Miami Track Takes on Nationals
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field will be well represented at the Division I 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Wednesday, as nine Canes and two relay teams are set to compete against the best track and field athletes in the country.
The Outdoor track and field championships are scheduled for June 5-8 at Mike A. Myers Stadium, hosted by the University of Texas.
To follow live results and view the event schedule, click here.
Wednesday, June 5 – Men’s Semis
Kevin Arreaga will be the first Cane in action when the sophomore competes in the men’s hammer throw scheduled for 2 p.m. The Madrid native earned the ACC silver medal in the event and posted a personal-best mark of 71.07m earlier in the season. Arreaga was the first Cane to earn a spot at nationals, throwing a mark of 68.57m in the East Prelims. Arreaga will throw first in Flight 1.
Raheem Chambers will be the next Cane up for the Canes, as he’s scheduled to run in the 100m dash semis at 5:16 P.M. Chambers, also a silver medalist in the event, will run in Heat 1 in lane 8 in Wednesday’s semifinals. Chambers finished fifth-overall last season in the event with his time of 10.33.
Thursday, June 6 – Women’s Semis
Miami’s women will take the track in the women’s 4×100 relay set for 7:02 p.m. in the first of six track events of the day. The relay made up of Carolyn Brown, Tiara McMinn, Alfreda Steele and Amuru Patterson are scheduled to run in Heat 2 and lane 2.
McMinn will return to the track for the 100m hurdles set for 8:02 p.m. McMinn ran a personal-best time of 12.88 at the NCAA East Prelims to advance to the finals. McMinn will run in Heat 1 and lane 6 against just two opponents with faster time.
Brittny Ellis will represent the Canes in the women’s 400m scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Ellis will run in Heat 3 and lane 7. Ellis enters the event after finishing second at ACC Outdoors. Next up, Kayla Johnson will compete in the women’s 800m dash set for 8:44 p.m. The sophomore finished second at ACC Outdoor Championships and will run in Heat 1 in lane 7.
Samantha Gonzalez will be the final to compete in an individual event when she takes the track for the 400m hurdles at 9 p.m. Gonzalez will be up against two familiar opponents in Sydni Townsend of Pittsburgh and Lauren Hoffman of Duke. Gonzalez will run in Heat 1 in lane 7.
Miami will finish up the semifinal events on Thursday in the women’s 4×400 relay. The Canes will run in Heat 1 in lane 7 with the third-fastest time of the heat entering the event.
Friday, June 7 – Women’s Semis
Michelle Atherley will begin the heptathlon on Friday in the women’s 100m hurdles. Atherley currently holds the second-best score in the event entering nationals with 5,966 points behind Ashtin Zamzow of Texas with 6,148 points. Atherley will compete in the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and the 200m on Friday.
Saturday, June 8 – Women’s Semis
Atherley will compete in the final three events of the heptathlon with the long jump slated for 1:30 p.m. and the javelin and 800m to follow. Atherley is the defending ACC Outdoor Heptathlon champion after winning the NCAA Indoor Pentathlon title.
The final two Canes, Debbie Ajagbe and Zakiya Rashid, will close out the individual events in the women’s discus set for 5:05 p.m. Ajagbe and Rashid finished second and third, respectively, in the event at the ACC Outdoor Championships.
At the conclusion of the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the top eight finishers in each event will be named First Team All-American, while finishers 9-16 earn Second Team All-America honors and 17-24 receive All-America honorable mention.
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