Wimbley Breaks 400m Record to Join ACC Elite
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Shakima Wimbley ran the 400m at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet last Saturday in a blazing 51.82 seconds, breaking multiple records while posting the second-fastest time in the country this season.
The sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., broke the ACC indoor 400m record, beating fellow Hurricane Krista Simkins’ time of 51.95 seconds set in 2008 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Wimbley simultaneously became Miami’s best indoor 400m runner, vaulting past Simkins, Dominique Darden, Ginou Etienne, Charlette Greggs and Ti’erra Brown to reach the top spot in school history.
“To break the school record and the ACC record as a sophomore is something I could have never imagined,” Wimbley said. “I thought eventually it might happen, but not until my junior or senior year. My main focus going into this year was not on breaking times, it was on working as hard as possible and fixing things I needed to improve on. I don’t worry about times. I just go out and run and I ended up breaking the records.”
Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem is impressed with all that Wimbley has accomplished, but credits the talented sprinter for taking a proactive approach and earning her success.
“The ACC is a great track and field conference and those records are not easy to attain,” Deem said. “For her to do it in her first 400m of her sophomore year is very exciting.”
“She has worked so hard this fall,” Deem said. “She really turned the corner when she came back from making the World Junior team. Her approach to fall training and approach in the weight room have been great. I am excited for her to see that hard work pays off. You can see her confidence growing every week and that is huge for her. I think she truly believes that she can accomplish a lot of things. I am excited for her and what she can do the rest of the season.”
Amazingly, Wimbley’s record-setting sprint in Lexington, Ky., ended in a second place finish. The sophomore crossed the finish line one-hundredth of a second after Texas sophomore Kendall Baisden.
“It was a great experience for me,” Wimbley said of racing Baisden. “I was happy that I had that type of competition in the beginning of the season. Now I know what it feels like and can get mentally prepared to battle later on. I fought until the end. It was great racing her because I know she is top competition. For me to be that close to one of the best in the nation was great for me, but also motivates me to get back to work.”
Hard work has helped Wimbley get closer to the pinnacle of collegiate track and field. A freshman sensation a year ago, Wimbley won gold medals in the 200m and the 4x400m relay at the ACC Indoor Championships en route to being named the ACC Freshman of the Year for the 2014 indoor season. Wimbley, who was a second team Indoor All-American in 2014, posted the fifth-fastest indoor 200m time in UM history (23.56).
The standout sprinter was equally impressive in her 2014 outdoor campaign, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors for the outdoor season and claiming ACC Outdoor titles in the 200m and 4x100m. Wimbley, who ranks second in UM history in the outdoor 400m (51.68) and fifth all-time in the outdoor 200m (23.12), earned second team Outdoor All-America honors in the 200m and was honorable mention in the 4x400m.
All of her early success only fueled Wimbley’s desire for greatness and Deem is pleased with how the fantastic freshman has quickly become a superb sophomore.
“You go two ways after a good freshman year,” Deem said. “She had success, but I think she realized on the World Junior team that she was as good as anybody else and that really motivated her to come back and work hard this fall. You have a freshman who was pretty successful that first year and they either come back and think this is easy and they can go through the motions or you can do what she did and really attack and make sure she is trying to get better and improve on the little things every day. The better you get, the more important the details become. You can make big gains initially, but as she gets closer to that 50-second mark, the little things become more important and she is starting to understand that.”
Wimbley dedicated herself in the fall, training hard in the weight room and on the track in preparation for her sophomore campaign and she has been rewarded for her efforts, earning back to back ACC Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week honors.
“All the hard work I put in before the season is starting to show and that makes me very happy,” Wimbley said. “It makes me want to keep going and gives me motivation. I’m really happy with the outcome so far.”
The outcome has been exemplary. Wimbley currently has the second-fastest 400m time in the country, as well as the third-fastest 200m time (23.35 seconds) and was a key component of Miami’s 4x400m relay that ranks fourth in the NCAA this season with a time of 3:34.88. While she has been a standout on the track, Wimbley does not spend much time enjoying her success.
“I enjoy it for the moment, but a new day brings a new mindset,” Wimbley said. “I put it in the past and go back to work. You can’t settle. There are bigger things to reach for.”
One of her main goals is to reach the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400m. The top 16 times at the end of the season qualify for the national championships. Wimbley sits second with about six weeks to go before the NCAA Championships, putting her in a good position to qualify.
“It’s mind blowing,” Wimbley said of her time at McCravy. “Last year, I didn’t even make nationals in the 400m. To go from not making it to having the second-fastest time is amazing. It shows that when you block things out and focus on what is important and work hard in your training, good things happen.”
One of the good things that has happen for Wimbley is joining the elite group of record holders in ACC history. The Canes hold two of the ACC indoor sprint records with Wimbley joining 200m record holder Murielle Ahoure among a distinguished group of sprinters in conference history.
“The ACC has had a great tradition in sprints and for us to have the 200 record and the 400 record at Miami is special,” Deem said. “For her to break Krista’s record, who was our last national champion in the 400m at Miami, she is in great company and has a great future ahead of her.”
Wimbley is grateful for the opportunity to be a Hurricane and work with Deem, whom is considered one of the premier sprints and hurdles coaches in the world. She is also excited to be able to follow in the footsteps of Simkins and all the other outstanding Miami sprinters who came before her.
“It shows the type of program we have at Miami,” Wimbley said. “This team was really great when Krista was running here, so to break her record means a lot. I really appreciate Coach Deem for how much she has helped me to get to where I am today and I can’t wait to see where we will go. Hopefully I can break it again.”
Wimbley and the Hurricanes are back in action on Feb. 7-8, traveling to Blacksburg, Va., to compete in the Virginia Tech Elite Meet.
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