Miami's Women Ranked Eighth in Preseason Outdoor Poll
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s track and field program rank eighth in the preseason edition of the NCAA DI Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA).
16 marks, including last weekend’s 4×100 relay time from the opening Hurricane Invitational, combined to make up Miami’s team score of 168.50.
The relay team made up of senior Carolyn Brown, junior Alfreda Steele, sophomore Symone Mason and sophomore Amuru Patterson boasted an ACC-leading time of 43.86 seconds, which ranks third in the NCAA.
Ten marks from last season are made up by 10 different Canes. Sophomore Debbie Ajagbe was the lone to score in three events, as she recorded top marks in the shot put at 16.22m, the discus at 55.07m and the hammer throw at 60.98m.
Senior Zakiya Rashid added another score in the discus with her mark of 55.68m, while Michelle Atherley’s heptathlon score of 5,816 points closed out the scored field events for the Canes.
Miami had three Canes score points in the 400m dash as Mason ran a time of 51.33, ranking sixth, Brittny Ellis’s time of 51.66 seconds came in at ninth, while Kayla Johnson closed it out with her time of 52.82. Mason and Johnson added more points for the team in the 200m and the 800m, respectively.
Tiara McMinn and Atherley both finished with top 20 times in the 100m hurdles, while Samantha Gonzalez and Anna Runia finished with top 10 times in the 400m hurdles. Steele’s time of 11.29 in the 100m dash was the final event to total the 168.50 points for Miami.
Miami is set to the host the second annual Power 5 Trailblazer Challenge on March 22-23. The Canes will welcome USC, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Ohio State to Coral Gables as all five programs are led by female head coaches.
The National Team Computer Rankings are compiled by a mathematical formula based on the NCAA Division I Descending Order Lists. Marks from previous seasons are included until enough data can be drawn from the current season and current freshmen aren’t included in the rankings until they compete in an outdoor meet. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the race for a national title. Ranking points don’t equate with points that will be scored at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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