Individual success found by several track stars

Track and field is not the most heralded sport in America. However, this season, it became one of the most successful sports at the University of Miami.
This Hurricanes’ success was largely due to individual standouts in particular events. On the men’s side, Terrell Walden won the men’s 100 meter dash with a time of 10.67 seconds. Walden had also won the 60 meter indoor championship earlier this season, and in doing so, became just the seventh sprinter in Big East history to win both the indoor and outdoor sprint championships in the same season.
This success was matched by the ‘Canes 4 x 100 meter relay team, which Walden was a part of. Walden ran the second leg of this sprint, which the ‘Canes won with a time of 40.55 seconds, qualifying them for the NCAA Regionals. Roscoe Parrish, who also serves as a wide receiver on the UM football team, finished second in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.85 seconds and was a part of the victorious relay team as well. He also scored in the 200-meter dash with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 21.13 seconds, placing him second in the event. Junior Shaun Taylor finished fifth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.01.
As a team the ‘Canes finished ninth in the Big East championships, but the significant individual standouts made the season well worth watching.
On the ladies side, there were even greater individual performances. The ‘Canes won their fifth Big East championship in the last six seasons, thanks to great performances by several team members, including All-American Charlette Greggs. Greggs won the 200 meter, 400 meter, and ran the 2nd leg of the winning 4×100 meter relay team for UM. The Hurricanes, who trailed Notre Dame by four points heading into the final day of competition, won seven events on Sunday in route to 166 points, the most in a Big East Championship since Notre Dame in 1984.
This success allowed the #19 ranked ‘Canes to advance to the Regional Championship. In this meet, Miami finished fourth overall, thanks in large part to another great performance by Greggs, who repeated her earlier feet by capturing the 400-meter title. Also, Kitoya Carter, a junior All-American, won the triple jump, and sophomore Lauryn Williams qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 meter dash with a school record time of 11.20 seconds.
In the NCAA Championships, the ‘Canes found more success. Williams took third at the NCAA Championship in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.31, marking the best finish ever by a Hurricane in this event. Greggs finished eighth in the 400 meter event/
Greggs, Williams, and Jamillah Wade advanced to the USA Track and Field Championships in California in late June. In this competition, both Greggs and Wade were eliminated in the qualifiers of their races, the 400 meter and the 400 hurdles respectively. However, Williams would advance and finish seventh overall.
Both track and field teams had individual success and the women’s squad saw team success as well. The track and field teams show no sign of slowing down, so expect big things in 2003-04.