
The 2010 campaign marks the first season of the NCAA preliminary rounds, following seven years of the regional (four-region) format.
The Hurricane women enter the meet as the No. 12-ranked team in the nation, led by junior Ti’erra Brown. The Hampton, Va. native is ranked second in both the 100 and 400m hurdles and is a member of the 25th-ranked 4×400 relay team.
On Thursday, Brown will be joined by sisters Takecia and Tameka Jameson in the 400m hurdle first round – scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
Senior Kristy Whyte – the 2008 ACC Outdoor Track Performer of the Year – will compete alongside teammate Tarika Williams in the first round of the 100m dash at 6 p.m.
To advance to Friday’s national quarterfinals, participants in the running events will have to place in the top three in one of the six first round heats or have one of the next six fastest times.
With a 1 p.m. scheduled start on Thursday, Deandra Doyley and Brittni Finch will both be competing in the long jump. Doyley earned All-ACC honors in the event earlier this season, placing second at the ACC Championships. Finch took home All-America honors during the indoor season for her performance in March.
The top-16 women in the qualifying round advance to a three-attempt final where the top-12 finishers advance to the National Championships in Oregon.
High jumper Megan Novinger will participate in the high jump at 5 p.m. and if she places among the top-12 , she would advance to the National Championship.
The first round in both the men’s 110m hurdles and the women’s 100m hurdles won’t be until Friday, with the relay teams getting underway on Saturday.
Miami’s NCAA Preliminary Round Schedule for Thursday, May 27
Women’s Long Jump – 1 p.m.
Women’s 400m Hurdles – 4 p.m.
Ti’erra Brown
Women’s High Jump – 5 p.m.
Women’s 100m Dash – 6 p.m.
Kristy Whyte
