Despite weather delays, the Hurricanes track and field team competed in two of the biggest outdoor meets in the nation from Thursday to Saturday: the 89th Annual Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and the 2016 Pepsi Florida Relays. The Texas Relays were held at the University of Texas in Austin, while the Florida Relays took place at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
In Austin, freshman Anne Den Otter placed sixth in the women’s 1,500-meter Section B final on Thursday with a new personal-best time of 4:38.45. Friday saw strong showings from Gian Piero Ragonesi and senior John-Patrick Friday.
Ragonesi’s throw of 52.05 meters earned him the bronze in men’s discus. The junior closed out his weekend by placing sixth in the shot put, notching an 18.11-meter throw. Friday had top-10 finishes in the men’s long jump and men’s triple jump, placing sixth in the long jump at 7.22 meters and seventh in the triple jump at 15.01 meters.
The final day of the Texas Relays on Saturday was quite eventful for the Canes. Senior ACC Indoor Champion Dakota Dailey-Harris finished fifth in the women’s high jump at 1.74 meters. Senior Alysha Newman won the silver medal in women’s pole vault, clearing 4.30 meters.
The women’s 4×100-meter relay of Shakima Wimbley, Carolyn Brown, Aiyanna Stiverne and Ebony Morrison ran a season-best 44.33 seconds to finish fifth in the final. Morrison later won the bronze in the women’s 100-meter hurdles final with a season-best 13.34 seconds.
“I saw a lot of positives even though they may not show in the results,” Miami Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Amy Deem said to HurricaneSports.com.
In Gainesville, the Canes achieved quite a few season and personal bests. On Thursday, redshirt sophomore Gabrielle Hesslau ran a new personal best and the fifth-fastest women’s 5,000-meter time in school history, clocking in at 17:27.64. The open men’s 400-meter trio of Breon Mullings, Joseph Ryan and Anthony Wolliston ran season-best times of 48.47, 49.06 and 50.82 seconds, respectively. In the college edition of the same event on Friday, Henri Delauze ran a season-best 47.38.
Friday also saw Florida Relays action from sophomore distance runner Luke Dublirer and the men’s 4×400-meter relay. In the men’s 800-meter, Dublirer ran a personal-best 1:56.35, while Mullings, Delauze, Ryan and Wolliston ran a season-best 4×400-meter relay time of 3:11.48.