The Gator track and field teams finished the 2012 Virginia
Tech Elite Meet on a high note on Saturday, earning five victories, four
personal or collegiate bests and an automatic qualifying mark courtesy of
junior jumper Omar Craddock (Killeen,
Texas).
“I’m very pleased with our overall performances today,”
Florida head coach Mike Holloway said.
“We’re continuing to improve every weekend and that’s what we want to see.”
Craddock, the nation’s top returning triple jumper, leapt an
NCAA-leading 16.34m/53-7.50 on Saturday, earning third place on the afternoon
and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
“With Omar, we know there are big things waiting for him and
there’s room for improvement,” Holloway said. “For us, that’s exciting.”
The Gators swept the high jump for the third straight meet,
as senior Dwight Barbiasz
(Milford, N.H.) and freshman Taylor
Burke (Medina, Ohio) turned in collegiate-best performances to take the
high jump titles. Barbiasz tied his all-time career
best with a mark of 2.23m/7-3.75, registering his best indoors performance of
his collegiate career and moving to fifth all-time in Florida school history.
Fellow jumper Frankie
Hammond (Hollywood, Fla.) came in right behind Barbiasz
in second place, clearing an indoor career best 2.18m/7-1.75 and moving to
seventh all-time at UF.
“With Dwight, we knew what we were getting when he came here
from Maryland,” Holloway said. “He’s an All-American and he’s finally starting
to get to where we know he can perform.
“Frankie is starting to get his track legs under him and
he’s really getting a chance to improve each day at practice,” Holloway
continued.
Burke earned her third straight high jump title with a jump
of 1.82m/5-11.50, her collegiate best and a personal best indoors.
“With Taylor, it’s similar to Frankie (being a two-sport
athlete), she’s really starting to get her track legs under her,” Holloway
noted. “She’s talented and we know there’s more in the tank for her.”
Sophomore sprinter Darshay Davis (Miramar,
Fla.) ran an indoor personal best on Saturday, winning the women’s 200 meters
with a time of 23.91.
“Darshay is really starting to
trust her training, trust the techniques we’re teaching her and her hard work
is paying off,” Holloway said.
Junior sprinter Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) earned his second 400-meter
title of the weekend after capturing both the men’s 400 meter
invitational title on Friday night and the men’s 400 meter open title on
Saturday afternoon. On Saturday, McQuay improved from
his Friday performance with a time of 47.60. Fellow junior sprinter Jovon Toppin (Port
of Spain, Trinidad) finished right behind McQuay with
a time of 49.05.
The women’s 4x400 meter relay, comprised of Lanie Whittaker (Miami, Fla.), Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.), Bria Goodson (Orange Park, Fla.) and Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.),
earned the fifth victory of the day for the Orange and Blue with a time of
3:35.18, the Gators’ best 4x400 meter time of the season and a victory by more
than nine seconds.
“For our women’s 4x400 to get that victory without senior
leader Alishea Usery (St.
Louis, Mo.), that was huge for them,” Holloway said. “They ran their best time
of the season and finished over nine seconds faster than the second place team.
That was big.”
Senior thrower Keely Medeiros (Blumenau-SC,
Brazil) continues her recovery from injury, throwing a season-best 15.85m/52-0
in the shot put to finish second on the afternoon.
