Miami Women Vault into USTFCCCA Top 10
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Miami women’s track and field team jumped into the top 10 in the 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.
Fresh off their 2017 ACC indoor championship, the back-to-back conference champion Hurricanes made their first appearance in the USTFCCCA top 10 in program history. Miami remained in the top 15 for the seventh straight time this season. The Canes, who opened the 2017 season ranked No. 14, peaked at No. 15 during the 2016 indoor season and were ranked in every week of last year’s indoor campaign.
The Hurricanes are led by Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem, who leads active ACC women’s coaches with four indoor conference team titles. Miami has 10 marks contributing to its total team score of 65.56, with eight marks coming from the 2017 ACC Indoor Championships.
“I’m extremely proud of how our team performed this weekend at the ACC Indoor Championships and their performance is reflected in the rankings,” Deem said. “Our main goal now is to go to the NCAA Indoor Championships next week and perform at the highest level.”
Two-time ACC Women’s Indoor Track MVP Shakima Wimbley is a major contributor to the Hurricanes’ overall score, factoring in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.
The senior made history over the weekend at the 2017 ACC Indoor Championships, winning her fourth consecutive indoor 200m title with a personal-best time of 22.83 seconds that set an ACC Championship record and ranks third in UM history. With the victory, Wimbley became the first woman in ACC history to win four titles in a single event. Her 200m time ranks fifth in the NCAA.
Wimbley also defended her indoor 400m title, winning with an NCAA-leading time of 51.20 seconds. The superstar sprinter set a new ACC record, ACC Championship record and school record, while leading a trio of Canes that finished in the top four in the event.
Brittny Ellis, who earned a silver medal in the 400m with a personal-best time of 52.19 seconds, is ranked eighth, while Aiyanna Stiverne’s time of 53.22 seconds is 26th.
Miami also has two scoring marks in the 60m hurdles, led by 2017 ACC champion Ebony Morrison’s time of 8.12 seconds that ranks 14th in the NCAA. Michelle Atherley joins Morrison among the top 60m hurdlers, ranking 23rd with a personal-best time of 8.21 seconds.
Atherley also ranks fourth in the NCAA in the women’s pentathlon. The sophomore won gold at the ACC Indoor Championships with a school and ACC Championships record score of 4,281 points. Junior Amy Taintor, who finished fourth at the ACC Indoor Championships, ranks 26th in the women’s pentathlon with a personal-best score of 3,961 points.
Miami also has two marks from earlier in the season contributing to its team score, as the Hurricanes’ 4x400m relay from the Meyo Invitational ranks sixth in the NCAA. The quartet of Stiverne, Ellis, Atherley and Wimbley won the event with a time of 3:31.88 that broke meet and facility records and ranked second in school history.
Kristina Knott rounds out the contributing marks on the track, as the junior sprinter’s 60m time of 7.31 seconds from the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational sits 27th.
With the ACC Indoor Championships completed, qualifying Hurricanes that rank in the top 16 in the NCAA in their events will travel to compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on March 10-11. 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 @CanesTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
