Stiverne wants some national titles, just like her dad
CORAL GABLES — As a little girl, Aiyanna Stiverne played on Miami’s Greentree Practice Field. She ran on the track at Cobb Stadium long before she ever wore a Hurricanes uniform. And there were countless workouts beside her father in the Miami weight room, all while some of the biggest names in Hurricanes football history lifted weights, ran or stretched nearby.
The daughter of two-time Hurricanes football national champion cornerback Jean Stiverne and fellow Miami alum Sieglinde Stiverne, Aiyanna Stiverne grew up immersed in all things Miami. Hurricanes football games and track meets were always a part of her life and Coral Gables became a second home.
The ties were so strong that at one point during his daughter’s high school career at Davie’s Nova High, Jean Stiverne even approached longtime Hurricanes track coach Amy Deem — a family friend— and made her a promise.
“You know, one day I’m going to deliver you a 400-meter runner,” he told Deem.
It took a little longer than the Stivernes likely wanted, with Aiyanna’s journey to Miami a circuitous one, but these days, the sprinter is happily donning orange and green for the Hurricanes. Later this week, she’ll sport her Miami uniform for one of the last times in her college career as she and her teammates head to Lexington for the NCAA East Regionals meet.
There, she’ll compete in the 400 meters, the 4x100 relay and the 4x400 relay, all with her eyes set on becoming the second athlete in her family to win a national championship for the Hurricanes.
“My focus is a little bit different than it has been in the past three years,” the redshirt senior said. “This is the final stretch. Last summer, I just missed making the Olympic team for Canada and that changed my motivation. My head’s in the game now. … It’s just strictly about executing my race. Let me get this done, don’t overthink it,
trust your training and what’s supposed to happen, will happen.… I’m excited.”
Though Jean Stiverne was a member of Miami’s 1989 and ’91 national championships football teams and was also a sprinter for the Hurricanes, he never pushed his daughter toward track.
In fifth grade, though, Aiyanna Stiverne was drawn to running after watching one of her friends excel in the sport. It didn’t take long for her own potential to emerge, and as Aiyanna got more serious about track, her father got more serious about training her.
Jean Stiverne reached out to friends in the track and field community in his native Canada and with guidance from coach Ron Morency, developed a training program for Aiyanna. That helped her eventually become a standout on Nova’s track team. Still, that coveted scholarship offer from Miami didn’t come — not yet.
So Aiyanna Stiverne headed west, to the University of Texas-El Paso where she ran for former Hurricanes track star Davian
Clarke and won a Conference USA Championship as part of UTEP’s 4x400 relay team. Eventually, though, Stiverne wanted to come home.
This time, Miami gave her the opportunity and when Deem offered her a scholarship, Stiverne wasted little time in signing the paperwork and becoming a Hurricane.
“I think it all worked out theway itwas supposed to,” Deem said. “Sometimes you go away and you come back and you really appreciate the experiences you’ve had. She came home and she’s really blossomed in our program. She’s been part of our success in both relays and just watching her grow up and develop has been pretty fun. Her parents have done a tremendous job. She’s a wonderful young lady on and off the track.”
Entering NCAA regionals, Stiverne has posted a 52.19 in the 400 meters, a time that puts her among
“I believe this was always part of her destiny.” Jean Stiverne, on his daughter, Aiyanna
the top 15 runners in the nation. Her toughest competition in her lone individual race will likely come from two of her Hurricanes teammates, Shakima Wimbley, whose 50.40 ranks No. 1 in the nation and Brittny Ellis, whose 51.66 ranks seventh nationally.
The trio will run together in the 4x400 relay, an event Miami won at the ACC Championships earlier this month with a school and conference record time of 3:29.99. Stiverne and Wimbley were also part of the Hurricanes’ 4x100 ACC gold-medal relay.
Strong performances this weekend will send Stiverne to nationals, her final races as a collegian. After that, she’ll set her sights on the world championships before returning to Miami — this time as a volunteer assistant coach for Deem.
That will be a step, the Stiverne family believes, that will bring Aiyanna’s Hurricanes journey full circle.
“I believe thiswas always part of her destiny,” Jean Stiverne said. “Sometimes your destiny is there, but you have to do the work. Shewas willing to put in the work with no issues whatsoever. … This was something she’s always wanted to do. That was all she talked about, running for UM, running for UM, running for UM. This was meant to be for her.”