@MiamiTrack Starts Strong at Tyson Invite
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Miami track and field program got off to a strong start at the Tyson Invitational.
The Canes had several student-athletes shine on the opening day of the two-day Tyson Invitational. Whether it was sprints, hurdles or throws, Miami had a talented athlete excelling in their event area.
“I am really proud of this team,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “I have had teams in the past that are young like this one and they have struggled when they went to a big meet. We have 32 defending NCAA champions competing here and there are great teams with a lot of tradition and we went out there and competed well. That really sets us up well going into ACCs.”
Freshman Robert Grant moved into fifth place in UM history in the men’s indoor 400m, posting a personal-best time of 48.21 seconds. Fellow freshman Henri Delauze ran the 400m in 47.72 seconds, while senior Kelsey Balkwill ran a personal-best time of 54.17 seconds in the women’s 400m dash and sophomore Anthonia Moore posted a season-best time of 56.30 seconds.
“It was a goal for me to get off to a good start this weekend,” Grant said. “There are fast heats in the 200 tomorrow, so I wanted to go out and do well in the 400 today to get off to a good start for the meet. To go out and run a time that is Top 5 in school history means a lot, especially at Miami. It feels really cool to have done that. It was good to get the ball rolling today and I am looking forward to the 400 tomorrow.”
Shakima Wimbley won Heat 2 of the seeded women’s 400m with a time of 52.99 seconds, placing seventh overall, while Taneisha Cordell placed 10th in the women’s 800m invitational with a time of 2:12.05.
Two Canes reached the semifinals of the women’s 60m hurdles. Stefani Kerrison posted a time of 8.39 seconds in the women’s 60m hurdles semifinals, placing fifth in her heat. The freshman earned her spot in the semifinals by running a preliminary time of 8.43 seconds. Jamika Glades ran an 8.53 in the women’s 60m hurdles semifinal, placing sixth in her heat. The junior finished second in her preliminary heat with a time of 8.47 seconds to qualify for the semis.
On the men’s side, Christian Cook advanced to the semifinals of the 60m hurdles after finishing second in Heat 2 with a time of 7.89 seconds.
“When you’re not afraid to go out and compete, that’s one of the first steps to being a good team,” Deem said. “I am excited about where we are. A couple people didn’t run the way they wanted, but their attitudes are great and they know what to do to get ready for conference.”
While Miami’s runners had a solid day, the throwers also excelled.
Tiffany Okieme placed fifth in women’s weight throw with a mark of 20.79m that moved the junior into fourth place in UM history. Senior Lea Johnson also reached the finals in the women’s weight throw, placing eighth with a throw of 20.44m. On the men’s side, sophomore Carlos Mangum finished eighth with a mark of 19.65m.
“It feels good to help us start well today,” Okieme said. “I threw a PR and that opened my eyes to the potential that I have. It just makes me want to do so much more. It was great to see all the throwers do well today. It’s great to see our hard work pay off. We can’t wait to see how far we can go.”
Saturday’s action opens at 1 p.m. ET with the women’s 3000-meter run and the women’s triple jump. The Tyson Invitational will be broadcasted on SEC Network+ on Saturday.
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.
