Florida’s men’s 4x400-meter relay team put on quite a show
to end the 103rd Annual Drake Relays, earning one of three titles on Saturday
for the Gators.
The quartet of Dedric
Dukes (Miami, Fla.), Hugh Graham,
Jr. (Miami, Fla.), Leonardo Seymore (Palm
Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Tony McQuay (Riviera
Beach, Fla.) used a team effort to come from behind and overtake Arkansas, as
McQuay ran a blistering 44.03 anchor leg to give the Gators the victory. The 3:02.41
performance is a season best for the Gators, leads the SEC, ranks second in the
NCAA and is eighth all-time in UF history.
“Very proud of the men,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “This was a total
team effort from our men’s 4x4. Tony certainly ran a great anchor leg and
Dedric, Hugh and Leonardo put him in position to get there.”
Junior thrower Jeremy
Postin (Auburndale, Fla.) broke his own Florida record for the second time
in two weeks, winning his first Drake Relays title with a mark of 70.73m/232-1
in the men’s hammer throw. Postin’s throw ranks third in the NCAA this season
and leads the SEC.
“Very proud of Jeremy today,” Holloway commented. “He gets
better every week and had a 10-foot PR today.”
Freshman Ciarra
Brewer (Union City, Calif.) picked the perfect time to win her first
collegiate meet, taking home the Drake Relays women’s triple jump title with a
personal best of 13.12m/43-0.50 (+0.1). Her jump ranks eighth in the SEC and
leads all conference freshmen.
“Today was about getting better for Ciarra,” Holloway said.
“Not that the win isn’t important but it isn’t everything. She went out today,
got a new collegiate best and got better.”
Other stellar finishes for the Gators included the women’s
4x400-meter relay, composed of Ebony
Eutsey (Miami, Fla.), Lanie
Whittaker (Miami, Fla.), Alishea
Usery (St. Louis, Mo.) and Michelle
Stegall (Fayetteville, Ga.), who led the entire race until the final turn,
finishing second in 3:35.11.
“I was very pleased with the women’s 4x4,” Holloway said.
“They were without Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.) and they really stepped up and did
a great job.”
Sophomore Darshay
Davis (Mirimar, Fla.) also had a runner-up finish for the Orange and Blue,
racing to an 11.45 (+1.7) finish in the women’s 100 meters.
Junior Omar Craddock (Killeen,
Texas) missed out on his third relays title (2010 & 2011 Penn Relays triple
jump champion) by just .01 meters on Saturday, finishing second in the men’s
triple jump with a leap of 16.40m/53-9.75 (-1.4).
Sophomore Stephanie
Strasser (Fernandina Beach, Fla.) blew her old personal record out of the
water in the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase, as she moved up to fourth
all-time in Florida school history with a fourth-place finish of 10:25.32, a seven-second
personal best.
“She’s made huge strides over this season,” Holloway said.
“Steph has had huge development under Coach Spangler. She’s a lot more fit as
well.”
