Canes Sprint Past Competition at Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Shakima Wimbley led the University of Miami track and field program to an impressive finish at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational.
Wimbley was a sight to see in the women’s 400m, winning the event with a world-leading time of 51.28 seconds. The senior set a school record and also broke the meet record with her NCAA-leading time.
“Today, I went out and executed my race,” WImbley said. “I listened to my coach and I was confident enough to follow through. We both knew if I put it together right that I’d do well and I did just that.”
Wimbley was one of three Hurricanes to place in the top eight in the women’s 400m, as sophomore Brittny Ellis finished fourth with a personal-best time of 53.05 seconds and senior Aiyanna Stiverne was eighth with a time of 53.39 seconds.
“We came out focused and ready to compete today,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “I am extremely pleased how we handled competing against some of the best teams in the country. They gained valuable experience this weekend which will go a long way in our continued pursuit of being a championship team.”
Henri Delauze mirrored Wimbley win in the women’s 400m with a victory in the men’s 400m. The junior circled the track twice in an indoor-best 47.42 seconds to improve upon his third-ranked time in school history.
Kristina Knott continued to blaze the track on Saturday, finishing third in the women’s 60m final with a time of 7.31 seconds that ranks fourth all-time in UM history. The junior reached the finals with a preliminary time of 7.35 seconds that was third fastest in the field of 36.
Isaiah Taylor led a trio of Hurricanes in the men’s 60m final, placing fifth with a time of 6.79 seconds. Myles Valentine was sixth with a time of 6.82 seconds, while Brandon Taylor finished eighth with a time of 6.87 seconds.
Isaiah Taylor’s preliminary time of 6.77 seconds moved him into sole possession of fourth place on Miami’s all-time top five, breaking a tie with NFL star and former Hurricanes standout Lamar Miller. Valentine reached the final after winning Heat 3 (6.82), while Brandon Taylor finished second in Heat 1 (6.79) to advance and give the Canes one-third of the field in the men’s 60m final.
Ebony Morrison finished eighth in the women’s 60m hurdles final with a time of 8.38 seconds. The senior advanced to the women’s 60m hurdles final after finishing second in Heat 1 with a time of 8.23 seconds.
Gabrielle Hesslau set the school record in the women’s 3000m with a personal-best time of 9:47.06. The senior moved up from third on the school’s all-time top five to break Diana Adams’ record time of 9:48.40 that was set on March 2, 1990.
Miami’s women’s 4x400m relay team of Stiverne, Ellis, Erin Ford and Wimbley combined to finish third with a time of 3:33.43 that ranks fifth all-time in UM history.
The men’s 4x400m relay team of McKinly Brown, Delauze, Jaalen Jones and Breon Mullings combined to finish eighth with a time of 3:12.16 that ranks third in UM history.
The Canes also had multiple student-athletes shine in the multi-events on Saturday, including sophomore Andreas Christodoulou.
The sophomore finished fifth in the men’s heptathlon with a score of 4,330 points. Christodoulou opened the day winning Heat 2 of the men’s heptathlon 60m hurdles with a time of 8.56 seconds and placed third in the heptathlon pole vault with a mark of 4.40m.
Niara Hill was Miami’s top jumper Saturday, finishing ninth in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.70m, while Zakiya Rashid led all Hurricanes throwers with a personal-best mark of 14.03m in the women’s shot put.
Miami was one of 14 schools competing at Nutter Field House on the University of Kentucky campus. Miami’s women’s team enters the McCravy Memorial Meet ranked 14th in the USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings. There are 10 ranked teams from eight schools set to compete at the McCravy Memorial Meet. The men’s side features No. 6 USC, No. 7 Texas and No. 20 Penn State, while the women’s field is led by No. 4 USC and No. 5 Texas and also includes No. 8 Kentucky, No. 10 Purdue, No. 13 Baylor, No. 14 Miami, and No. 21 Ole Miss.
Following this weekend’s trip to Kentucky, the Hurricanes will return home for a week of training before their first of two trips to Notre Dame during the 2017 indoor season. The Canes are back in action at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 3-4, which will give them an opportunity to compete at the site of the 2017 ACC Indoor Championships, scheduled for Feb. 23-25. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2017 season, click here.
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