University of North Carolina Athletics
Selmon Named ACC Men's Track Co-Performer Of The Week
April 17, 2018 | Track & Field
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The University of North Carolina' Kenny Selmon was announced as the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Track Co-Performer of the week, announced Tuesday by the League.
Selmon, a senior from Mableton, Ga., made his season debut in the 400-meter hurdles Saturday at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla., running 49.00 to win the race and finish with the fastest time in the nation and fifth-fastest time in the world this season in the event. The time is almost a second faster than the next-closest collegiate competitor - David Kendziera of Illinois (49.92).Â
Selmon hadn't competed in the event since running 48.60 to take fourth in the final at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earn first-team All-America honors and break a 22-year-old school record in the event.
Selmon also anchored the 4x400 to a first-place finish at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational, helping the team run 3:08.56, which ranks second in the ACC this season.
During the indoor season, he appeared in the 400 meters and 4x400 on several occasions, earning second-team All-ACC honors in both events at the 2018 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
This marks Selmon's second-time being named ACC Performer of the Week in his career. He also earned co-performer honors on May 2, 2017 after winning the 400-meter hurdles at the Virginia Grand Prix in 49.22, a personal best at the time.
NEXT UP: The Tar Heels make the first of two consecutive trips to Charlottesville, Va., this Friday and Saturday (April 20-21) as they compete in the annual Virginia Challenge on the campus of the University of Virginia. Follow the Tar Heels at @unctrack_field on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates all season long.
This week's top ACC track and field performers at a glance:
ACC Men's Track Performer of the Week
Andre Ewers, Florida State
Ewers' 200-meter dash outdoor debut with the Seminoles produced a victory against a stellar field, as well as the nation's top all-conditions time this season at Friday's Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida. Ewers topped a field of 39 competitors, which included a host of post-collegiate athletes (including Olympians) with a wind-aided time of 20.05, which bumped USC's Josh Norman (20.06) from the top spot nationally. Ewers began his day by handling the second leg on FSU's 4x100 relay, which placed third among college teams with a time of 39.82 that ranks 32nd nationally.
ACC Men's Track Performer of the Week
Kenny Selmon, North Carolina
Selmon made his season debut in the 400-meter hurdles at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational and clocked 49.00, the fastest time in the nation and the fifth-fastest time in the world this season. The time is just off the Mableton, Georgia, senior's personal-best and school record of 48.60 that he ran in the NCAA final last year to finish fourth and earn first-team All-America honors. Selmon also anchored the Tar Heels' 4x400 to a first-place finish at 3:08.56, the second-best time in the ACC this season.
ACC Women's Track Performer of the Week
Kayla Johnson, MiamiJohnson won the women's 800m at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational with a personal-best time of 2:03.04 that ranks second in the NCAA. The freshman's time also broke her own previous school record of 2:03.92 that she set at Florida Relays on March 30. Johnson's time was the second-fastest 800m time in the country this weekend and it leads the ACC and the NCAA East region.
ACC Men's Field Performer of the Week
Damar Robinson, Louisville
In his season debut in the high jump, Robinson cleared 2.21m (7-3) for the win, a mark that currently leads the ACC and is just shy of his career best mark. The Kingston, Jamaica senior's mark currently is tied for ninth in the nation and was also the nation's second-best high jump of the past weekend. His win helped guide the Cardinal men to a team victory in the Louisville Invitational.
ACC Women's Field Performer of the Week
Rachel Baxter, Virginia Tech
Baxter turned in the third-best outdoor mark in program history at the Tennessee Relays, clearing a height of 4.30 meters (14 -1.25) to place first in the event. It marked the first win in the pole vault during the outdoor season for the Orange, California, freshman. Baxter's mark in Knoxville sits seventh nationally and is tied for third in the ACC.
Players Mentioned
