Throwers Lead @CanesTrack at ACC Indoors
BOSTON – The University of Miami track and field program got off to a great start at the 2016 ACC Indoor Championships.
The Hurricanes earned their first medals of the 2016 ACC Indoor Championships and had several athletes set new personal-bests.
“I was very excited for the kids today. The enthusiasm and looseness we had, I hope we can carry that over to when the majority of the team competes tomorrow. We seem like we are in a really good place and hopefully we can build on today and have a great tomorrow. We need a great tomorrow to be where we want to be on Saturday.”
Carlos Mangum set a new school record in the men’s weight throw and earned Miami’s first medal of the 2016 ACC Indoor Championships, finishing second with a personal-best mark of 21.32m. Mangum, who opened the day with a personal-best mark of 20.38m, was one of two Hurricanes to reach the weight throw finals. Isaiah Simmons placed ninth with a personal-best mark of 18.94m that ranks second in school history.
“I have been working all year to try and go to nationals. I got motivation from the team and my family and that gave me the confidence to throw what I threw today. It makes me feel like I can achieve so much more. I’m so excited to start it off for us and hopefully that pushes the team to keep it going.”
The Canes also had a pair of seniors finish in the Top 5 in the women’s weight throw. Tiffany Okieme earned a silver medal with her personal-best mark of 21.42m that ranks third in UM history.
“When we started in warm-ups, I knew I was in a good place,” Okieme said. “I was very relaxed and felt confident. Coach Deem was saying that confidence is empowering and that’s how I felt. It was a struggle getting to this point, but I am happy and proud of myself to get this far and I know there is more to come.”
Precious Ogunleye finished fifth with a throw of 20.23m, while Zakiya Rashid placed 12th with a personal-best mark of 17.61m.
“Carlos led it off with a second place performance and put himself in a good position on the NCAA list and set a school record. He set the tone for the whole weekend,” Deem said. “I’m really proud of him, Tiffany and Precious. Tiffany improved her mark and all three are sitting well on the NCAA list.”
Amy Taintor opened the day with a personal-best time of 9.23 seconds in the pentathlon 60m hurdles. The sophomore continued her strong start with another personal-best, clearing 1.65m in the high jump. Taintor posted an indoor-best mark in the shot put, placing ninth with a throw of 11.19m, and a personal-best 5.70m to place fifth in the long jump. Taintor closed out the pentathlon with a season-best 800m time of 2:21.14. The sophomore finished ninth with a personal-best pentathlon score of 3,832 points that ranks third in school history.
Andreas Christodoulou was sixth in the heptathlon 60m with a time of 9.20 seconds and placed sixth in the heptathlon long jump with a mark of 6.70m. Christodoulou also tied his season best in the high jump, clearing 1.80m and wrapping up the opening day of the heptathlon in 11th place with 2,734 points.
“Amy had a big PR in the pentathlon and Zakiya is getting there and we look for her to do some big things for us outdoors. Being a young thrower in this conference is tough, but I think she knows what it takes and is motivated to put herself in a position to score soon.”
At the conclusion of Thursday’s action, the Miami women were in fifth place with 12 points through three events and the Hurricane men were in fourth place with eight points through two events.
The three-day meet will showcase the best track and field student-athletes in the ACC, competing Thursday through Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
Boston College will serve as host for the 2016 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held this Thursday (Feb. 25) through Saturday (Feb. 27) at the Reggie Lewis Center. There is no charge for admission.
In addition to ACC team and individual titles, conference student-athletes will seek to enhance their rankings heading into the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 11-12 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.
The ACC and ESPN will deliver three hours of live action on the event’s final two days, concluding with the finals on Saturday. Jerry Massey will return for his fourth year handling play-by-play. Lauryn Williams, a former Miami sprinter and a medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will make her debut as analyst. Coverage will begin on ESPN3 Friday from 5 until 8 p.m. and can be viewed HERE, followed by Saturday’s finals from 1 until 4 p.m., which can be viewed HERE.
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 @CanesTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
