@MiamiTrack Ready for McCravy Memorial
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Miami track and field program are part of a loaded field at the 2015 Rod McCravy Memorial Meet this weekend.
The Hurricanes are one of 15 teams competing at the University of Kentucky, including 2014 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Indoor Champion Oregon, 2014 Women’s SEC Indoor Champion Florida, 2014 Men’s SEC Indoor Champion Arkansas, 2014 Big XII Women’s Indoor Champion Texas and 2014 Men’s and Women’s ACC Indoor Champion Florida State. LSU, Georgia, Baylor, Virginia, Ohio State, USC, Missouri, Illinois and the host Kentucky Wildcats round out a talent-rich field that will compete in Lexington.
Miami will be led by reigning ACC Women’s Track Performer of the Week Shakima Wimbley. Competing at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Pa., a week ago, Wimbley won the women’s 200 meters with a personal-best time of 23.35 seconds that ranks fourth on Miami’s all-time indoor list and second in the NCAA this season. The gifted sophomore also anchored Miami’s 4x400m relay to victory with a time of 3:35.93, the second-fastest time in the country this season.
The Canes feature several women who head to Lexington off a strong opening weekend at the NIttany Lion Challenge.
A week ago, the Canes finished 1-2 in the women’s 600m run with senior Taneisha Cordell earning the win with a time of 1:31.47 and fellow senior Thandi Stewart placing second with a time of 1:32.48. The duo will compete in the 800m at the McCravy Memorial.
Kayann Richards won the 60m hurdles final at the Nittany Lion Challenge, while Stefani Kerrison and Alexandra Wester competed in the final, placing third and fifth, respectively. The trio is set to compete in the 60m hurdles this weekend.
Miami’s 4x400m relay of team of Kelsey Balkwill, Cordell, Stewart and Wimbley will look to build off their victory and meet-record time of 3:35.93 from a week ago at the Nittany Lion Challenge.
In the field events, Dakota Dailey-Harris will look to continue her success in the high jump a week after winning the event at the Nittany Lion Challenge.
Miami’s throwers also opened the 2015 indoor season with a strong showing. The Hurricane women placed 1-2 in the weight throw as junior Tiffany Okieme won with a throw of 20.30m and senior Lea Johnson placed second with a mark of 20.28m. Okieme‘s throw moves her into fifth place on Miami’s all-time list for the weight throw, but she also excelled in the shot put with a mark of 14.60m that put her second in the field at the Nittany Lion Challenge.
On the men’s side, freshman Jaalen Jones will look to build off an impressive collegiate debut that included a victory in the men’s 60m dash at the Nittany Lion Challenge.
Fellow freshman Henri Delauze also had an excellent collegiate debut, setting the UM record in the men’s 600m dash when he placed third with a time of 1:21.26 at the Nittany Lion Challenge. Delauze also joined freshman Robert Grant, junior Joseph Ryan and senior Anthony Wolliston on Miami’s men’s 4x400m relay team that earned a victory at the Nittany Lion Challenge a week ago.
Junior John-Patrick Friday also heads to Lexington fresh off a solid opening performance at the NIttany Lion Challenge. Friday was the runner-up in the men’s long jump with a mark of 7.10m. Friday also posted a new personal-best in the men’s triple jump, clearing 15.47m to place third overall and set a new school record.
Miami’s throwers on the men’s side also opened up with strong marks. Sophomore Carlos Mangum finished second at the Nittany Lion Challenge in the men’s weight throw with a new school record throw of 18.97m. Sophomore Gian Piero Ragonsi was the runner-up in the men’s shot put with a throw of 16.60m, while redshirt freshman Daniel Polinski debuted with a fifth-place finish in the men’s shot put with a personal-best throw of 15.98m.
The Rod McCravy Memorial Meet is set to begin Friday at 10 a.m., with the women’s pentathlon 60m hurdles. Action will continue Friday until the men’s distance medley relay scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. The two-day meet will begin again on Saturday at 10 a.m. with the men’s heptathlon 60m hurdles and conclude at 4:25 p.m., with the men’s 4x400m relay. The Rod McCravy Memorial Meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ beginning at noon on Saturday.
Men’s Entries
60m: Jaalen Jones, Tracy Howard
200m: Tracy Howard
400m: Henri Delauze, Robert Grant, Anthony Wolliston, Joseph Ryan, Josh Johnson
800m: Zack Garland, Roberto Marrero
1 Mile: Sean Grossman
3000m: Sean Grossman
60m HH: Bailey Vitatoe
4x400m: Henri Delauze, Robert Grant, Anthony Wolliston, Jaalen Jones, Josh Johnson, Joseph Ryan, Roberto Marrero, Zack Garland
High Jump: Bailey Vitatoe, John-Patrick Friday
Long Jump: Bailey Vitatoe
Triple Jump: John-Patrick Friday
Shot Put: Gian Piero Ragonesi, Daniel Polinski
Weight Throw: Carlos Mangum, Gian Piero Ragonesi
Women’s Entries
60m: Jokira Jiles, Lateisha Philson, Alexandra Wester
200m: Jokira Jiles, Lateisha Philson
400m: Shakima Wimbley, Kelsey Balkwill,Anthonia Moore
800m: Taneisha Cordell, Thandi Stewart, Morgan McClure
60m HH: Kayann Richards, Stefani Kerrison, Lateisha Philson, Alexis Wright, Amy Taintor
4x400m: Shakima Wimbley, Kelsey Balkwill, Taneisha Cordell, Thandi Stewart, Jamika Glades, Anthonia Moore, Amy Taintor, Kayann Richards
High Jump: Dakota Dailey-Harris
Triple Jump: Alexis Wright, Niara Hill
Shot Put: Tiffany Okieme
Weight Throw: Lea Johnson, Tiffany Okieme
Pentathlon: Stefani Kerrison, Amy Taintor, Alexandra Wester
For all the latest information on the Miami Hurricanes, follow the official Twitter feed, @MiamiHurricanes, or “Like Us” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes. Follow @MiamiTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
