ATHENS, Ga. — Florida junior jumper Will Claye and junior distance runner Genevieve LaCaze each won Southeastern Conference individual championships Saturday to highlight the third day of the outdoor championships.
Claye claimed the men's long jump title, setting a facility record in the process, while LaCaze captured the women's steeplechase crown for the second time in her career.
Florida's women lead the competition through eight of 21 scored events with a total of 50 points. Georgia is second with 49 points, while Arkansas and LSU are tied for third with 39 points.
Host Georgia leads the men's competition through seven of 21 scored events with 68 total points, while Florida is second with 51 points and Arkansas is third with 46.
The final day of the championships begins at noon Sunday. Florida's men are looking for their second consecutive league outdoor crown, while the women are seeking their second in three years.
“I think we had a great day today,” Florida coach Mike Holloway said. “We started with the long jump and Will had a lifetime best with one of the top jumps in the world.
“On the women's side, we had two long jumpers coming in not seeded very high and they both scored. We qualified very well across the board, especially with our men's hurdlers. We have a chance to do some special things tomorrow.”
The Florida men's squad faced some adversity in the 100-meter dash with two of its athletes false-starting in their respective heats.
Holloway said that despite being disappointed in the event, he still feels strongly about the Gators' chances for a conference team title on both the men's and women's sides. It's nothing Florida hasn't faced before after fighting through injuries to claim a second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship on the men's side this past March.
Claye won the men's long jump using a leap of 8.29m/27-2.50 (+1.9), which goes down as the second-best men's long jump in the world so far this season. Claye, who was second in the long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championship, set the Spec Towns Track facility record en route to the league title.
Junior jumper Christian Taylor placed fourth overall in the event with a season-best leap of 8.00m/26-3 (+0.5), as both Florida jumpers recorded marks of eight meters or better in the event.
LaCaze captured the second SEC women's steeplechase title of her collegiate career after also winning the event as a freshman in 2009.
She turned in a winning time of 10:21.82 and fought off a late charge from Georgia's Taylor Adams to take home the crown.
Freshman thrower Stipe Zunic used the seventh-best throw in Florida school history to place second overall in the men's javelin with a personal-best toss of 73.07m/239-8.
