Hurricanes Ready for ACC Outdoor Championships
April 19, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Miami track and field teams are set to compete in the 2012 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Thursday, April 19, continue through Saturday, April 21. The three-day event will be held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.
Leading the men this weekend will be reining ACC-Champion Devon Hill in the 110-meter hurdles. Hill won the event last year with a 13.66 finish. Freshman Christian Cook will look to continue his success in his first season with the Canes alongside Hill.
Also on the track for the men, the 4×100-meter relay will try to provide the Canes with a high finish with Jason Johnson, Hill, Bassim El-Sabawi and Cook carrying the baton. Senior Brian Laskowski will compete in the 800 meters and try to recreate his ACC indoors experience, where he reached the final in the event.
In the field, freshman All-ACC performer Innocent Jacob will try to secure crucial points for the men’s team in both the long and high jumps.
The women will be led by seniors Tarika Williams and Ashley Holmes. Williams will line up in both the 100 and 200 meters in her last ACC Championship meet, while Holmes will try to collect as many points as she can in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw.
Also on the track for the women, sophomore Thandi Stewart will try to race to a high finish for the women in the 400-meter hurdles, an event in which she placed third in 2011. The women’s 4×100-meter relay will also hit the track with the hopes of making the podium, while Lindsi Arrington will compete in the 1500 and 5000 meters in hopes to extend her stellar sophomore campaign.
In the field, the women’s throws will be bolstered by the efforts of senior Miranda Wilson and freshman Amber Monroe. Wilson will join fellow senior Holmes in the discus and hammer throws, while Monroe will only compete in the discus, an event in which she had a breakout performance at last week’s Hurricane Alumni Invitational, winning with a personal best mark of 47.80 meters. The women will be represented in the horizontal jumps by Samantha Williams and Nicole Cummings, both of which are capable of scoring more points for the women. Williams will compete in both the long and triple jumps, while Cummings will join Williams in only the long jump.
Senior Rachel Dupree will start things off on Thursday for the Canes in the heptathlon, as she will contest the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meters on day one of the two-day competition.
Fans can follow the action on Friday and Saturday via live video streaming on theACC.com. Coverage is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. on Friday, and 1:15-5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Live results will be available throughout the event on the championship website: http://bit.ly/2012ACCOTF.
Competition begins Thursday at Noon with heptathlon and decathlon events, and field events, including hammer and javelin. The 10,000-meter finals are set for 6:30 p.m.
The University of Virginia will host the ACC Championship for the sixth time and the first since 2002, when the Florida State men and North Carolina women won the title. The Seminole men are the defending champions, while the Clemson Tigers won it last year for the women.
North Carolina has won a conference-best 14 ACC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, ahead of Virginia’s five and Clemson’s four. On the men’s side, Maryland leads with 26 titles, followed by Clemson with 11.
For more information on the 2012 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, visit our ACC Championships Headquarters.
