Miami Track Ready for NCAA East Preliminary
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Twenty-two members of the University of Miami track and field program will begin their quest for a spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday.
The Hurricanes will be in action at the 2017 NCAA East Preliminary, scheduled for May 25-27 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. Seven men and 15 women will represent the Canes in the annual precursor to the national championship meet.
NCAA women’s 400m leader Shakima Wimbley headlines a group of 11 Hurricanes in action on Thursday. Wimbley is one of three Hurricanes slated to run in the women’s 400m first round, scheduled for 7:20 p.m., where she will be joined by sophomore Brittny Ellis and senior Aiyanna Stiverne.
The Bowerman Award candidate qualified for the fourth straight year and her time of 50.40 seconds is the fastest 400m time in the country. Ellis is second in the East and seventh overall with a time of 51.66 seconds, while Stiverne is third in the East and 12th overall with a time of 52.19 seconds.
Carlos Mangum will kick off the Canes competing on Thursday, as the senior will be in the men’s hammer throw at 4 p.m. Mangum is ranked 19th in the East region heading into the meet with a mark of 66.87m.
Anna Runia, who won the 2017 ACC women’s 400m hurdles title, and Samantha Gonzalez give Miami two entries in the women’s 400m hurdles at 4:30 p.m.
Kristina Knott is slated to run in the women’s 100m first round at 6:30 p.m., while Isaiah Taylor hits the track at 6:55 p.m., in the men’s 100m first round.
Stefani Kerrison and Amy Taintor will compete in the women’s long jump, beginning at 7:15 p.m., while Henri Delauze is Miami’s final athlete in action on Thursday, racing in the men’s 400m first round at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s competition will feature Zakiya Rashid kicking off the action in the women’s discus at 2 p.m., with Erika Voyzey competing in the women’s high jump at 4:30 p.m.
On the track, Miami has Ebony Morrison and Kerrison opening up in the women’s 100m hurdles first round at 4:30 p.m., and Knott and Carolyn Brown racing in the women’s 200m first round at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Miami is set to have Darlene Charles and Niara Hill compete in the women’s triple jump at 6 p.m., as well as the women’s 4x100m relay, women’s 4x400m relay and men’s 4x400m relay.
The women’s 4x100m relay team of Brown, Wimbley, Stiverne and Knott defended Miami’s title in the event, setting conference, ACC Championship and school records with a time of 43.36 seconds that ranks sixth in the NCAA this season. The Canes also have Runia and Erin Ford in the relay pool, giving Miami a deep group of talented sprinters to choose from when they hit the track at 6 p.m.
Miami’s 4x400m relay team defended its 2016 ACC outdoor title, as the quartet of Runia, Stiverne, Ellis and Wimbley posted a time of 3:29.99, breaking their own ACC and ACC Championship records. The Hurricanes enter the NCAA East Preliminary with the second-fastest time in the East region this season. Ford and Samantha Gonzalez round out the ACC champion Hurricanes’ relay pool in the 4x400m, scheduled to begin at 9:25 p.m.
Henri Delauze, Breon Mullings, Ibrahim Dodo, Brandon Taylor and McKinly Brown make up a talented men’s 4x400m relay pool, scheduled to compete at 9:45 p.m.
The 2017 NCAA East Preliminary will be broadcast on SEC Network+ beginning on Thursday at 9 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday at 6 p.m.
The qualifiers out of the East and West Preliminaries will compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 7-10 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
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.
