Women’s Track Defends Its Turf to Win ACC Championship
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – It came down to the final event and every point mattered, but the Miami Hurricanes won the 2018 ACC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
With 117 points, the Miami Hurricanes earned their third ACC outdoor championship and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Miami, which hosted the ACC Outdoor Championships, outlasted Virginia Tech (111 pts), Florida State (102.5), Clemson (74) and Louisville (69.5) to win the title on their home track.
“We’ve got a young group and they never stopped believing,” Miami director of track & field/cross county Amy Deem said. “I think they just came in here at their home track and they know there is tradition here and it meant as much to them as it does to me to win it at home. You never want someone else to beat you in your home facility, especially when you don’t get the chance to host ACCs every year, so this was definitely special.”
Miami was led to the title by ACC Women’s Track MVP Symone Mason and ACC Women’s Field MVP Michelle Atherley. The duo combined for 51.5 of Miami’s 117 total points, with Mason adding 25 in the sprints and relays and Atherley contributing 26.5 from the heptathlon, high jump and 100m hurdles.
“I was kind of overthinking through the whole season and just trying to get everything in order,” Mason said. “This weekend, I just told myself I was going to have fun and it worked. I came out and had fun and I won.”
Kristina Knott, Alfreda Steele, Mason and Tiara McMinn combined to win gold in the women’s 4x100m relay with a season-best time of 43.48 that is second in UM history and added 10 points to the Canes’ team score.
Mason added a gold medal in the women’s 400m with a collegiate-best time of 51.53 seconds that is second-fastest in UM history.
“The 4×1 set it off,” Mason said. “Ever since that race, I just had adrenaline to keep it going.”
The freshman came back eighty minutes later to earn her second individual gold of the day, winning the 200m final with a time of 23.01 seconds that is fifth in UM history, while Knott added another point with an eighth-place finish at 23.65 seconds.
“She’s really struggled a little bit as a freshman and she’s had her bumps and bruises,” Deem said. “Unfortunately in our sport, there are a lot of naysayers and she’s had to battle that a little bit. To see her come out here and get to be Symone Mason again was great. She tied her PR in the 200 and had a huge PR in the 400 and was vital to those relays. I am just so happy for her because it takes that monkey off her back and she can keep growing and getting better and better.”
Samantha Gonzalez won the women’s 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 56.77 seconds that is fifth-fastest in the country, while Anna Runia finished fourth at 57.98 seconds to give the Canes 15 points in the event.
“Sam has been in the making and it was a big weekend for her,” Deem said. “Her family is in town and she graduated in just three years and will be back with us next year. To see it really come together for her was awesome. It’s been a struggle for her at times, so to see her come out on her home track and win with all her family here was special.”
The Hurricanes closed out their ACC Championship with a victory in the women’s 4x400m, posting a season-best time of 3:32.40 to tally their third consecutive gold medal in the event.
McMinn earned bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.10 seconds, while Atherley was fifth at 13.21 seconds. The duo combined to score 10 points for Miami’s women in the 100m hurdles.
“As freshmen, they had their freshmen moments, but for them to step up like they did was huge,” Deem said. “And then Michelle, I challenged her in our team meeting the night before the meet to be the spark we needed and she just ran with it.”
Miami also scored 13 points in the field events on the final day of competition, thanks to strong performances in the triple jump and discus.
Niara Hill closed out her final meet at Cobb Stadium with a bronze medal in the women’s triple jump. The senior, who entered the meet ranked 10th in the ACC in the event this season, posted a personal-best mark of 12.81m to finish third and score the first six points for the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“Niara has been a team player and she’s done so much,” Deem said. “She’s another graduate this weekend and is going on to law school, but she kept competing and hanging in there and stayed focused. Sometimes seniors, when they know it’s the end for track, it’s hard to keep them engaged. She never wavered and she’s been such a team player, so I am happy to see her have that success in her last ACCs.”
Zakiya Rashid and Debbie Ajagbe combined to score seven points in the women’s discus, as Rashid was fourth with a mark of 53.60m and Ajagbe was seventh at 50.83m.
The Hurricane women have now won an ACC team championship in three straight years, winning consecutive indoor titles in 2016 and 2017, along with the 2018 outdoor championship this weekend. Miami’s women have won seven ACC team titles since joining the conference prior to the 2005 season.
Miami’s men’s team also had a solid showing on its home track, scoring 45 points to finish tied for ninth. The Canes rebounded from a nine-point showing in 2017, tallying their second-best team score since joining the ACC prior to the 2005 championships.
“I am proud of our guys,” Deem said. ” We had some guys that didn’t stick with us and this team wasn’t a priority to them. To see the guys that stuck with it and kept working have this success is great.”
Gian Piero Ragonesi earned his second bronze medal at the ACC Championships with a big throw in the discus, finishing third with a mark of 57.62m. The senior also placed third in the men’s shot put on Friday.
“I am going to miss Gian,” Deem said. “He is such a competitor and he’s very hard on himself. He’s like me. He always wants more. I am glad for him to have a good weekend this weekend. For him to come out here and have a great meet to finish his senior year was great to see.”
McKinly Brown, Myles Valentine, Isaiah Taylor and Lorenzo Lingard teamed up to finish fourth in the men’s 4x100m relay with a season-best time of 40.07 seconds that is fifth in UM history and picked up the first five points of the day for Miami’s men’s team.
Brown took home the bronze medal in the men’s 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 50.78 seconds that is second in school history.
Valentine returned to the track and put on an impressive run, finishing fourth in the men’s 100m final with a time of 10.39 seconds that added five points to the Hurricane men’s team score.
“I am 110 percent committed to continuing to grow this men’s program and I am excited about what we have coming in and think the future is bright with them,” Deem said.
Complete meet results are available HERE.
Following this weekend’s action, qualifying Hurricanes will prepare to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary in Tampa, Fla., on May 24-26. To view the complete Miami Track and Field schedule for the 2018 season, click here.
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