Hurdlers Shine on Day 1 at National Relay Championships
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Miami track and field program kicked off the National Relays Championships with a strong showing in the sprints and hurdles.
The Hurricanes, who are one of 16 Power 5 schools competing in the inaugural National Relay Championships, represented their university well on Friday at John McDonnell Field on the University of Arkansas campus.
“I think we had some kids that really rose to the occasion and we had some kids that acted like freshmen today,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “I thought we got some things done today, but we’ve just got to work on being more consistent.”
McKinly Brown won Heat 3 and finished sixth overall in the men’s 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 51.40 seconds that ranks third in UM history.
Samantha Gonzalez finished second in the women’s 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 57.88 seconds, while Anna Runia was eighth at 59.85 seconds.
Tiara McMinn won Heat 3 and was seventh overall in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 13.22 seconds.
“I was very pleased with the hurdlers,” Deem said. “That was a big run for Tiara, a big run for Samantha and a big run for McKinly.”
Symone Mason was fourth in Heat 3 and 12thoverall in the women’s 100m with a time of 11.57 seconds. Kristina Knott was eighth in Heat 3 at 11.81 seconds.
Myles Valentine was sixth in the men’s 100m with a time of 10.38 seconds that ranks third all-time in school history. Isaiah Taylor finished 15th in the same event at 10.63 seconds.
The Canes closed out their day on the track with a fifth-place finish in the women’s 1600m sprint medley relay, as Mason, Michelle Atherley, Runia and Kayla Johnson combined to run a time of 3:52.90.
“From my standpoint as the head coach, you want kids to build off practice and come into the competition and we came in not knowing what you’re going to get,” Deem said. “We’ve got to do a better job as a coaching staff of getting them ready for meets like this.”
Miami also had a solid day in the field events, with several student-athletes having good performances in the jumps and throws.
Tristan Schultheis finished third in the men’s invitational high jump with a collegiate-best mark of 2.08m that tied for fourth all-time in UM history.
“I’m excited for Tristan,” Deem said. “It’s been a rough road for him, both mentally and physically, with things he’s had to overcome. To see him starting to put some things together is great. Clearly, he’s not the best Tristan that we are going to see, but he is growing every week and I am excited about his future.”
Zakiya Rashid finished second in the women’s discus with a throw of 53.18m, while Gian Piero Ragonesi was fourth in the men’s discus with a throw of 53.26m.
Andreas Christodoulou finished sixth in the men’s javelin with a collegiate-best throw of 60.41m that is second in UM history.
Darlene Charles finished sixth in the women’s long jump with a mark of 5.67m
Kyra Maryland finished tied for fifth in the women’s high jump with a season-best-tying mark of 1.65m, while Erika Voyzey was also tied for fifth at 1.65m and Celine Thompson was ninth at 1.65m.
Saturday’s competition begins at 11:45 a.m. ET with the men’s hammer throw and field events will continue throughout the day, while the relays are set to start at 8:02 p.m. ET with the women’s 4x100m.
Fans can watch the National Relay Championships on SEC Network + beginning at 8 p.m. ET Saturday by clicking HERE. Fans can also follow the meet via live results by clicking HERE.
Following this weekend’s action, the Hurricanes will prepare to host the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 10-12. The conference meet returns to Cobb Stadium on the University of Miami campus for the first time since 2009. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2018 season, click here.
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