”We Can Go and Do Something Special in the ACC”, those were the words uttered by junior sprinter Ace Malone in an interview before Miami traveled to Boston for the ACC championships.
He was proven right, Hurricanes Track and Field was all over The Track at New Balance in Boston.
Throughout the weekend the Hurricanes made a statement at the ACC Indoor Championships taking home four gold medals.
Starting off with Malone he was a part of two of those gold medal performances both coming on Saturday. On Friday Malone set the school record in the prelims for the 400m. Then in the finals matched that time again at 45.41 seconds to take home gold in the event becoming the first Hurricane ever to win an ACC Championship in the 400m. Malone was joined by George Franks whose time of 46.01 landed him on the podium at third.
Malone and Franks just a few hours later were back at it again in the 4×400 relay. Down by a few tenths of a second going into the final lap, Malone was trusted as the anchor to take the Canes through the end. With a split of 45.18 he gave Miami the boost they needed to take home their second gold of the Saturday and final gold of the weekend.
The women weren’t far behind in their 4×400 run to close out the weekend. The group of Serena Tate, Gabriella Grissom, Nandy Kihuyu and Sanaa Hebron took the silver medal with a time of 3:31.10 improving on the group’s second place mark in Hurricane’s history.
That wasn’t the only success Miami received over the course of the weekend. Day one was about as exciting for Miami with a strong showing in the field. Women’s weight throw had the podium covered in orange and green as (in this order) Tania Da Silva, Jocelyn Pringle, and Calea Jackson swept the podium. Da Silva went into her final throw in fourth but with a throw of 21.78m she boosted herself to the top of the podium taking gold in the weight throw for the first time since Debbia Ajagbe in 2020. Rounding out the podium Pringle’s throw of 21.54m was the program’s third longest and personal best for Pringle. Jackson’s throw of 21.39m for bronze was also a personal best.
Last but not least for the Hurricanes to land gold, it was again Miami’s do it all star Edgar Campre taking home his second ACC Heptathlon title last winning in 2024. Throughout the weekend Edgar won in three of the seven events, the 60m hurdles, the long jump, and shot put, taking second in the regular 60m.
Aside from the gold medal winners Miami put on some impressive performances throughout the weekend.
On Thursday Kennedy Sauder earned bronze in the men’s high jump with a clearance of 2.11m. In the men’s weight throw both Desmond Coleman and Heath Vernor improved on their respective fourth and fifth best throw marks in school history. Friday saw five Hurricanes fight their way into the finals. Sanaa Hebron and Nandy Kihuyu in the women’s 400m, Natalie Varela and Gabriella Grissom in the women’s 800m, and a new personal best from Ashton Torns in the 60m for the men. Then Saturday, Adriana Kruzmane earned silver in the women’s triple jump with a 13.11 mark, now fifth all time in program history and Lauren Kirby set a new personal best in the shot put.
Overall after a productive weekend Miami women’s team stood at 62 points, fourth best in the ACC and the men at 49, sixth best.
Together Miami held 111 points, good for the third most in the conference barely edging out the University of Virginia.
Next up for the Hurricanes is the indoor National Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. as Miami is set up to have a good amount of representation with their performance throughout this last weekend.