Deem's Canes Ready for Historic Power 5 Trail Blazer Challenge
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Amy Deem is a trail blazer.
The University of Miami’s director of track and field/cross country is in her 27th season leading the Canes and the 2018 season marks her 10-year anniversary at the helm of both the men’s and women’s teams.
Under her leadership, Deem turned the Hurricanes into a national powerhouse. Prior to her appointment as the head coach in 1990, no Hurricane had recorded an NCAA qualifying mark. Since then, however, Deem and the Hurricanes are a regular fixture at NCAA Championships, as her athletes have laid claim to 14 national championships and nearly 200 First Team All-America honors.
This weekend, Deem and the Hurricanes will travel to Los Angeles to compete at the Power 5 Trail Blazer Challenge. The two-day scored meet will feature the only five Power 5 track and field programs in NCAA Division I that have a female head coach: Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Ole Miss and the host USC Trojans.
“I have immense respect for each of the head coaches at this meet,” Deem said. “I think we are each an example that a woman can provide great leadership, not only to other women but to our male athletes as well. We are very excited to be here for this unique competition.”
The Hurricanes head to USC fresh off an impressive showing at the Hurricane Invitational to open their outdoor season. Last weekend, the men’s team saw freshman Kevin Arreaga break the school record in the men’s hammer throw and Andreas Christodoulou win the javelin with a personal-best mark that ranks second in UM history.
Freshman Kayla Johnson was one of several members of Miami’s women’s team that had an outstanding outdoor opener. Johnson was named ACC Women’s Track Performer of the Week after she ran the second-fastest women’s 400m time in the country and anchored the Canes 4x400m relay team to victory with an NCAA-leading time of 3:34.72.
The Hurricanes’ 4x100m relay also impressed in its first race of the season, as the quartet of Kristina Knott, Alfreda Steele, Symone Mason and Tiara McMinn on the women’s 4x100m with a time of 43.54 seconds – second-fastest in UM history.
Zakiya Rashid was one of the top Canes in the field events at the Hurricane Invitational. The junior was third in the women’s shot put with a mark of 14.99m and third in the hammer throw with a personal-best throw of 54.41m.
The two-day meet will feature hammer and discus competition on Friday at Long Beach State beginning at noon, while Saturday’s action at USC will start at noon with the women’s high jump and women’s javelin, as well as the women’s 3000m.
Fans can follow the meet via live results by clicking HERE or watch a live stream by clicking HERE.
The Power 5 Trail Blazer Challenge will be held at Loker Track Stadium on the USC campus on Saturday. The 3,000-seat stadium opened in the 2001 season and was dedicated on May 5 during the USC-UCLA dual meet. General admission for adult spectators costs $10, while youth ages 3-12 and seniors ages 65+ will be charged $5. Admission is free for those under three-years-old. Friday’s events will be held at Long Beach and admission is free.
Following this weekend’s action, the Hurricanes will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to compete at the Florida Relays from March 29-31. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2018 season, click here.
Miami Entries
Men
100m: Myles Valentine, Christopher Moree
200m: Isaiah Taylor, Christopher Moree, Andreas Christodoulou
400m: Luca Bhalla
1500m: Dylan Sykes, Matthew Wiefels
3000m: Dylan Sykes, Matthew Wiefels
110m HH: Andreas Christodoulou
400m HH: McKinly Brown
4x100m: Isaiah Taylor, Breon Mullings, Myles Valentine, Jaalen Jones
4x400m: Myles Valentine, Jaalen Jones, McKinly Brown, Breon Mullings
High Jump: Tristan Schultheis
Long Jump: Andreas Christodoulou
Triple Jump: Hasani Knight
Shot Put: Gian Piero Ragonesi, Andreas Christodoulou
Discus: Gian Piero Ragonesi
Hammer Throw: Kevin Arreaga
Javelin: Andreas Christodoulou
Women
100m: Erin Ford
200m: Symone Mason, Alfreda Steele, Kristina Knott, Erin Ford, Amy Taintor
800m: Kayla Johnson, Anne den Otter
1500m: Anne den Otter
100m HH: Tiara McMinn, Michelle Atherley, Amy Taintor
400m HH: Tiara McMinn, Samantha Gonzalez
4x100m: Kristina Knott, Symone Mason, Tiara McMinn, Alfreda Steele
4x400m: Samantha Gonzalez, Kayla Johnson, Michelle Atherley, Symone Mason, Tiara McMinn
High Jump: Erika Voyzey, Celine Thompson, Kyra Maryland
Long Jump: Amy Taintor, Darlene Charles
Triple Jump: Darlene Charles, Niara Hill, Peyton Russell
Shot Put: Debbie Ajagbe, Zakiya Rashid
Discus: Debbie Ajagbe, Zakiya Rashid
Hammer Throw: Debbie Ajagbe
Javelin: Amy Taintor
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.
