WOMEN’S TRACK
A school record performance in the pentathlon by freshman Amber Williams and a strong showing by a trio of athletes in the long jump led the University of Miami women’s indoor track and field team to third place in the team standings in the first day of the BIG EAST Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The Hurricanes scored 24 points on the first day of the two-day competition and are in good shape to contend for the school’s first indoor conference championship. The long jump was the most productive event for Miami on Saturday as the Hurricanes collected 16 points led by a second-place showing by Gina Harris. Kareen Clarke placed third with a best of 20-3 1/2 (6.18m) Both Harris and Clarke improved their provisional qualifying marks for the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships. In the pentathlon, Williams scored 3,511 points to shatter the old mark of 3,424 by Robin Beecham in 1997. The school-record total was good for a second-place finish behind Seton Hall’s Bridgette Ingram who took the title with 3,593 points, giving Miami eight points in the team standings.
MEN’S TRACK
The University of Miami men’s indoor track and field team showed its depth in the sprints as the Hurricanes qualified a quintet of sprinters to Sunday’s finals in the 60- and 200-meter dashes in the first day of the BIG EAST Conference Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Three Hurricanes qualified for the final of the 60-meter dash as Andre Johnson won his qualifying heat in a personal-best time of 6.81 seconds, the fastest qualifying time of the nine finalists set to go on Sunday. Joining Johnson in the final will be teammates Willis McGahee, Roscoe Parrish and Tanard Davis. Sprinters Gus Martin and Aaron Moser advanced in the 200-meter dash with Martin qualifying for finals in two sprinting events, the 200 and the 60-meter high hurdles. Senior Aaron Moser also advanced to the hurdles final with a qualifying time of 8.11. Moser scored Miami’s only point of Saturday’s competition with an eighth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 4 1/4 inches (6.81 meters).
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The No. 28 University of Miami women’s tennis team extends its winning streak to five with an upset victory over No. 26 Florida International, 6-1, Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the University Park tennis courts on the FIU campus. The Hurricanes remain undefeated this season at 5-0, while the Golden Panthers fall to 5-2. Miami took two-of-three doubles matches giving them the one point advantage entering singles competition. The Hurricanes then dominated in singles play winning five-of-six matches. At No.1 singles No. 69 Mari Toro defeated Anneliese Rose in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1. Marcy Hora defeated Agnes Buronyi, 6-1, 6-3, at the No. 2 position. Mei Ly gave FIU their only singles match win of the day defeating UM’s Staci Stevens, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 3 singles. At No. 4 singles Sihem Bennacer cruised past Nazly Elsawaf with a 6-1, 6-2, straight-set victory.