Profit, Barbiasz Head to USATF Junior Nationals
6/24/2009 8:00:00 AM | Track & Field
June 24, 2009
EUGENE, Ore. - - Kiani Profit and Dwight Barbiasz will represent the University of Maryland this weekend at the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships to be hosted by the University of Oregon at hallowed Hayward Field.
Profit, a rising junior at Maryland, will compete in the women's 400 hurdles and is fresh from her appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Nationals. Profit, who ran a career-best 58.01 seconds in a preliminary heat at nationals, is ranked second all-time at Maryland in the long-hurdle event. She finished 14th in the semifinals at the nationals.
Barbiasz, a rising sophomore for the Terps, burst onto the collegiate scene in the men's high jump. He was an indoor All-American for Maryland, tying for third at the NCAA Indoor Nationals after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor title. Barbiasz cleared 7 feet, 2.25 inches during the outdoor season while placing second at the Penn Relays. He was third at the ACC Outdoor.
Competition in the women's 400 hurdles begins Saturday with the preliminary heat followed by finals on Sunday. The junior men's high jump will be contested on Friday evening.
The Junior Nationals are being held in conjunction with the USATF National Championships. Athletes in the junior nationals must not turn 20 years old during 2009.
On the line for all those competing is a berth on the U.S. Team at the Pan American Junior Championships, to be held July 31 to Aug. 2 at Port of Spain, Trinidad. The top two finishers in each event earn berths to the Pan Am Juniors.
