Miami Track Set to Host Power 5 Trailblazer Challenge
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – It is hard not to think of Amy Deem, the Director of Track and Field/Cross Country at the University of Miami, when you think of trail blazers in the track community.
In her 28th season leading the Canes and 11th season at the helm of both the men’s and women’s teams, Deem is set to host the second annual Power 5 Trailblazer Challenge. Under her tenure, the Hurricanes have won 17 individual national championships and she has coached her athletes to greater than 200 First Team All-America honors. Prior to Deem’s arrival, no Hurricane had even recorded an NCAA qualifying mark.
This weekend, the Canes welcome Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and USC for the two-day scored meet. The meet will feature five Power 5 track and field programs in the NCAA Division I that have a female head coach. The Trojans hosted the inaugural event last season in Los Angeles.
With one outdoor meet under their belts, the Canes are ready for their second straight home meet. Last weekend, junior transfer Raheem Chambers sprinted his way into Miami’s all-time best list at No. 3 in the 200m dash, running the event in 20.98 seconds. The Jamaica native earned Miami’s first ACC Track Performer of the Week honor since 2011 with his first performance on the Canes home track.
Tyrees Moulton, Davonte Fuller, Thomas Burn and McKinly Brown combined to run a time of 3:09.69, which ranks as the third-fastest time in the NCAA heading into this weekend’s meet. Moulton also put on an impressive outing in the 200m, finishing just behind Chambers and posted the second-fastest collegiate time at 21.40.
For the women, junior Alfreda Steele boasted a time of 11.37 in the 100m and combined to run the 4x100m with Carolyn Brown, Symone Mason and Amuru Patterson with a winning-time of 43.86 seconds.
Friday’s action will begin at 2 p.m. with the women’s javelin followed by the men. Senior Michelle Atherley will be the first Cane up as lone female entered in the event for the Canes, followed by Andreas Christodoulou. Miami’s throws squad will make their first outdoor appearance when Debbie Ajagbe, Selina Dantzler, Hannah-Sophia Hall, Sherry Lubin and Zakiya Rashid all take part in the women’s shot put scheduled for 4 p.m.
Day two of the Trailblazer Challenge will begin at 10 a.m., with the men’s and women’s high jump and the women’s triple jump will conclude the field events at 2:30 p.m. The women’s 4x100m relay will be the first track event of the meet. Miami will feature Brown, Tiara McMinn, Mason and Patterson. The men’s 4x400m relay will close out the meet at 3:40 p.m.
The Canes will travel up north to Gainesville, Fla., for their first outdoor road meet of the season for the Florida Relays on March 28-30.
Miami Entries for Power 5 Trailblazer Challenge:
Men:
100m : Isaiah Taylor
200m: Raheem Chambers, Erica Labardor, Isaiah Taylor
400m:Luca Bhalla, Davonte Fuller, Paul Spada
800m:Taj Bland, Jared Lee
1500m:Sean Hagert
3000m:Samuel Fleischman, Dylan Sykes
110m HH: Andreas Christodoulou
400m IH: McKinly Brown, Thomas Burns
High Jump: Andreas Christodoulou, Tristan Schultheis
Long Jump: Hasani Knight
Pole Vault: Andreas Christodoulou
Triple Jump: Hasani Knight
Hammer: Kevin Arreaga
Javelin:Andreas Christdoulou
Women:
100m:Carolyn Brown, Tia Murray, Amuru Patterson
200m:Symone Mason, Tia Murray, Amuru Patterson, Alfreda Steele
400m:Brittny Ellis, Kayla Johnson
3000m:Anne den Otter, Alison Johnson, Emma Langlois, Simone Vreeland
100m HH: Tiara McMinn
400m IH: Samantha Gonzalez, Anna Runia
Shot Put: Debbie Ajagbe, Selina Dantzler, Hannah-Sophia Hall, Sherry Lubin, Zakiya Rashid
Discus:Debbie Ajagbe, Selina Dantzler, Hannah-Sophia Hall, Sherry Lubin, Zakiya Rashid
Hammer:Debbie Ajagbe
High Jump: Michelle Atherley, Celine Thompson
Long Jump: Michelle Atherley, Darlene Charles
Pole Vault: Molly Caudery
Triple Jump: Darlene Charles, Peyton Russell
Javelin:Michelle Atherley
