Coming off of a podium-ridden indoor track and field season, ‘Canes freshman Sanaa Hebron starred in the season opener for Miami’s 2023 outdoor season by becoming the fastest woman in the United States to run the 400m hurdles at the Hurricane Invitational.
The home meet concluded with 21 ‘Canes landing on the podium, 14 personal bests and Hebron’s national record.
The Hurricane Invitational was the first of three home meets for the ‘Canes this season and was held at Cobb Stadium on Friday and Saturday .
Miami’s momentum from indoor track carried over to the outdoor season, as it continued to break records and defend the podium at Cobb.
On day one of the event, Rachel Robertson took home the gold in the women’s high jump, posting a personal–best height of 1.77m. Taylor Wright also landed on the podium with a bronze medal and a height of 1.74m.
With another bronze medal performance, sophomore Erikka Hill took third in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 58.05m.
Edgar Campré made a successful debut in a Miami uniform by earning a personal best in the men’s discus with a distance of 44.68m.
It seems as though Daphnee Lavassas has records to break everywhere she goes, and that is exactly how she opened her outdoor season. The sophomore distance runner crossed the finish line 40 seconds before the second–place runner in the women’s 3000m, shattering the program record with a time of 9:16.46.
Lavassas broke the women’s 1500m program record the next day with a time of 4:22.68, landing her in second place.
Head coach Amy Deem said she believes that Lavasses is getting “better and better” in the 1500m and 3000m, which will lead to even bigger performances later in the season in the 5000m and 10000m.
In the final event on Friday, sophomore Austen Cannon took home the gold in the men’s 3000m, and senior Justin Rittenhouse took second with times of 8:29.17 and 8:47.49, respectively.
Building on Lavassas’ Saturday success, junior Oskars Bambals broke another program record in the men’s 1500m with a time of 3:50.35. Cannon was seconds behind, landing him at number five in program history with a time of 3:53.91.
Adding to the gold medal count, Ashley Moore posted a distance of 6.19m in the women’s long jump. It was a personal best and first-place performance for the junior jumper.
In the women’s shot put, Hannah Hall posted a distance of 16.61m, earning her the gold. Erikka Hill earned her second medal of the weekend with the bronze medal performance and distance of 15.63m.
Gabriella Grissom snagged a bronze medal in the women’s 400m with a time of 54.56. A silver medal went to Emma Maurel (2:09.84) in the women’s 800m and another silver medal went to Rachel Robertson in the women’s triple jump with a distance of 12.53m.
Ramy Berberena and Adam Khriss were within seconds of each other, taking home gold and silver in the men’s 400m spring with times of 53.31 and 53.33, respectively.
The fire kept burning, with the women’s 4x400m relay taking home a silver medal. The lineup was Kennedy Brace, Gabriella Grissom, Sierra Oliveira and Krystalann Bechard.
As if Miami hadn’t done enough, Hebron stunned the stadium and became the fastest woman in the United States to run the 400m hurdles. Her time of 56.47 seconds was also a personal best, a gold medal performance and a new program record.
The Hurricanes will stay home next week at Cobb Stadium for the Collegiate Invitational on March 25.