Miami Women Ranked No. 17 before NCAA Championships
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s track and field team enters the NCAA Outdoor Championships ranked No. 17 in the NCAA Division I Women’s National Team Computer Rankings for Outdoor Track and Field, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Miami, which opened the outdoor season ranked 16th, is in the top 25 for the 18th time this year. The Hurricanes appeared in the top 25 in every ranking during the indoor season, peaking at No. 10. Five marks combine to make up Miami’s team score of 98.28 points.
Aiyanna Stiverne’s outstanding run in the women’s 400m quarterfinals at the NCAA East Preliminary is Miami’s newest mark. The senior earned her trip to Oregon when she won Heat 1 of the women’s 400m quarterfinal with a personal-best time of 52.00 seconds that ranks fifth all-time in UM history.
In addition to Stiverne, Miami has two other individuals and a pair of relays headed to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Shakima Wimbley’s gold medal-winning performance at the 2017 ACC Outdoor Championships ranks atop the women’s 400m list. The senior defended her 400m title with an NCAA-leading time of 50.40 seconds, setting ACC, ACC Championship and UM records. Wimbley also ran the fastest 400m time at the NCAA East Preliminary, advancing to Oregon with a time of 51.23 seconds.
Ebony Morrison is Miami’s final individual qualifier in the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The senior is ranked 10th in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.96 seconds. Morrison won Heat 1 of the 100m hurdles at the NCAA East Preliminary with a time of 13.17 seconds to advance to the NCAA Championships.
The women’s 4x100m relay team of Carolyn Brown, Wimbley, Stiverne and Kristina Knott defended Miami’s title in the event, setting conference, ACC Championship and school records with a time of 43.36 seconds that ranks ninth in the NCAA this season. That same quartet ran a time of 43.68 seconds at the NCAA East Preliminary to send the Hurricanes to Eugene.
Miami’s final entry in the national championship meet comes in the women’s 4x400m relay. The Hurricanes’ time of 3:27.87, run by Anna Runia, Brittny Ellis, Stiverne and Wimbley, is fifth in the country this season. At the NCAA East Preliminary, the Canes’ group of Stiverne, Ellis, Erin Ford and Wimbley combined for a time of 3:30.47 that secured Miami’s spot in the field in Oregon.
The National Team Computer Rankings are compiled by a mathematical formula based on the NCAA Division I Descending Order Lists. Marks from previous seasons are included until enough data can be drawn from the current season and current freshmen aren’t included in the rankings until they compete in an outdoor meet. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the race for a national title. Ranking points don’t equate with points that will be scored at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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