2016 Season Preview: Distance

Andres Arroyo and Ryan Schnulle are two of the top returning 800 meters runners in the nation.

2016 Season Preview: Distance

Monday, January 18, 2016 | Track and Field

Florida's distance runners are looking to build off its recent successes this coming season

By: Zach Dirlam

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida track and field program's distance runners played a vital role in the Gators' team successes during the 2015 season.

By far the team's largest group, Florida's distance crew returns four All-Americans and four Southeastern Conference champions. With that strong foundation returning, scoring at the conference meets should continue for this bunch. Breaking through on a national level could result in a few extra trophies making their way to Gainesville this year.

Below is a preseason synopsis of the Gators' distance runners.

Middle Distance (800 meters; 1,500 meters; Mile; 3,000 meters)
Three of the nation's top returnees in the 800 meters, junior Andres Arroyo and seniors Claudia Francis and Ryan Schnulle, are ready to chase more accolades and titles this year.

Schnulle, a four-time 800 meters All-American, is coming off a season that saw him finish seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships and take first place at the SEC Indoor Championships. The Punta Gorda, Fla. native will look to return to his 2014 form, which saw him notch top-four finishes at the national indoor (fourth) and outdoor (second) meets.

Arroyo, also a four-time All-American in the event, will be right on Schnulle's heels, as he finished second indoors and third outdoors at last year's SEC Championships. He's also finished no worse than 11th at three of the last four NCAA Championships.

Along with her role as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that won the outdoor national title, Francis took seventh place in the 800 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. A third-place finish at the SEC Indoor Championships was also a highlight of her first season as a Gator.

Redshirt sophomore Becky Greene and junior Taylor Tubbs have been consistent scorers at conference meets each of the past two campaigns.

25833 — Becky Greene could return to All-America status in the mile this year.

In addition nabbing All-America honors in the distance medley relay and mile in 2014, Greene has placed in the top eight of the latter event at the SEC Indoor Championships in consecutive seasons.

Tubbs, the only returning runner who placed sixth or better in both the 3,000 meters and mile at the SEC Indoor Championships, also scored in the 1,500 meters at the league's outdoor championships. The Sebring, Fla. product also qualified for the 2015 NCAA Outdoor East Preliminary in the 1,500 meters.

Three newcomers who could make an impact are freshmen Elisabeth Bergh, Jack Guyton, Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell, and Magnus Pettersen. All four enjoyed successful cross country seasons back in the fall.

Long Distance (5,000 meters; 10,000 meters)
Two of the last three SEC Outdoor 10,000 meters champions, redshirt seniors Jimmy Clark and Eddie Garcia, are back for one last go-round. Clark is also the only returning SEC runner who posted top-seven finishes at the 2015 indoor conference championships in both the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters.

25825 — Eddie Garcia will look to defend his SEC 10,000 meters title this season.

Three other Gators who've qualified for the 5,000 meters final at past SEC Championships—Charles Chambers, Carlos Miranda, and Devin McDermott—are back as well.

In the 10,000 meters, Elliot Clemente and Mac Reynolds have both notched top-12 finishes at the SEC Outdoor Championships in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Strong performances this year could mean as many as four Gators scoring in the event at the league meet.

Freshmen Seamus Love and Maddox Patterson are candidates to make contributions right away after making solid progress on the cross country team this past fall.

Steeplechase
McQuilkin-Bell and Mark Mutz will be UF's primary steeplechasers this season.

Following a 13th-place showing in the event at the 2014 SEC Outdoor Championships, Mutz clocked a personal-best time of 9:24.33 at last year's Pepsi Florida Relays. If Mutz can continue to progress this winter, scoring at the conference meet is not out of the question.

Meanwhile, McQuilkin-Bell's personal record of 10:41.31 would rank No. 6 on UF's all-time top 10. That time would've been good enough for a 10th-place finish at the 2015 SEC Outdoor Championships as well.

Notable Numbers

Florida's men are one of three SEC programs since 1975 to win a national title in both the outdoor 800 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase
Florida's women are one of two Division I programs (Wisconsin being the other) in NCAA history with multiple national titles in both the indoor 800 meters and mile
UF's four women's indoor national titles in distance events are the third-most accumulated by an SEC program and tied for the 10th-most among all Division I programs in NCAA history
UF's women have combined for five national titles in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters, which is tied for the fourth-highest total among Division I programs in NCAA history
The Gators boast nine women's indoor and outdoor middle distance national titles, the second-highest total among SEC schools and fifth-most won by any Division I program in NCAA history
UF owns 12 SEC titles in the men's indoor mile and seven league championships in the women's indoor 800 meters, both of which are tied for the most by any program in SEC history
Florida's 42 men's SEC titles in indoor and outdoor distance events rank second all-time among conference programs
The Gators' 50 women's SEC titles in indoor and outdoor distance events are the third-most in league history

Returners: Andres Arroyo (Middle Distance), Jack Beitter (Middle Distance), Lauren Brasure (Long Distance), Charles Chambers (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Jimmy Clark (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Elliot Clemente (Long Distance), Austin Decker (Long Distance), Claudia Francis (Middle Distance), Eddie Garcia (Long Distance), Becky Greene (Middle Distance), Jonathan Hulzebos (Long Distance), Macy Huskey (Middle Distance), Amber Johnson (Middle Distance), Mac Macoy (Long Distance), Devin McDermott (Long Distance), Carlos Miranda (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Mark Mutz (Middle Distance; Long Distance; Steeplechase), Lauren Perry (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Mac Reynolds (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Ryan Schnulle (Middle Distance), Taylor Tubbs (Middle Distance)

Newcomers: Sam Ahrenholz (Middle-Distance), Autumn Bartlett (Long Distance), Elisabeth Bergh (Middle Distance), Emily Chapman (Long Distance), Nick Diaz (Middle-Distance; Long Distance), Jack Guyton (Middle-Distance; Long Distance), Trey LaNasa (Middle-Distance), Seamus Love (Middle-Distance; Long Distance), Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell (Middle Distance; Steeplechase), Madison Morse (Middle Distance), Maddox Patterson (Long Distance), Magnus Pettersen (Middle-Distance), Jack Rogers (Middle-Distance), Meg Schloss (Middle Distance; Long Distance), Bryce Statham (Middle Distance), Kylee Strausser (Middle Distance), Delaney Tiernan (Middle Distance), Connor Vaughan (Long Distance), Julie Wollrath (Long Distance)