University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships Day 3
Nine Tar Heels Earn All-ACC Honors
February 24, 2018 | Track & Field
CLEMSON, S.C. - The University of North Carolina track and field teams wrapped up the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex. Cierra Dunston, Brianna Duncan, Blake Dodge, Darryl Shaw, Zay Paschall and the men's 4x400 earned All-ACC honors on the final day of the championships.
Shaw, a junior from Fayetteville, N.C., jumped 51-3 (15.62 meters) on his fifth attempt to take fifth in the triple jump and earn indoor All-ACC honors in the triple jump for the second-straight season.
Paschall, a junior from Harrisburg, Pa., jumped 50-7¼ (15.42 meters) on his final attempt to take sixth in the triple jump and earn All-ACC honors in event for the first time in his career.
Dunston, a senior from Powder Springs, Ga., ran a personal-best 53.36 in the women's 400 meters to take fourth and earn All-ACC honors for the first time in her career. The time is the second-fastest indoor quarter mile in school history, second only behind Monique Hennagan's 52.53 from 1996.
Selmon, a senior from Mableton, Ga., ran a personal-best 46.63 and took fourth in the open 400 to earn the 11th All-ACC distinction of his career at Carolina. The time improves his fourth-best mark in school history.
In the women's 60 meters, sophomore Brianna Duncan (Cambridge, Mass.) took sixth in 7.31 to earn the first All-ACC distinction of her career.
In the 800 meters, senior Blake Dodge (Beaufort, N.C.) ran a personal-best 2:07.02 and passed one final competitor in the final 20 meters to secure sixth place and capture the first All-ACC honors of her career.
Then, to close out the meet, the men's 4x400 relay of Amari DeVaughn, Isaiah Palmer, Jadon Johnson and Selmon took second in 3:08.27, only behind a Clemson group that set the championship record in the event. The finish gives the group second team All-ACC honors.
"Overall, we continued to see a lot of significant growth," head coach Harlis Meaders said. "Kids were stepping up and scoring on both the men's side and the women's side. A number of lifetime bests were achieved during the competition, so it really was a great overall effort. Thank you to all of the assistant coaches and support staff that contributed greatly to what we accomplished this weekend."
The women ultimately took fifth in the championship, scoring 61 points.
On the women's side, the team competed diligiently and we showed the strength of our women's program," Meaders said. "I was a little disappointed with the finish, but I couldn't be disappointed with the effort they put forth. It was a really gallant fight, and we are looking forward to taking this entourage outside and continuing to improve."
The men placed 11th with 23 points.
"On the men's side, we had a number of individuals that stepped up, but we are still looking for more from the team as a whole," Meaders said. "But individually, the guys in the 4x400, the triple jump and Kenny Selmon had a terrific championship. We've just got to continue to grow. A lot of the kids are young, and they've had this opportunity to grow indoors. We are looking forward for a better result outdoors, especially when we add our outdoor events where we are stronger."
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Women
• McKinley McNeill took eighth in the 400 meters, running a season-best 53.96, to score for the Tar Heels. The time is fifth in UNC history.
• Alexis Gannon took eighth in the triple jump with a season-best jump of 41-1½ (12.53 meters) to score for Carolina.
• Caroline Alcorta took eighth in the 3,000 meters, running 9:26.18 to score for the Tar Heels.
• The 4x400 of McNeill, Dodge, Jewel Christian and Dunston took fifth, running 3:38.15 to score four points for Carolina.
Men
• Dontavian Smith took eighth in the men's 60 meters, running 6.91, to score for the men.
ACC CHAMPIONS
Nicole Greene - High Jump (6-2)
Anna Keefer - Long Jump (20-2½)
FIRST-TEAM ALL-ACC
Nicole Greene - High Jump (6-2), 1st
Anna Keefer - Long Jump (20-2½), 1st
Alex Cooke - Weight Throw (66-6), 2nd
SECOND-TEAM ALL-ACC
Cierra Dunston - 400 Meters (53.36), 4th
Morgan Ilse - 5,000 Meters (16:41.39), 4th
Caroline Alcorta - 5,000 Meters (16:42.67), 6th
Blake Dodge - 800 Meters (2:07.02), 6th
Brianna Duncan - 60 Meters (7.31), 6th
Men's 4x400 (DeVaughn, Palmer, Johnson, Selmon) - 3:38.27, 2nd
Kenny Selmon - 400 Meters (46.63), 4th
Darryl Shaw - Triple Jump (51-3) 5th
Zay Paschall - Triple Jump (50-7.25) 6th
FINAL WOMEN'S STANDINGS
1. Florida State 91
2. Virginia Tech 81
T3. Louisville 73
T3. Clemson 73
5. North Carolina 61
T6. Duke 48
T6. Miami 48
8. NC State 36
9. Virginia 34.5
10. Notre Dame 31
11. Syracuse 27.5
12. Pitt 26
13. Georgia Tech 14
14. Wake Forest 10
15. Boston College 9
FINAL MEN'S STANDINGS
1. Florida State 111
2. Virginia Tech 107
3. Clemson 76
4. Syracuse 62
5. NC State 52
6. Virginia 49
7. Louisville 44
8. Georgia Tech 37
9. Notre Dame 35
10. Duke 25
11. North Carolina 23
12. Miami 21
13. Wake Forest 11
14. Pitt 9
15. Boston College - DNS
UP NEXT: Nicole Greene will travel to College Station, Texas for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Mar. 9-10) in search of a national title in the high jump. The remainder of the Tar Heels set their sights on the outdoor season with the first outdoor meet just three weeks away - the UCF Black & Gold Challenge (Mar. 16-17) in Orlando, Fla.
Follow the Tar Heels at @unctrack_field on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
