Rotating image8
ACC Championship Recap
Seminoles denied ACC title, but not shorted on outstanding performances
Chelsea Whalen was one of 10 FSU freshmen or sophomore women to contribute points to the Seminoles' third-place finish.

Chelsea Whalen was one of 10 FSU freshmen or sophomore women to contribute points to the Seminoles' third-place finish.

April 24, 2012

Photo Gallery

By Bob Thomas, Seminoles.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The second-longest streak of consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference men's outdoor track & field titles came to a close Saturday at Virginia's Lannigan Field when Bob Braman's under-manned Florida State squad came up 4.5 points short of bringing home their eighth consecutive trophy.

While Virginia Tech hoisted their first ACC men's outdoor trophy, the Seminoles hardly returned home empty-handed.

Despite the absence of injured and certain scorers Michael Putman (broken thumb) and David Forrester (calf strain), the Seminole men did plenty of damage over the three-day, 21-event competition. FSU brought home six event victories, including decathlete Gonzalo Barroilhet's ACC Championship meet record title of 8,065 points. Barroilhet also established a new Lannigan Field track record; one of five established by the `Noles at the meet.

Kemar Hyman (100, 10.07), Horatio Williams (200, 20.64), Breandan O Neill (10,000, 29:30.0) and the 4x100 relay team of Hyman, Maurice Mitchell, Williams and David Ambler (39.08) also left new Lannigan Field standards behind in Charlottesville, Va.

Not to be outdone, the Florida State women, who finished third with 75 points, claimed three individual titles. Michelle Jenije set a new facility record in the triple jump (13.37m) en route to her first ACC crown. Amy Harris won the long jump (6.43m) and Hannah Brooks claimed the 5,000-meter crown (16:35.30).

In a more global view of what the Seminole men and women accomplished, of the 52 athletes who competed - 26 men and 26 women - they combined to produce 34 season- or career-best standards.

Mitchell closes ACC career as most-decorated all-time
Senior sprinter Maurice Mitchell set a new Atlantic Coast Conference standard of excellence when he was presented the Most Valuable Track Performer trophy for the third consecutive year at the conclusion of the championship.

Mitchell is the first man in conference history to claim the award three times, separating himself from either other two-time winners. The Kansas City, Mo. native went out in style, winning the 200-meter dash for the third consecutive year, while finishing second in the 100. He was also a member of the winning 4x100 relay and the third place 4x400 relay. He won the MVP award going away by contributing a meet-leading 22 points to FSU's runner-up total of 149.

In February, at the ACC Indoor Championships, Mitchell became the first man in conference history to win that meet's MVP performance three times. He did it by winning the 200 and finishing second in the 60.

To summarize, Mitchell has been named MVP (indoors and outdoors) six times, to go along with his 2009 ACC Outdoor Freshman of the Year honor. Individually, he has won four outdoor golds, including the last three 200-meter titles. That does not count the six gold medals as a member of winning relay teams, including each of the last four 4x100 crowns. He also has four indoor championship gold medals (two each in the 60 and 200) for a total of 14 ACC gold medals.

Hyman leaves a mark on NCAA, World and Cayman lists
With his victory in the 100-meter dash, senior Kemar Hyman continued his brilliant final season in garnet & gold. His wind-legal winning time of 10.07 ranks No. 2 in the NCAA this season and No. 3 in the world, based on the IAAF list.

What makes Hyman, who had already posted an A-standard Olympic qualifying time in the 100 this year, even more proud is he now holds the Cayman Islands national record at that distance. Hyman previously shared the mark with former Seminole volunteer assistant coach Kareem Steete-Thompson, when he ran 10.14 at the Florida Relays.

Veteran women win, show way for Seminole youth
A graduate student - Hannah Brooks - and seniors Amy Harris and Michelle Jenije were responsible for the lone gold medals scored by the Florida State women at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Consider it a job well done by the Seminole tri-captains, each of whom won outdoor titles for the first time in their final season of competition.

The vets left quite an impression on what remains an extremely young women's team, which should be well-positioned to make a run for an ACC Championship in the not-too-distant future. Consider this, 10 of the 13 Seminole women who contributed to the team's 75 points are underclassmen. Among that group are freshmen Aubree Worden, Linden Hall, Colleen Quigley, Jande Pierce and Sarah Chandler, as well as sophomores Elizabeth Ichite, Marsha Ariol and Chelsea Whalen.

Of the 26 FSU women who made the trip to Charlottesville, 16 were either freshmen or sophomores.

That experience, coupled with an exceptionally strong 2012 signing class, bodes well for the future.

`Noles well-represented among meet honorees
The six event victories by the Florida State led all men's teams at the ACC Championship, followed by champion Virginia Tech and third-place Virginia, with five each. Not surprisingly, the Seminole men had 10 athletes earn All-ACC honors, marking the 12th consecutive year FSU has had double-digit honorees.

FSU's women had seven athletes selected All-ACC based on their performances at the meet.

The top three finishers in each individual event, plus the winning relay teams, are accorded All-ACC honors.

All-ACC Men
David Ambler (4x100)
Gonzalo Barroilhet (decathlon)
Michael Fout (5,000 and 10,000)
Darrin Gibson (800)
Kemar Hyman (100 and 4x100)
Paul Madzivire (long jump)
Maurice Mitchell (100, 200 and 4x100)
Breandan O Neill (10,000)
Horatio Williams (200 and 4x100)
Phillip Young (triple jump)

All-ACC Women
Hannah Brooks (5,000)
Amy Harris (long jump)
Michelle Jenije (triple jump)
Violah Lagat (800)
Astrid Leutert (3,000 steeplechase)
Colleen Quigley (3,000 steeplechase)
Aubree Worden (1,500)
Digital Guide

Shop Now

at the Official
Online Store

    FSU_track Twitter
    Rotating image Multimedia Guide
    Printroom Photos Memorabilia
    FSU on YouTube