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The Daily Tar Heel

Track and field dominates season opener behind career performances

We won!
We won!

With four first-place finishes and numerous personal records, the North Carolina track and field team kicked off the 2016 indoor season by shattering expectations at the Joe Hilton Invitational.

UNC showcased a smaller group of athletes for the meet, electing to send one male athlete and no distance runners. But the squad of primarily underclassmen shined under the spotlight.

Redshirt first-year thrower Alex Cooke set the tone Saturday morning, as she won the women’s weight throw, thrusting the ball 16.06 meters in her collegiate debut. Redshirt first-year thrower Nicole Kiszenia and junior thrower Samantha Miller finished in second and third, respectively, while Cooke claimed first place in the women's shot put later in the meet.

Following Cooke’s lead, first-year jumper Nicole Greene racked up another first-place finish for the Tar Heels, falling about three inches short of a personal best in her first collegiate leap.

But North Carolina's depth was also on display. In the women’s 200-meter dash, first-year sprinter Katlin Sherman took second, while sophomore sprinter Cierra Dunston and sophomore hurdler Natisha Dixon claimed the next two spots.

Quotable

"We always have great expectations for all of our kids, and I think that these early season performances met those expectations. If things continue to trend upward and kids continue to stay healthy, we'd like to see continued improvement throughout the year." — Coach Harlis Meaders on how the meet results compared with his expectations.

Notable

North Carolina placed a top-three finisher in eight different events.

Three numbers that matter

1.80: Greene’s high jump of 1.80 meters was good for third-best in the NCAA this season.

2.69: Cooke’s winning toss in the women’s weight throw stretched 2.69 meters further than her closest competitor.

.51: In the women's 200-meter dash, UNC's trio of Sherman, Dunston and Dixon finished within .51 seconds of each other.

What’s next?

The Tar Heels will host the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup on Friday.

@BlakeR_95

sports@dailytarheel.com

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