Hurricanes Earn USTFCCCA Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field program received eight All-America honors after the conclusion of the 2019 NCAA indoor track and field season, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA).
Miami earned five First Team All-America honors and three Second Team All-America honors. First-team honors went to student-athletes from individual events and relay teams that finished first through eight, while those who finished ninth through 16th grabbed second-team recognition.
Michelle Atherley led the way with her first-team honor after an impeccable win in the women’s pentathlon, scoring the NCAA’s seventh all-time best score of 4,547 points. The North Port, Fla., native set two new personal-best marks in both the high jump at 1.78m and in the shot put at 13.01m on her way to Miami’s 17th track and field national title. Prior to the NCAAs, the senior was named the 2019 ACC Indoor Field MVP after setting an ACC Championship record in the pentathlon and finishing third in the high jump.
The Canes’ 4x400m relay team made up of sophomore Symone Mason, junior Brittny Ellis, sophomore Kayla Johnson and senior Samantha Gonzalez earned second-team distinction after finishing seventh with the program’s fourth-fastest time of 3:32.62. After winning gold at ACCs with a then-fourth best time of 3:32.75, Miami’s relay team entered Nationals with the 12th-best time in the NCAA.
Ellis added second-team recognition after her ninth-place performance in the 400m prelims. The Gurnee, Ill., earned the gold medal at the ACCs after dominating both the prelims and the finals. Ellis was joined by Johnson with her second-team honor in the 800m, finishing 15th with a time of 2:12.76. Johnson earned her first individual conference medal, finishing second in the 800m with a program-record time of 2:05.21.
Sophomore Tiara McMinn was the final Cane to earn All-America honors and was named to the second team after her 11th place finish in the 60m hurdles. McMinn finished her indoor season running a time of 8.08 seconds in the NCAA Prelims. McMinn entered the Championships tied with the second-fastest time at 7.95 seconds, which she set after winning the 60m hurdles at ACCs. McMinn now holds the program record in the event.
The Miami women finished tied for 15th at NCAAs, scoring 12 points.Miami begins its outdoor season March 15-16, as it hosts the Hurricane Invitational.
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.
