Men’s Basketball
University of Miami basketball players Armondo Surratt and Karron Clarke have decided to leave the team and will not rejoin the Hurricanes next season, Head Coach Frank Haith announced Friday.
Surratt has been granted a release from the University and is eligible to transfer to another institution.
“We are disappointed that Armondo has decided to leave the University of Miami, but we are certainly respectful of his decision,” said Haith. “We will help him in any way possible with the transfer process and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Surratt (5-11, 173) played in all 30 games last season making 29 starts. He averaged 5.6 points and a team-high 4.0 assists per game. In his two seasons with the Hurricanes he played in 58 games, including 44 starts, and averaged 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest.
Clarke (6-6, 197) played in all 30 games last season averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. He was 26-81 (.321) from the field, including 5-36 (.139) from three-point range, and 35-52 (.673) from the line.
In other basketball news, Tim Fuller was named the new Director of Basketball Operations. Fuller had spent the last two seasons at Elon, Haith’s alma mater.
Women’s golf
The University of Miami women’s golf team received an at-large bid to the 2004 NCAA East Regional Women’s Golf Championship and will be the 17th-seed, May 6-8, at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. The regional berth is the first for the Hurricanes since 1998.
Miami, which finished second at the Big East Championships this past weekend, has finished in the top-5 of all 10 tournaments this season including a victory at the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational, March 8-9. The win was Miami’s first since the fall of 1998.
Miami has been led this season by junior Tina Miller. Miller has recorded eight top-10s this season including two victories. She won the Cougar Classic, September 15-16, and the Beacon Woods Invitational, October 10-12 during the fall season. Miller currently leads the team with a 75.8 stroke average.
Seniors Camilla Hilland and Jazmin Cataldo give UM a very deep lineup. Hilland has four top-10s and has finished in the top-20 of four other events this season. Her 77.2 stroke average ranks second on the squad. Cataldo has a 78.0 stroke average this season, but has been one of the Hurricanes’ most consistent players this spring finishing among the top-3 Hurricanes in all five tournaments.