The track and field teams are looking to show up to the ACC Outdoor Championships this weekend at full speed and ahead of the competition.

While Miami’s men’s and women’s teams may differ in terms of overall success this season, head coaches Mike Ward and Amy Deem seem to share a common mantra: Be prepared, have confidence and compete hard.

Women’s track and field is in the midst of a successful outdoor season, as the team was ranked eighth nationally in the latest Trackwire 25 rankings released on Tuesday. Only a day earlier, senior Kim Barrett was named the ACC Track and Field Co-performer of the Week for the second time this season. The team has had a record 21 NCAA regional qualifying marks in 10 individual events this season, with both the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays qualifying for NCAA Regional competition.

Deem is feeling pretty good about her team heading into the conference championships in Tallahassee.

“I feel real confident about them. We had a strong showing this weekend at home, and we’re starting to come together,” Deem said. “The girls always step up for conference championships and every indication is that they’ll do the same this weekend.”

For both teams, there is no underestimating the importance of the championships. However, the men’s team in particular is looking forward to the meet with anticipation. Ward said that, beyond where the team is now, “the championships are what the team looks forward to most as a goal, with the exception of Tim Harris as being a national type of runner.”

Ward made specific references to the 100 and 800-meter races, as well as the 4×100 meter relay and the pole vault as potential events for the ‘Canes to score big.

The women’s team is eagerly looking forward to the meet.

“The conference championships and the national championships are the two most important things we do,” Deem said.

Both coaches are highly impressed with the level of the competition in the ACC this year. Ward described the ACC as a very good conference and relative to the Big East; it’s a tougher, more well-rounded league.

“In the Big East, we used to be a pretty good team on sprints, but now in the ACC, there are quite a number of teams that are very good,” he said.

Deem mentioned Georgia Tech as a potentially tough opponent this weekend, and that the team “can’t just take things for granted, it must have respect for the competition.”

That said, the ‘Canes are going into Tallahassee aware of what needs to be done.

“We’ve done all the physical preparation, now it’s just time to prepare mentally for the challenge ahead, and go after it,” Ward said.

Michael Soto can be contacted at m.soto3@umiami.edu.

Every week baseball Head Coach Jim Morris answers questions from our readers. If you would like to ask Morris a question, send it to e.kalis@umiami.edu.

How does it feel to win a series against a top 10 team after many wondered if Miami could hang with the best in the ACC?

It’s always good to win on the road, especially against a team of North Carolina’s caliber. I don’t know who the “many” were, but they can stop wondering.

Did you ever think you could score 42 runs against a team with the best ERA in the country?

No. We have great hitters who have a great amount of talent and patience at the plate, but you hardly ever envision scoring as many runs as we did against a staff like UNC’s. They have an impressive staff that was hampered by some errors and bad luck. But give our hitters their due. They were spectacular last weekend.

Is the bullpen going to stay as it currently is, with Perez as the closer and Lane and Gil as the set-up men?

This combination seems to be working at the moment and it’s what we’ll go with until I see signs that tell me to do otherwise.

Could Scott Maine play a larger role down the stretch, potentially working his way into the rotation?

Scott Maine is improving with every appearance. He had great location on his pitches last week and pitched the first scoreless inning of our game on Sunday, which was crucial in slowing down UNC’s momentum.

With Brendan Katin injured, the bench seems to be depleted. What would another injury do to this team?

It’s no secret that we’re thin on the hitting and fielding side of the bench. We can’t afford any injuries. Injuries affect our practices as well as our games. Any injury is a detriment to a team. Another injury to us would force someone to step up into a larger role. There’s no other option but to do that.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has certainly created a winding road for the University of Miami baseball team.

After falling to the No. 5 position in last week’s polls, the ‘Canes are once again back at the top, just behind Georgia Tech. The competitive characteristic of the conference makes every game an important part of the season and maintains that any day a win or loss could change the course of a team’s path.

“It just goes to show how close things really are and that if you don’t play well it can cause the team to fall,” said Head Coach Jim Morris. “In the same respect, a win can really turn things around.”

The team’s stellar display led it to two wins against the University of North Carolina and a forced tie due to a curfew imposed by the travel schedule. The Tar Heels posed a threat to the ‘Canes because of their top-notch pitching. The Hurricanes were prepared for UNC as they traveled to Chapel Hill and were able to overcome the looming uncertainties to secure wins in the first two games of the series by scores of 17-7 and 18-9, respectively.

“We feel good about our players’ intensity level during the series,” Morris said. “UNC is an outstanding team and it was definitely a big win for us.”

Freshman hitter Alex Garabedian made his name known at the plate during the series with six runs over the course of the weekend. Garabedian played a crucial role in the wins and was named ACC Player of the Week for his achievements at the plate.

“We were all impressed with his performance and willingness to step in for Brendan Katin,” Morris said.

Katin, who received the same accolades the previous week, underwent minor surgery. He was released to the recovery room on Tuesday and was doing well. Specifics about the injury and what this could mean for Katin’s season have not yet been confirmed.

With the Hurricanes performing well and their sights set on Omaha, the typical in-state rivalry against Florida State now holds more meaning than before. The game is no longer a match-up with merely bragging rights at stake, but is a conference series with each team’s future in the balance. A win would boost the Hurricanes in the standings and potentially secure their invitation to the College World Series. However, a loss would make for a tough recovery.

The rivalry between the ‘Canes and the ‘Noles will now been taken one step further.

“There is a difference in intensity when you play a conference game,” Morris said. “That could be felt from playing UNC. It was not the same as when we played them as part of the regular season in past years.”

The series will begin tonight at 7 p.m. All three games can be heard on WVUM 90.5 FM.

Stacey Arnold can be contacted at s.arnold@umiami.edu.

The search ended Tuesday when the Hurricanes announced that they hired Katie Meier to fill the vacant women’s basketball head coaching position.

Meier comes to the University of Miami from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she took the 49ers to three consecutive postseason appearances. The 49ers have been to the WNIT the past two seasons and made one NCAA Tournament appearance. She led Charlotte to an overall record of 76-45 over four seasons.

Meier becomes just the seventh head coach in UM women’s basketball history, taking over for Ferne Labati, who was released of her coaching duties at the end of the season. While the Hurricanes did struggle to a 13-16 record last season, Labati left Meier with plenty to work with. The Hurricanes will return all but two players next season, including star forward Tamara James.

“I feel that this is the perfect fit for me,” Meier said. “With the strong emphasis on academics, along with the already strong background in athletics, the University of Miami has all the potential to become one of the nation’s elite programs.”

Meier worked as an associate coach at Tulane and UNC Asheville before becoming Charlotte’s head coach four seasons ago. She will be expected to make the Hurricanes an elite team and is ready to face that challenge.

“I just met the players and I tried to share my vision. I’m not scared to dream big, and I let them know that,” Meier said. “My dreams are big, and that has always been the case, but here I see that happening.”

Meier emphasizes leadership, which she said she noticed was prominent in South Florida. She said she understands the pressure of being the head coach-a pressure she embraces.

“I’ll put the pressure on myself. I like pressure; I’m not scared of pressure. We are not going to back down,” Meier said. “I told the players ‘We are going to blow the ceiling off this place,’ and I truly believe that.”

As for the University, Meier’s hiring concludes a brief search. Athletic Director Paul Dee feels that Meier is the right woman for the job.

“We are extremely excited to have found one of the top coaches in the country in Katie Meier,” Dee said. “With what she has been able to accomplish at Charlotte, along with her background and ties within the Atlantic Coast Conference, Katie not only has the potential to make this program one of the best in the ACC but also one of the top programs in the country.”

The goal is a national championship sometime in the near future, and Meier truly believes she can take the Hurricanes to the promised land.

“With the resources that we have, with the institution that we have to sell and the special people we have in place here, I truly believe this can be a national championship job. That is pressure, but I am ready.”

Darren Grossman can be contacted at d.grossman@umiami.edu.