ACC Indoor Track and Field Women's Preview

It is amazing how this conference keeps growing over the years. For such a long time the SEC was the premier conference for everything involving sprints, hurdles, jumps and relays. Today the NCAA has become more diverse and each conference has something that they are instantly recognizable for. Outside of having a phenomenal core of distance programs, the ACC is becoming very powerful in the sprints and hurdles. The ACC arguably has the most depth when it comes to hurdling programs. Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Miami (FL) have shown to be the best hurdle programs in the conference and are among the best in the NCAA. The conference as a whole should be ready for a great year. Let's preview the women's side in preparation for the season.


Sprints and Hurdles

When the topic of sprints in the ACC comes up three programs come to mind all the time, Miami, Florida State and Clemson. Those three programs come up in the discussion regardless of sex. Marecia Pemberton of Florida State flew on to the scene last season by winning the outdoor title in the women's 100 meters with a wind-aided 11.12. During the season Pemberton clocked a personal best at the Florida Relays with a time of 11.20. Clemson had another star freshman in Stormy Kendrick who was the top representative for the United States at the World Junior Championships in the 200 meters in which she would win the World Junior Title. Kendrick finished 2nd in both short sprints last seasons and definitely favored in the 200 and could beat Pemberton in the 60 meter dash.

The 400 maybe the conference's achilles heel, no real threat nationally in this event however there is some solid performers. Ti'erra Brown of Miami is the top returning 400 meter hurdler but she does not openly compete in the 400 meters, Brown however will likely compete in the 400 during the indoor season in preparation for the outdoor season. Along with Brown other 400 hurdles who will compete in the open 400 include teammates and twins Tameka and Takecia Jameson and Brittany Pringley of Clemson maybe the best overall 400 runner.

In the hurdles the University of Miami may have the deepest team in the country. Competing for the Lady Hurricanes in the 60 hurdles will be Brown, the Jameson sisters and Brittney Clarke. Challenging Brown and her teammates could be Latoya James of North Carolina and freshman star Bridgette Owens from Clemson and her teammates Brianna Rollins and Michaylin Golladay.


Jumps

Clemson's April Sinkler pulled a double last outdoor season winning both the High Jump and Long jump at the conference meet. Sinkler's teammate Patricia Mamona is the best challenge to that effort. Mamona won the NCAA Outdoor title in the Triple Jump and was an All-American in the long jump. Kimberly Williams of Florida State looks to interrupt the Clemson jumps dominance by defending her conference title and also provide a challenge in the long jump. Terri Ann Grant of Georgia Tech and Patience Coleman of North Carolina could pose as a potential threat to Sinkler and her goal to repeat as a conference champion in the women's High Jump.

The pole vault is the hands of senior Amy Fryt of Duke. Last outdoor season Fryt was the only athlete in the women's pole vault to reach 4.00 meters. Fryt looks to finally win the indoor title but must be mindful of Amy Morrison and Caroline Kennedy of Clemson who look to claim the title for Clemson and what could be a jumps sweep.

Distance

For so long the ACC was mainly a distance conference with perennial powers, North Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Wake Forest and Virginia producing All-American talent. Although the conference has become amazingly well rounded the conference is still producing All-Americans and NCAA Champions in this area.

On the women's middle distance races North Carolina looks to represent themselves well. In the 800 Dominique Jackson and Tasha Stanley look to contribute a potential 1-2 performance while in the 1,500 Ashley Verplank will have to take over for Brie Felnagle who graduated. Caroline King of Boston College is another potential champion in the women's 800. Katie Van Buskirk of Duke will challenge Verplank for the conference title in the women's 1,500.

Long distance in this conference simply belongs to Wake Forest senior Anna Nosenko who won the Outdoor titles in the 5,000 and 10,000. Clemson's Kimberly Ruck will be the main challenger to Nosenko's long distance dominance after having finished 3rd and 2nd respectively last outdoor season.

Throws

With only two throwing events in the indoor season the impact that the throwing events have on the team title grow more important. Lawanda Henry a junior from NC State is a headliner in both the shot put and weight throw. Henry is the defending champion in the women's weight throw and was the runner-up last indoor season. Henry was able to avenge her indoor loss with an outdoor crown. Henry's chances of performing the double are very high. Maureen Laffan of Virginia the defending champion in the women's shot put will look to repeat to put an end to Henry and her hopes of the double.

Heptathlon

Kiani Profit is the easy pick for champion in the women's indoor pentathlon. Profit is the only returning athlete having scored over 4,000 points, the next best returning athlete did not even reach 3,800 points. Profit's ability to sprint, hurdle and jump well should help easily claim the conference crown and compete for an NCAA title.


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