Miami did not leave Louisville with an ACC team trophy, but the Hurricanes still put together a weekend worth taking seriously at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Miami finished seventh on both the women’s and men’s side, won three conference titles and posted two school records.
A final-day punch came from the names Miami needed most. George Franks won the men’s 400 meters in a season-best 45.27, pulling away from the competition by nearly eight-tenths of a second. Sanaa Hebron defended her ACC crown in the women’s 400 hurdles at 55.19, the second-fastest time in program history. Serena Tate added a third-place finish in the women’s 400 at 52.69, and Nandy Kihuyu took fourth at 54.15. Miami was not just stealing one headline and leaving. It had real closing-day scoring power.
Franks had already set the tone on the opening day of the event. He broke the school record in the men’s 200 prelims with a 20.55, beating a mark that had stood since 1997. Sean Watkins Jr. also reached the 200 final that day, while Sanaa Hebron led the 400 hurdles prelims and Miami picked up early points in the women’s javelin and hammer throw.
The weekend’s other title came Friday, when Edgar Campre won the decathlon. Campre totaled 7,749 points, won the shot put, 110 hurdles and discus, took second in the pole vault and finished third in both the 100 and long jump. Dominique Hall finished seventh in the same event, which helped Miami to keep stacking points. Kennedy Sauder added a silver in the men’s high jump, and Maddie Scheier set a school record in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase at 10:16.69.
By the time Saturday ended, Miami had more than enough depth behind the three titles to make the trip feel productive. Desmond Coleman earned bronze in the men’s discus with a 58.00-meter mark. Magdaline Campo grabbed bronze in the women’s high jump at 1.77 meters. The men’s 4×100 relay finished fourth in 39.52, the second-fastest time in program history, and the women’s 4×100 relay also placed fourth with a season-best 43.88. Gabriella Grissom took fifth in the women’s 800, Adriana Kruzmane finished fifth in the women’s triple jump, and Watkins scored in both the 400 and 200 finals.
Jocelyn Pringle delivered the second-longest hammer throw in program history at 65.03 meters on Thursday. Alva Back and Deisiane Teixeira both scored in the women’s javelin. Miami kept getting points from different corners of the roster, which is the biggest reason both teams landed in the same seventh-place neighborhood instead of fading after the marquee events.
Three ACC titles, two school records and strong scoring across the sprint, hurdle, field and combined-event groups is a substantial weekend. The Hurricanes now head to Lexington for the NCAA East Prelims from May 27-30 with momentum and multiple athletes who look capable of pushing this season deeper.
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