Eight Canes Named All-ACC Academic for Indoor Track
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Eight members of the University of Miami track and field team earned All-ACC Academic honors for the 2018 indoor track & field season, as announced by the conference office Thursday.
Debbie Ajagbe, Symone Mason, Tiara McMinn, Anna Runia, Alfreda Steele, Amy Taintor and Erika Voyzey are the seven Canes named to the 2018 All-ACC Academic Women’s Indoor Track & Field Team, while Gian Piero Ragonesi was selected to the 2018 All-ACC Academic Men’s Indoor Track & Field Team.
“I am proud of these eight student-athletes for their continued dedication to excellence in academics and athletics,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “All eight of them have been outstanding leaders in the classroom and in their event areas and I am happy to see them earn recognition for their effort and success.”
Ajagbe finished sixth in the women’s shot put at the ACC Championships with a personal-best mark of 15.10m that earned her Second Team All-ACC honors. A freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, Ajagbe made the Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and was named a Book Buster in her first collegiate semester. This is the first All-ACC Academic honor of her career.
Mason helped the Canes earn a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400m at the ACC Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. The freshman was named a Book Buster in the fall and picked up the first All-ACC Academic honor of her career.
McMinn was a bronze medalist in the 60m hurdles at the ACC Championships, earning First Team All-ACC honors. The freshman also finished 11th in the high jump at the ACC Championships and was a Book Buster following the fall semester. McMinn earned the first All-ACC Academic selection of her career.
Runia helped the Canes earn a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400m at the ACC Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. The junior is a three-time President’s Honor Roll recipient and has made Provost’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and Book Buster Club in all five of her collegiate semesters. A graphic design and psychology double major, Runia is a four-time All-ACC Academic honoree.
Steele finished fourth overall in the women’s 200m at the ACC Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. A freshman majoring in sport administration, Steele made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and Book Buster Club in her first collegiate semester. This is the first All-ACC Academic honor of her career.
Taintor closed out her final ACC indoor track and field season with a bronze medal in the pentathlon at the 2018 ACC Indoor Championships. Taintor’s personal-best score of 3,967 points ranks third in UM history and was 29thin the NCAA this season. The senior was named First Team All-ACC in the pentathlon and also finished ninth in the long jump at the ACC Indoor Championships with a mark of 5.96m. A senior majoring in public relations and minoring in marketing, Taintor is a two-time All-ACC Academic selection.
Voyzey finished fifth in the women’s high jump at the ACC Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. A sophomore majoring in aerospace engineering, she is a two-time All-ACC Academic selection. In her three semesters at Miami, Voyzey has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll once and is a two-time Book Buster honoree.
Ragonesi wrapped up the final indoor season of his Hurricane career with a bronze medal in the shot put at the 2018 ACC Indoor Championships. The senior earned First Team All-ACC honors after securing a spot on the podium with a mark of 18.28m. Ragonesi finished the season ranked 39thin the NCAA in the shot put. A graduate student majoring in international business studies, Ragonesi made the Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and Book Buster Club in his first semester as a graduate student. This is Ragonesi’s third All-ACC Academic honor of his career.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
Every member of the 2017-18 All-ACC Indoor Track and Field Academic Teams also earned All-America and/or All-ACC honors during the most recent season.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes each conference student-athlete with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
The Hurricanes are competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational and Virginia Challenge this week. Following this weekend’s action, the Hurricanes will head to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete at the National Relay Championships on April 27-28. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2018 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.
