Marquis Dendy, Kyra Jefferson, Jhonny Victor Tabbed SEC Athletes of Week
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 | Track and Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Three track and field Gators picked up SEC Athlete of the Week honors, announced by the league Tuesday, Marquis Dendy as the Men's Field Athlete of the Week, Kyra Jefferson as the Co-Women's Runner of the Week and Jhonny Victor as the Men's Freshman of the week.
Dendy, Jefferson and Victor helped the Orange and Blue wrap up the regular-season with a bang at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville last weekend, UF's final tune-up before hitting the road for the 2015 SEC Indoor Championships at Nutter Field House in Lexington next week.
Dendy, the 2014 NCAA outdoor national champion in both the long and triple jump, worked his best indoor triple jump series in the last two years in Fayetteville Saturday, with his final jump (56-6.5/17.23m) being a new PR, tops in the NCAA and World so far this year, along with being the No. 9 performance in collegiate history.
WATCH: Dendy's Tyson Invite Triple Jump Performance
Jefferson went a season-best and NCAA and World-leading 22.81 in her second outing in the 200m this season to win the event at the Tyson Invite, but Jefferson also ran her first quartermile as a Gator (52.28), in turn clocking the fourth-fastest time in the race in University of Florida history.
Victor has impressed his first season on campus, and the Tyson Invite was no exception as the freshman Gator picked up his first weekly honor donning the Orange and Blue. Victor jumped his way to a runner-up finish in the high jump against a decorated field Saturday (2.11m/6-11) with a season-tying performance and has the best high-jump mark among freshmen in the SEC this year, sixth overall.
Florida will be Lexington-bound next week for SEC Indoors, hosted by the University of Kentucky, Feb. 27-28.
Men's Field Athlete of the Week: Marquis Dendy
· Had his best triple jump performance in two years, as his 56-6.5 final jump in the series at the Tyson Invite was the best in the world and NCAA so far this season
· Dendy, who won the event, had the No. 9 performance in collegiate history with his leap, a new PR and the third-best jump in UF history only behind two decorated world and Olympic medalists
Women's Co-Runner of the Week: Kyra Jefferson
· Ran the fastest 200m in the NCAA and world with a new season-best mark (22.81) to win the Tyson Invite. Improved upon her 23.06 from the Razorback Invite
· Jefferson ran her first-ever 400m as a Gator at the Tyson Invite, where she clocked a new PR, the fourth-fastest time in the SEC, seventh-fastest time in the country and the fourth-fastest time in Florida history in the race (52.28)
Men's Freshman of the Week: Jhonny Victor
· Tied a season-best mark in the high jump (2.11m/6-11) to garner a runner-up finish against a decorated field at the Tyson Invite -- was the top-finishing first-year athlete
· Is the top freshman in the SEC in the event, and has the sixth-best mark among all SEC men's high jumpers
2015 TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Jan. 13: Damien Daniels, SEC Men's Freshman of the Week
Jan. 13: Bridgette Owens, SEC Women's Runner of the Week
Jan. 27: KeAndre Bates, SEC Men's Freshman of the Week
Jan. 27: Claudia Francis, SEC Co-Women's Runner of the Week
Feb. 3: KeAndre Bates, SEC Men's Freshman of the Week
Feb. 3: Marquis Dendy, SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Feb. 3: Najee Glass, USTFCCCA Division I Men's National Athlete of the Week
Feb. 3: Najee Glass, SEC Co-Men's Runner of the Week
Feb. 3: Kyra Jefferson, SEC Women's Runner of the Week
Feb. 10: Stipe Zunic, SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Feb. 17: Marquis Dendy, SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Feb. 17: Kyra Jefferson, SEC Co-Women's Runner of the Week
Feb. 17: Jhonny Victor, SEC Men's Freshman of the Week
IN THE POLLS
Men: No. 1
Women: No. 3
FOLLOW THE GATORS
