Miami Student

Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Sports

Freshman Magda Wikar lands in the sand while competing in the long jump. The women's team won the Miami Challenge for the third year in a row. The men's team was also victorious, winning the home event for the second time in three years.

Both the Miami men's and women's track and field teams dominated this weekend while competing in their second and final home meet of the season. Each took first place to continue the tradition of wining at the annual Miami Team Challenge.

The George L. Rider Track at Miami provides a real home field advantage for the RedHawks.

For the women, the win marks their eighth victory in 12 years at the Miami Team Challenge. The men's victory is their second in three years after finishing in second last year.

"Every team should guard their home facility with passion and excitement," women's head coach Richard Ceronie said. "And we've been very fortunate to do that over the past couple of years."

In the women's meet, the RedHawks won with a score of 212 points while Bowling Green State University placed a distant second with 92.

The University at Buffalo came in third place with 88.5 points while Ohio was fourth with 80.

Not only did the Miami women have to step up to the challenge of competing with 13 teams at this weekend's 12th Annual Miami Team Challenge, but they faced strong winds and chilly temperatures as well.

The RedHawks seemed to be unfazed by the poor weather conditions as they trounced their opponents, giving the team their third straight victory at the event.

"Mentally people kind of get frustrated with (the weather)," junior hurdler Julia Dempster said. "We just have to realize that everyone is in the same conditions no matter what team you're on so you just kind of have to overcome it. The wind sucked but you just deal with it."

Weather factored in both negatively and positively for the competing athletes depending on the event.

"The wind helps the sprinters because it's at their back," Ceronie said. "But for the longer distance racers it gets really tough because they have to fight that wind. If there was no wind today there would have been some really fast performances."

Continued...

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