Monroe Closes @MiamiTrack's Stay at NCAAs
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Amber Monroe was the University of Miami’s lone representative on the final day of the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships.
A day after watching four of her teammates compete, Monroe placed 15th in the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.78m. The junior, who won the 2014 ACC Indoor Championship in shot put with a throw of 17.18m, did not advance to the finals in Albuquerque.
As a team, Miami’s women scored for the first time in four years thanks to Alysha Newman’s fifth-place finish in the women’s pole vault on Friday. The Hurricanes last scored at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, tallying six points.
“I am very proud of the way we competed,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “We gained valuable experience, which will help us tremendously outdoors.”
Newman was one of four Canes to compete on the first day of the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships, joined by Artie Burns, Lea Johnson and Shakima Wimbley.
The sophomore finished tied for fifth in the women’s pole vault, earning first team All-America honors. Newman matched her indoor-best and school record height of 4.35m, scoring 3.5 points for Miami’s women.
“it feels great to score points for the team and to earn first team All-America for the first time,” Newman said. “My first goal was to score points for ‘The U’ and I’m so glad I was able to help the team with those points.”
Newman, who placed third at the conference meet, was the top ACC finisher at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She finished ahead of ACC Champion Martina Schultze of Virginia Tech (7th, 4.30m) and ACC runner-up Megan Clark of Duke (14th, 4.20m).
“I still have work to do and am a little disappointed in fifth place, but it will just motivate me to work harder and improve,” Newman said.
Johnson just missed advancing to the finals in the women’s weight throw. The junior, who won the 2014 ACC Indoor Championship in women’s weigh throw, finished 10th with a mark of 20.25m.
Burns finished Heat 1 of the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.87 seconds. The freshman finished 15th in the semi-final round and did not advance to Saturday’s final.
Wimbley battled a tough lane assignment in the semifinals of the women’s 200m, but did not advance to the finals. Running out of Lane 3, the freshman placed 16th in her first NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 23.92 seconds.
A tape delay of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships will air Saturday, March 22 starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
With the indoor season coming to a close, the Hurricanes will return to action Friday at the Hurricane Invitational. The two-day meet will be the first of three held at Miami’s Cobb Stadium during the 2014 outdoor season.
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