University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships
Tar Heels Wrap Up ACC Championships
February 27, 2016 | Track & Field
BOSTON – The University of North Carolina track and field teams concluded the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday with another day of young talent showing up for the Tar Heels. Five underclassmen scored for North Carolina on the final day of competition.
“Our expectations are always to do the absolute best we can with the students that we have,” head coach Harlis Meaders said. “Our goal is to always win the championship, and if we don't, then to pursue it with all due diligence. I think that our women's group did an excellent job doing that. I think our kids stepped up to the line to compete with that attitude.
“Track and field is a sport of 'on the day.' If you can't be on your best on the given day, you've got to be close to it to be competitive, and all of our kids were either at their best or very close to it, and that's what helped our women's team finish sixth. I'm very proud of that group of ladies. They've come a long way in a short period.
It was the men's 4x400 relay group of Daniel Belk, Kenny Selmon, Amari DeVaughn and Cory Nichols who put together a 3:13.22 showing. Kenny Selmon split 46.87 in the second anchor to go from fourth to second in the heat, and Cory Nicholls split 46.69 to secure second place for the team.
Sarah Howard took home All-ACC honors in the women's shot put with a third-place finish in the event. Howard earned her third All-ACC honor of her career by throwing 52-4 ½ (15.96 meters).
Alexis Gannon was able to take fifth place in the women's triple jump going a distance of 40-11 ½ (12.48 meters). Gannon was just one centimeter behind fourth place and one centimeter ahead of sixth place. Tainasha Vines finished 11th in the event.
Kenny Selmon ran 8.10 in the 60-meter hurdles final to finish fifth overall in the competition.
Josette Norris took sixth overall and fifth in her heat of the women's 3000m. Norris had a lifetime-best performance running 9:23.52. Stella Radford just missed on scoring points by finishing ninth at 9:30.47, a PR for her.
Austin Vegas posted had a season-best performance in the pole vault to finish seventh overall. Vegas cleared 16-5 ½ (5.02 meters) to earn the men's team two points. Drew Pedersen, too, had a season-best performance at 15-7 ¾ (4.77 meters).
Freshman Katlin Sherman earned an indoor personal record in the 200 running 24.03. Her time was good enough to take seventh overall in the competition and rank No. 5 all-time at UNC.
Darryl Shaw qualified for the finals of the men's triple jump and finished ninth overall with his farthest jump going 48-10 ¼ (14.89 meters).
Natisha Dixon, Katlin Sherman, Jewel Christian and Cierra Dunston combined to run a season-best 3:46.45 in the women's 4x400. The underclassmen group finished ninth overall in the competition, thanks to a great anchor leg by Cierra Dunston, who went from fifth to second in the final 400 splitting 53.79.
The women's team finished the competition with 47.50 points and took sixth place. The men finished with 23 points in 14th.
“Katlin Sherman stepped up and made it to the finals in the 200 and came back and ran a courageous leg in the 4x400. They ran the fastest time of the year in the most competitive meet of the year, so I think that group has grown tremendously. Stella Radford and Josette Norris both fought diligently in the 3k. They both competed really hard and I was glad to see those guys up front. Alexis Gannon is only a sophomore and she's having a breakthrough year this year. She jumped 41 feet and scored for us at the meet. Sarah Howard competed courageously. She got off to a slow start but was able to bounce back and finish in third-place position, although our goal was higher. Those points were crucial.
“Austin Vegas got seventh in the pole vault, a very good job by him. Kenny Selmon, in his first year running the 60-meter hurdles, scored in the event and ran well in the men's 4x400, which finished second. Daniel Belk and Amari DeVaughn ran important legs for us, but Cory Nichols bounced back from a disappointing 800 to run a tremendous leg. Mark Derrick ran at his collegiate best in the 3k and Logan Carroll ran a very nice race. Darryl Shaw also made the finals in the triple jump. Those performances were still short of scoring however. We don't feel like the points reflect what we're capable of doing.”
“For our men, it was a humbling moment. It was a humbling moment for our program as a whole. To say we are disappointed would be an understatement. We've got to go back and recommit to being the Carolina team we're capable of being.”
ALL-ACC HONOREES
Nicole Greene, High Jump, 2nd
Tory Kemp, Pentathlon, 3rd
Emily Godwin, High Jump, 3rd
Sarah Howard, Shot Put, 3rd
UP NEXT
The Tar Heels anticipate having a handful individuals competing at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama in a couple weeks. The field will be set by next week.
Players Mentioned
