@MiamiTrack Opens at USA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – Two members of the University of Miami track and field program were in action on the opening day of the 2015 USA Track and Field Championships.
Shakima Wimbley and Amy Taintor each competed on the opening day of the four-day meet held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with Wimbley running in the women’s 400m and Taintor competing in the women’s junior helptathlon.
Wimbley opened the 2015 USATF Championships with a race against one of her idols. The sophomore raced next to four-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix in the opening round of the women’s 400m at the USA Championships. While many would be intimidated to race next to one of the top runners in the world, Wimbley was excited about the opportunity to showcase her ability against the best quarter-milers in the country.
The gifted sprinter finished second to Felix in Heat 1 with a time of 51.70 seconds, earning an automatic qualification to the semifinals. Wimbley, who ran the fastest 400m time in the NCAA this season, 50.84 seconds, will continue her quest for a spot on Team USA on Friday at 11:10 p.m. ET.
The freshman Taintor was the first Cane in action, opening the heptathlon with a _-place finish in the 100m hurdles. After competing in the high jump, Taintor placed second in the shot put and closed out her day with a sixth-place finish in the 200m.
Taintor, who placedseventh in the women’s heptathlon at the ACC Outdoor Championships with a personal-best score of 4,997 points, was in eighth place with 2,966 points after four events. She will close out the heptathlon on Friday, beginning with the long jump at 1 p.m. and competing in the javelin and closing with the 800m at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Hurricane alumnus and 2011 NCAA champion T’erea Brown will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles, beginning with the first round at 9:40 p.m. ET on Friday. Brown, who was a six-time All-American at Miami, was a member of Team USA at 2012 Olympics where she was coached by Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem.
Athletes will earn spots on the 2015 IAAF World Championships team set for August 22-30 in Beijing, China, as well as on the Pan Am Games, Thorpe Cup, Pan Am Juniors and NACAC Championships teams.
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