18 Canes Earn All-ACC Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field team had 18 student-athletes earn All-ACC honors following performances at the ACC Championships last weekend.
On the men’s side, Isaiah Holmes, Ayman Zahafi, Justin Forde and Kevin Arreaga were tabbed to the first team. For the women, Jacious Sears, Alfreda Steele, Moriah Oliveira and Debbie Ajagbe collected first-team honors.
Miami’s second-team honors included Khamal Stewart-Baynes, Davonte Fuller, Solomon Strader, Zahafi and Decio Andrade for the men. Nine Hurricane women – Sears, Blanca Hervas, Moriah Oliveira, Kayla Johnson, Sierra Oliveira, Lauryn Harris, Ashley Moore, Hannah-Sophia Hall and Ajagbe – claimed second-team.
The ACC awards first-team honors to individuals who finish top-three and the winning relay team, while second-team goes to athletes who finish four through six, and the second- and third-place relay teams.
The trio of Holmes, Sears and Moriah Oliveira paced the Canes over the weekend as each earned gold in their events. Holmes shattered the program long jump record he set earlier this year with a mark of 8.03 meters to go along with a high jump of 2.17 meters. Sears won the 60-meter final in 7.28 seconds and followed that with a fifth-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 23.71. Moriah Oliveira clocked a personal best 52.88 in the 400 meters for her win.
Steele earned herself two podium spots on Saturday. First with a bronze finish in the 60 meter as she crossed the finish line in 7.30, a season best, then by taking silver in a time of 23.47 in the 200-meter final.
In his first ACC Championships appearance, Zahafi recorded an 800-meter race of 1:48.87 for his spot on the first team. A pair of Canes – Stewart-Baynes and Hervas – each took fifth in the 400-meter race. Stewart-Baynes finished in 46.91, a personal best, and Hervas notched personal best time of 53.87.
Miami’s 4×400 meter relays each earned second team honors. The squad of Hervas, Moriah, Sierra and Johnson took third as they crossed the finish line in 3:35.46. UM’s men’s team of Stewart-Baynes, Zahafi, Fuller and Strader placed second in 3:10.28.
Ajagbe led the women in the field for the Hurricanes, as she notched season best marks in the shot put, 16.38 meters, and weight throw, 20.86 meters. She finished second in the shot put and fifth in the weight throw. Fellow thrower Hall placed fourth in the shot put with a mark of 16.22 meters.
Harris tallied a season best long jump, 6.16 meters, to finish fourth, while Moore took sixth in the triple jump at 12.70 meters.
Arreaga and Forde each recorded a bronze finish in their respective events. Arreaga threw 21.47 meters in the weight throw and Forde jumped 15.98 meters in the triple jump. Andrade came in sixth in the weight throw with a 20.93-meter mark.
Fans can stay up to date on University of Miami track and field and cross country team’s news by following along on Instagram and Twitter @canestrack.
