Atherley and Deem Earn ACC Yearly Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami’s director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem and senior Michelle Atherley were named Women’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Field Performer of the Year, respectively, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
Deem, who is currently in her 28th season at the helm of the Hurricanes track and field program, was recognized for the fifth time as the ACC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the year. Tuesday’s award is her eighth coaching honor overall, as Deem was the ACC Outdoor Women’s Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2018.
Deem’s accolade comes after the Miami women won their third ACC Indoor title in the past four years. The Canes were led by Atherley, who was named the ACC Women’s Indoor Field MVP after winning the pentathlon with an ACC Championship record setting score of 4,498 points, a third-place finish in the women’s high jump and a fourth-place finish in the 60m hurdles.
The ACC Women’s Coach of the Year led Tiara McMinn to a first-place finish in the 60m hurdles, when the sophomore posted the then-NCAA second-best time in the event heading into NCAAs. McMinn was joined by junior Brittny Ellis, who also won the gold medal in the 400m, earning a spot at the NCAAs along with Kayla Johnson, who finished second in the 800m at ACCs.
Miami’s leader coached four individual athletes at the NCAAs and the 4x400m relay team, which finished with the seventh-fastest time in the nation, helping the Canes earn eight All-America honors at the conclusion of the NCAA Indoor track and field season.
Atherley’s stellar senior indoor season was capped with Miami’s seventh indoor national championship, while becoming the 11th different Hurricane to win an NCAA crown and the 10th woman to do so. The North Port, Fla., native finished with an NCAA all-time seventh-best score of 4,547 points to win the women’s pentathlon. The score currently is the best in UM history.
The pair both earned USTFCCCA south region awards, while Atherley was recently named to the Bowerman Watch List.
The Canes will return to their home track on March 25-26 as they host the Power 5 Trailblazer Challenge. Miami will host USC, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Ohio State next weekend at the second-ever event. The five programs are all led by female head coaches and will make their way to Coral Gables after the Trojans of USC first hosted it last season.
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.
