@CanesTrack Signs Five Standouts
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Amy Deem is excited to announce the five newest members of the Hurricanes track and field family.
The Canes welcome fall signees Debbie Ajagbe, Kayla Johnson, Hasani Knight, Symone Mason and Amuru Patterson. Ajagbe, Johnson, Mason and Patterson will bolster a talented women’s team, while Knight will join a rising men’s roster. All five signees will be freshmen in the fall of 2017.
“We had some specific areas we needed to address in this signing period and we definitely succeeded,” Deem said. “Amuru, Kayla and Symone bring tremendous versatility to our sprints group. Debbie is an excellent student-athlete and has great athleticism and Hasani fills a big need for the men’s team in the horizontal jumps.”
Debbie Ajagbe | Women’s Throws | Miami, Fla. | Ransom Everglades
Ajagbe is a Miami native that chose to continue her academic and athletic career with the hometown Hurricanes. A gifted thrower, Ajagbe is the two–time defending Florida Class 2A state champion in the discus and was the 2016 state runner-up in the shot put. Ajagbe was the 2016 FHSAA district and regional champion in both the shot put and discus and won the discus at the 2016 Louie Bing Classic and the 2016 FSU Relays. Her discus mark of 157’ 10” is eighth best among returners in the United States and she heads into her senior season with a personal-best of 42’ 3” in the shot put.
“Debbie is just starting to realize her potential and will continue a long line of great throwers here at the University of Miami,” Deem said.
Kayla Johnson | Women’s 400m and 800m | Miami, Fla. | Southridge
Johnson is one of two signees from Miami’s Southridge High School that will be joining the Hurricanes in 2017-18. She enters her senior season as one of the best in the United States in her events, ranked ninth in the country in the 400m with a time of 53.65 seconds and 17th in the 800m at 2:09.60. Johnson was a finalist in the 400m at the 2016 USATF Junior Nationals and was the runner-up in the 400m at the 2016 GMAC Championships. She took third place in the 800m at the 2016 FHSAA 4A state meet and was a finalist in the 800m at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Havana, Cuba. Johnson was the 800m champion at the 2016 Louie Bing Classic, the Spartan Invitational, Bob Hayes Invitational and the Youth Fair Invitational. She also helped Southridge finish second as a team at the 2016 FHSAA Class 4A State Championships and helped Southridge qualify for the cross country state meet for the first time in over a decade.
“With Kayla’s 400m speed and her strength, her 800m is going to get better and better and we are excited to watch Kayla develop in both events,” Deem said.
Hasani Knight | Men’s Jumps | Virginia Beach, Va. | Landstown
Knight is one of the top jumpers in the country, ranking second among returners in the United States in the triple jump with a mark of 50’ 11”. He is also 18th among returning competitors in the United States in the long jump at 23’ 10”. Knight is the 2016 AAU Junior Olympic Games triple jump champion and was the 2016 Virginia Class 6A outdoor state champion in the triple jump. Knight also was the 2016 Virginia Class 6A indoor runner-up in the triple jump.
“Hasani is truly a fierce competitor,” Deem said. “His drive and work ethic makes him a tremendous addition to our men’s team”
Symone Mason | Women’s Sprints | Miami, Fla. | Southridge
Like her fellow Southridge teammate, Kayla Johnson, Mason will compete for the hometown Hurricanes in college. One of the top sprinters in the country, she is eighth in the 400m with a time of 52.80 seconds, ninth in the 200m with a time of 23.37 seconds and enters her senior year with a personal-best time of 11.65 seconds in the 100m. Mason competed at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, in both the 400m and sprint medley relay. Mason helped Southridge finish second as a team at the 2016 FHSAA Class 4A State Championships and was the 2016 district and regional 200m and 400m champion. Mason also was a finalist in the 200m at the 2016 USATF Junior Nationals and was the 100m and 200m champion at the 2016 Youth Fair Invitational. Mason also won the 400m at the 2016 Louie Bing Invitational and the 2016 GMAC Championships.
“Symone has had success in the 100m, 200m and 400m,” Deem said. “She is a person who could contribute to our team in many ways.”
Amuru Patterson | Women’s Sprints | Haines City, Fla. | Haines City
Patterson is one the top short sprinters in the country, ranking 10th in the 100m with a time of 11.57 seconds and 10th in the 200m with a time of 23.65 seconds. The Haines City, Fla., native was the 2016 Adidas Boost Boston Games 100m champion and the 2016 AAU Club Nationals champion in the 200m. One of the best sprinters in her home state, Patterson was the 2016 FHSAA Class 4A Champion in both the 100m and 200m. She also won the 2016 district and regional titles in both the 100m and 200m. Patterson also earned the 2016 Flo Golden South titles in both the 100m and 200m.
“Amuru is young in the sport and we feel she has just scratched the surface in what she can accomplish,” Deem said.
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