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Graves blazes way to top MAC time despite bad start

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1:35 AM Thursday, May 12, 2011

The main thing Diona Graves remembers about the 100-meter dash she ran at the Gina Relays on April 30 — other than the fact that she became the fastest woman in Miami University history — is what she did wrong.

“Coming out of the blocks is very important,” said the junior from Fenton, Mo. “It was surprising I set the school record because my start was terrible. I popped up out of the blocks and didn’t really drive like I was supposed to.”

Graves regrouped and crossed the finish line first in a time of 11.68 seconds, breaking the Miami record of 11.73 set by Margarita Pogorelov in 2008.

Which leaves the obvious question. What if Graves had given herself a clean start?

She hopes to find out at the Mid-American Conference Championships, which will be held today through Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.

“It does make me wonder,” Graves said. “Hopefully at the MAC I can put it together and go even faster.”

Graves plans to be busy at the league meet, competing not only in the 100 dash, but also the 200, long jump, 400 relay and 1,600 relay.

She is a newcomer to the long jump.

She tried it for the first time at the Gina Relays and that result was spectacular, too. She won the event with a leap of 19 feet, 2¾ inches.

“That was a surprise for me,” she said. “I was hoping for anything in the (18-foot range).”

Graves said she feels “just a little bit” of pressure by having made herself a favorite this week. Her time in the 100 is the fastest in the MAC this year. “I like to be an underdog and have people underestimate me.”

She doesn’t spend all of her time in a blurry motion. Reading is another passion for Graves, who is an English Literature major. “I’m looking at publishing (after leaving Miami), maybe becoming a book editor.”

Graves was named MAC Female Track Athlete of the Week following her explosive appearance at the Gina Relays and is one of three RedHawk juniors to win the award over the last month after breaking a school record. The others are Rachel Patterson (5K run) and Alexandra Roberts (shot put).

McCarty on a roll

The Miami men’s team also will compete in the MAC Championships, and senior Michael McCarty has won the long jump in two of his last two meets — the Billy Hayes Invitational on May 6 and the Polytan Invitational on April 23, both at Indiana University.

The Miami runner to watch is sophomore Jarrod Eick, who has been named MAC Male Track Athlete of the Week twice. He ranks second in the MAC in the 1,500 run, fourth in the 5K and fifth in the 800.

Early bowl game

A football team from the Mid-American Conference will be featured on the first day of the 2011-12 bowl season.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl, which will pit a MAC squad against a team from the Western Athletic Conference, will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, at Bronco Stadium in Boise.

It will be the second game played on that first day of the bowl season and will be televised by ESPN.

Northern Illinois dominated last season’s game, winning 40-17 over Fresno State.

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Miami insider

Pete Conrad

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