WoMen's Track Ranked 14th by USTFCCCA
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Miami women’s track and field team was named in the top 15 of the 2017 Preseason NCAA Division I Women’s National Team Computer Rankings for Indoor Track and Field, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
The Hurricanes are 14th with 54.12 points in the inaugural edition of the 2017 USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings for Indoor Track and Field. The defending ACC indoor champion Hurricanes are one of three ACC teams ranked in the preseason top 25, joined by No. 9 Notre Dame (68.99 points) and No. 16 NC State (51.79 points). The Canes, who peaked at No. 15 during the 2016 indoor season, were ranked in every week of last year’s indoor campaign.
“Preseason rankings are great and build excitement for the season, but our goals are to finish the season higher,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “We are excited about the team and what we can accomplish this season.”
Several familiar names and some newcomers combine to provide the seven marks that make up Miami’s 54.12 points.
Reigning ACC Women’s Indoor Track Most Outstanding Performer Shakima Wimbley’s 400m time of 51.82 seconds ranks first among returning student-athletes, while her best 200m time of 23.08 seconds sits seventh on the list.
Ebony Morrison, who was the 2016 ACC silver medalist in the 60m hurdles, ranks eighth in the country on the 2017 preseason list with a time of 8.12 seconds.
Aiyanna Stiverne’s 400m time of 53.71 seconds and Miami’s 4x400m relay time of 3:34.04 also factor into the Hurricanes’ preseason team score.
While Wimbley, Morrison and Stiverne are well known names to Miami track fans, a pair of transfers are also contributing to the Hurricanes’ preseason ranking and both are among the top 10 in the country in their respective event.
Kristina Knott is a junior sprinter who transferred to Miami from Arkansas State, where she was a national qualifier in the 60m. Knott is sixth among returners in Division I in the 60m with a time of 7.28 seconds.
Michelle Atherley is a talented multi-events athlete that joined the Canes after spending 2016 at Auburn, where she was the only freshman in the country to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Atherley’s pentathlon score of 4,153 points rates ninth among returners.
Miami’s indoor season kicks off this weekend with a trip to the Virginia Tech Invitational. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2017 season, click 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 @MiamiTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
