17 Gator qualifiers advanced to the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track
& Field Championships on the final day of competition in Greensboro as the
NCAA East Preliminary Round came to a close. In all, a program-record 27 qualifiers
will make the trek from Gainesville to Eugene as 14 women, 10 men and three
relays will represent the Orange and Blue at history Hayward Field on the
campus of the University of Oregon.
“We had a phenomenal day across the board and I couldn’t be
more proud of all of our athletes,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said.
“We challenged them after the first day to not get down and to keep fighting
and they did that. I’m so proud of our athletes, coaches, trainers, support
staff and everyone associated with the program.”
Along with the new program record, the 15 Gator women
qualified for NCAAs is also a Florida record and the 12 UF men ties for the
second-most qualifiers in program history. The Orange and Blue also qualified
12 men in 2009 and a program-record 16 in 2011.
In the men’s hammer throw, Jeremy Postin (Andover,
Kan.) and Kyle Strawn (Temecula, Calif.) were the first Gators of the
day to advance to Eugene. Postin tossed a mark of 67.81m/222-6 on his final
throw of the third flight to earn the top qualifier spot out of the East. For
Strawn, his second throw of 63.07m/206-11 punched his ticket to TrackTown. This
will be Strawn’s first NCAA Championships, improving his PB from 56.11m/184-1
as a freshman at UCSB to 66.90m/219-6 as a Gator, a difference of over 35 feet.
In the men’s triple jump, senior Omar Craddock (Killeen,
Texas) and sophomore Marquis Dendy (Middletown, Del.) advanced to the
NCAA Championships by finishing 1-2 in the event Saturday. Craddock used his
opening jump to lead from the get-go, leaping 16.04m/52-7.50 to make the
two-time NCAA Champion the only athlete in the field to surpass the 16-meter
mark. Dendy’s first jump of the finals, a leap of 15.78m/51-9.25, proved to be
his best and catapulted him in the overall standings from 13th to second behind
Craddock.
“I’m proud of both Omar and Marquis for qualifying in the
men’s triple jump,” Holloway said. “For Marquis to bounce back after a
disappointment in the men’s long jump, it says a lot about his determination
and work ethic. Today, Omar was Omar and he delivered just like he does every
meet. I’m very pleased with both of their performances.”
Both Gators competing in the women’s javelin advanced to the
NCAA finals site, as Marija Vucenovic (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) and Fawn
Miller (Stoneboro, Pa.) turned in top-five finishes to qualify for the
event in Eugene. Vucenovic utilized her first mark of the competition to seal
her postseason fate, throwing 51.92m/170-4. Miller’s second attempt was her
best of the day as she was one of only five athletes to break the 50-meter mark
at 50.01m/164-1.
2013 SEC Outdoor Champion in the women’s triple jump, Ciarra
Brewer (Union City, Calif.) advanced to her second straight NCAA Outdoor
Championships appearance. The Gator sophomore had an easier day than most,
passing her jumps in the final after landing a mark of 13.10m/42-11.75 to
qualify second overall.
On the track, the Florida men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Antwan
Wright (Riviera Beach, Fla.), Hugh Graham, Jr. (Miami, Fla.), Leonardo
Seymore (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Dedric Dukes (Miami, Fla.) advanced
out of their quarterfinal for Eugene, winning the second heat of the event in
39.32 to give UF its first race qualifier of Saturday.
The women’s 4x4 will also be competing in Eugene, finishing
second in their quarterfinal and fourth overall in 3:32.68 courtesy of Robin
Reynolds (Miami, Fla.), Amani Bryant (Tampa, Fla.), Destinee
Gause (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) and Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.)
Dukes and Graham, Jr. were also members of Florida’s
4x400-meter relay, teaming up with freshmen Najee Glass (Woodbridge,
N.J.) and Arman Hall (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) to run the fastest
qualifying time in the East Preliminary Round in 3:04.99.
“We take a lot of pride in our 4x4s and I couldn’t be more
proud of their performances today,” Holloway spoke. “For Amani to step in after
the disappointment of just not making the national meet in the 400 hurdles, I
thought she performed like a senior and came through for us. As for the men,
this was their first race since Texas Relays and they did what they’ve done all
year: they followed the race plan and focused on the Gators.”
Dukes advanced in the men’s 200 meters as well, racing to a
time of 20.68 to finish second in his heat and sixth overall. He was joined in
the 200-meter group by Gause and Darshay Davis (Mirimar, Fla.), who both
advanced on the women’s side. Gause ran a new personal best with her time of
23.19 to improve her standing as seventh all-time in program history.
Davis was the final qualifier on time in a season’s best of 23.57
to advance to Eugene in the 200. Davis qualified in the 100 meters as well,
marking the second consecutive year she qualified for NCAAs in both the 100 and
200 meters. Davis also qualified in the women’s 200 in her rookie campaign.
“Darshay continues to amaze me,” Holloway noted. “She turns
it on when it matters and I just couldn’t be more pleased that she’ll be
competing in her third NCAA Outdoors.
“I’m very proud of all three of our qualifiers in the 200,”
Holloway continued. “This is Dedric’s first meet since his injury at Florida
Relays and I thought he performed at a very high level. Destinee is really
contributing as just a freshman and we always expect big things from her.”
Junior Eddie Lovett (West Palm Beach, Fla.) emerged
as the top overall qualifier in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a new personal
best of 13.39 (+0.6). The time improves his standing as the second-fastest
hurdler in Florida program history. Lovett already holds the UF 60-meter
hurdles record courtesy of his 2013 NCAA Championship final performance of
7.50.
Senior All-American Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.)
advanced to Eugene in her second event of the weekend, finishing second in her
women’s 100-meter hurdles quarterfinal and fifth overall in 13.24 (+0.7). Ndu
qualified for the finals site in the women’s 400-meter hurdles as well, advancing
as the top qualifier with her time of 57.08.
“Eddie and Ugonna both did a great job today,” Holloway
commented. “Eddie continues to improve as the season progresses. For Ugonna to
advance in both of her events, she’s just really coming through in her senior
year. They’ve both developed a strong bond with Coach (Erin) Tucker and it
shows.”
Competition at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field
Championships begins Wednesday, June 5 and extends through Saturday, June 8. The
schedule of events can be found here
and tickets for the event are already on sale on NCAA.com.
Seven Gators advancing to the 2013 NCAA Championships have
competed at Hayward Field in their time donning the Orange and Blue. Craddock
competed in the men’s triple jump at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Eugene,
finishing sixth, and landed just outside medal contention in fourth at the U.S.
Olympic Trials last summer. Also competing at TrackTown last summer were Eutsey,
Dendy, Dukes, Lovett, McGee and Postin.
The Gator men are the defending NCAA Outdoor Champions and
have placed in the top three at the last four NCAA Outdoor Championships, while
the Florida women recorded a third-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor
Championships.
“We’re ready to get back to Gainesville and get to work,”
Holloway said. “I’m proud of the way we performed and rose to the challenge
after a few disappointments the first day of the meet. We have a strong group
heading to Eugene and I couldn’t be more proud to be a Gator.”
