The University of Florida women’s track and field team,
currently ranked No. 7 in the country, took home the team title at the
Razorback Invitational this weekend, edging out LSU by one point, 101-100.
The team victory was clinched by Florida’s women’s
4x400-meter relay. The foursome of Lanie Whittaker (Miami, Fla.), Destinee
Gause (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Kyra Jefferson (Detroit, Mich.) and Ebony
Eutsey (Miami, Fla.) turned in a time of 3:31.68, the fastest in the world
this year and the second-fastest time in Florida program history.
“We talk about that a lot, how the 4x4 is the last thing
people see at the meet and it’s what they remember you by,” Florida head coach Mike
Holloway said. “We always try to put our best foot forward with the relays
and our women did a tremendous job. I think you also have to credit Texas for
pushing us. They did a phenomenal job.”
Eutsey also ran a personal best in the women’s 400 meters,
finishing second overall in 52.89. Her time is the second-fastest in the NCAA
this year and comes in at eighth all-time in UF history. Saturday marked the
first time in her career to race a sub-53 second quartermile indoors.
“I called her the PR machine this weekend,” Holloway said.
“She PR’d in the 200 yesterday, she ran a PR today in the 400 and then put up
the No. 2 time in school history with the 4x4. We’ve been working hard with her
on her sprinting and it’s certainly paying off.”
The Florida women beat a field that included No. 5 Arkansas,
No. 6 LSU, No. 12 Arizona, No. 13 Texas, No. 16 Georgia, No. 17 Baylor and No.
23 Nebraska.
Leading the way for the Gator women in the field events was
sophomore Ciarra Brewer (Union City, Calif.), who tied her career best
in the women’s triple jump to take the Razorback Invitational title with her
leap of 13.06m/42-10.25. The mark, which she also leapt at the 2012 NCAA Indoor
Championships, is fourth all-time in Florida program history.
“Ciarra is getting used to working with a new coach (jumps
coach Nic Petersen) and they’re getting into a groove now,” Holloway
mentioned. “I’m proud of her effort but she knows she has work to do and
there’s more to come. I can’t wait to see where she is in four weeks when we
come back here for SEC Indoors.”
Junior Agata Strausa (Riga, Latvia) won the women’s invitational
3,000 meters with a time of 9:18.51, good for fifth in the NCAA and second
among SEC runners.
The Florida men came in second in the team standings,
scoring 79.50 points over the course of the two-day meet. The Gator men’s
4x400-meter relay joined in on the fun with women’s relay, as they also won
their race in a world-leading time. Hugh Graham, Jr. (Miami, Fla.), Dedric
Dukes (Miami, Fla.), Leonardo Seymore (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and
Arman Hall (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) clocked in at 3:05.93, the
seventh-fastest in program history.
“I think our guys (4x4) did a great job today,” Holloway
noted. “Leo stepped in for Najee Glass, just like he stepped in for us
last year outdoors, and he was fantastic. He’s a real team player and you can
always count on him to step in and step up when you need him.”
Three Gators all scored in the men’s weight throw, as senior
David Triassi (Jacksonville, Fla.) turned in a runner-up finish in the
event with his throw of 20.24m/66-5. Sophomore Kyle Strawn (Temecula,
Calif.) threw a personal-best 18.44m/60-6 on Saturday, tying teammate David
Levin (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) for fifth all-time in program history.
Levin scored for the Gators with his eighth-place throw of 16.55m/54-3.75.
“Our throwers did a great job today and they’ve been
progressing well,” Holloway said. “Coach (Steve) Lemke has been doing a
phenomenal job with them all season and they continue to do well weekend after
weekend.”
Bowerman Watch List honoree Omar Craddock (Killeen,
Texas) competed in his first triple jump of the 2013 season, finishing second
with his mark of 16.26m/53-4.25. His leap is second in the NCAA this year and
is the second-best season-opening jump of his collegiate career.
Junior hurdler Eddie Lovett (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
also turned in a runner-up finish on Saturday, racing to the fastest time in
the semifinals with a time of 7.68 and finishing second in the finals in 7.70.
Five Gator men competed in the men’s open 3,000 and all five
ran personal bests. Holloway attributed that to 2012 SEC Women’s Cross Country
Coach of the Year, distance coach Paul Spangler.
“I think for every one of those guys to PR today not only
says a lot about their effort in practice but also what Coach Spangler has done
for our distance program,” Holloway noted.
Next up for the Orange and Blue is a split weekend of
competition, as the Gators will travel to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational
in Lincoln, Neb., as well as the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New
York City.
“I think we’re ready to get back to Gainesville and get back
to work,” Holloway said. “We need to be humble and stay hungry for what’s
ahead, but I couldn’t be more proud of the effort we put forth this weekend.”
