Miami Set to Host Alumni Invitational
April 13, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami men’s and women’s track and field teams will host their second home meet of the season on Saturday, April 14 at Cobb Stadium. The Hurricane Alumni Invitational is the Canes’ last tune-up before the ACC Championships next week in Charlottesville, Virginia. Joining the Canes in competition this weekend will be Auburn, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Memorial, Florida Tech, Hampton, James Madison, Johnson & Wales, Nova Southeastern, St. Peter’s, Texas A&M, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Villanova, as well as various professional and Olympic hopeful runners. This will also be the last home meet for 14 seniors, who will be recognized during the event.
Leading the way for the Canes will be the senior duo of Devon Hill and Tarika Williams. Hill, the three-time All-American, will look to improve on his nationally fourth-ranked time of 13.51 in the 110-meter hurdles, as well as competing in the 400-meter hurdles. Freshman Christian Cook will join Hill in both hurdle events. Williams will line up in the 100 meters for the second consecutive week after running 11.56 seconds in the event at the Florida Relays.
All-ACC performer Thandi Stewart will compete in the 400-meter hurdles after clearing the barriers last weekend in 58.77 seconds. Senior Brian Laskowski will make his return to the track in the 800 meters after making the finals in the ACC Indoor Championships. He will be joined by fellow senior Austin Rector.
School record holder Connor Adams will try to improve on his mark when he takes the line in the 1500 meters alongside junior Greg Kaczka. Sophomore Lindsi Arrington will look to continue her streak of personal-best performances as she steps down from her usual race to compete in the 800 meters alongside freshman Taneisha Cordell, who ran a team-best 2:12.16 last week in Gainesville, and senior Jennifer Estime.
In the field, the Canes will be led by senior thrower Ashley Holmes, who comes off of three top-10 performances at last weekend’s Florida Relays. She will be competing in the hammer and discus throws along with senior All-ACC performer Miranda Wilson.
All-ACC long jumper Innocent Jacob will compete in his other discipline, the high jump, an event in which he holds the indoor school record. Junior Samantha Williams will compete in the long jump.
The Canes will also field a men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relay. The men’s team will consist of seniors Jason Johnson and Hill, sophomore Bassim El-Sabawi, and freshman Cook. The women will line up with freshman Jokira Jiles, sophomores Jasmyne King and Nicole Cummings, and senior Williams.
The action starts on the field at 11 a.m. with the women’s javelin and men’s hammer. The running events start at 4 p.m. with the women’s 4×100-meter relay.
