Greene & Duncan Named ACC Performers Of The Week
January 16, 2018 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina's Nicole Greene and Brianna Duncan have been named Atlantic Coast Conference Performers of the Week, announced Tuesday by the league.
Greene, a junior out of Ponte Vedra, Fla., has been named the women's field performer of the week for her personal-best and winning high jump of 6-2 (1.88 meters) at the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup on January 13. The jump is the best in the NCAA so far this year by 1.5 inches and it equals the best jump from the entire ACC during the 2017 indoor season. It is also the first time that Greene has set a personal best in the event since she jumped 6-1 ½ in her final meet as a senior in high school. The jump moves her into a tie for second-place in UNC history behind Olympian and former American record holder Tisha Waller, and it moved her ahead of assistant coach Nicole Hudson.
"Nicole had a really good year last year," head coach Harlis Meaders said following the Carolina Cup. "She didn't do quite as well as she wanted to at the [ACC] outdoor championship, but that's sort of something she's had to sort of bottle up and train and hold until it's time to compete again. We expect great things from her. She's shown the ability to do it at the national level, and to have a great jump this early in the season, hopefully, is a sign of even bigger things to come."
This is the fifth time in her three years that Greene has been named ACC Field Performer of the Week - she received the honor once as a freshman (Jan. 12) and three times as a sophomore (Jan. 24, Feb.7, Feb.14).Â
Duncan, a sophomore from Cambridge, Mass., has been named a women's track co-performer of the week for her 60 meters performance at the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup. She won the prelims in 7.38, which was not only the fastest time of the round, but it also broke a 20-year-old school record of 7.41, set by Crystal Cox in 1998. Duncan then broke the record again in the final, winning the event in 7.29. The time is tied for third-fastest in the country so far this season, and it is the fastest time in the ACC. Duncan's previous best in the event was 7.51.
"We've always known that Brianna is an exceptional athlete," Meaders said. "She's shown signs of greatness, but it was just sort of putting it together. Having the potential is not enough. You actually have to go out there and do it, and I think this year her confidence level has sort of risen to a new level, and we're able to see that in practice over the last couple of months. To do it this early in the season is just fantastic."
This is the first time in her career that Duncan has received the honor.
Jeanine Williams of Georgia Tech was also named a women's track co-performer of the week. John Lewis of Clemson was named the men's track performer of the week, and Hasani Knight of Miami was named the men's field performer of the week.
A full release from the ACC can be found here.
UP NEXT: The Tar Heels multis athletes will compete in the Clemson Invitational January 19-20 beginning at 10 a.m. Friday. The majority of the team, including Greene and Duncan, will compete in the Notre Dame Invite beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. Follow the Tar Heels at @unctrack_field on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the events.
Players Mentioned
