Florida Gators
NCAA Championships Day 2
Gators Continue at NCAA Track Championshps
Friday, June 1, 2001 | Track and Field
After a sub-par Day 1 of the NCAA track and field championships, the Florida Gators were looking for redemption on Day 2. After the first day, Florida's women's team had two points and was tied for 13th place on the heels of Yolanda Thompson's seventh-place long jump. The men's team did not compete in any final events on the first day. After day two, the women's team is tied for 24th with yesterday's two points and the men's team is tied for 39th with one point.
On Thursday, the men's team had athletes in two final events (high jump and long jump) and the women's team had one final event (shot put). The Gators advanced a total of two individual athletes and the women's 4x400m relay team in today's preliminary events. The women's team now has both of its relay teams qualified for their championship races.
"I'm just proud of our athletes," UF women's head coach Tom Jones said. "For them to make the finals in both relays with how banged up we are is a big deal."
Maurice Lewis got Florida's men's team on the scoreboard with one point from his eighth-place performance in the long jump. Lewis earns his fifth All-American award after jumping 25-4.5
"I am proud of Maurice Lewis," Florida men's head coach Doug Brown said. "We weren't sure if he would score (in the long jump) or not but he came through and got a big point for the team to get us on the scoreboard."
Matt Vincent, the second-place finisher in the SEC championship high jump, cleared the first height before bowing out at the second height with three straight misses. Before he was eliminated, Vincent cleared 6-10.25 tying him for 15th place The sophomore from Jensen Beach, Fla., competing in his first NCAA Championships competition, was tied for ninth place coming in to the title meet. Freshman Kimberli Barrett, also competing in her first NCAA meet, was 20th overall in the shot put with a mark of 47-1.
In Florida's first event of the day, Stephen Jones got the day started off on the right foot by finishing third in his preliminary heat of the 110m hurdles and automatically qualifying for tomorrow's semifinals. Jones' time was 13.64 with a wind that was over the legal limit. Geno White automatically qualified for the finals of the 400m after winning his semifinal heat. White's time of 45.96 will have him seeded third in Saturday's final. The SEC will be represented in the top three seeds in the 400m final. Auburn's Avard Moncur, the defending champion, will be first, Alleyne Francique from LSU is second and White, last year's runner-up in the 400m will be third.
The women's team's 4x400m relay team of Amber Robinson, Niki Benjamin, Nona Allen and Faith Rein was the final team to make the finals of the 4x400m relay. They had a time of 3:32.89, nudging out Arizona State from the championship race. The men's 4x400m relay team was not as fortunate. Geno White, Moise Joseph, Aaron Armstrong and Rickey Harris had a time of 3:06.12 and finished second to last in their heat, well back in the pack of preliminaries and will not participate in a championship race for the first time this year.
"We'll change up the order for Saturday's final," Jones said of the Gators' mile relay team. "We can run under 3:30 with no problem."
Rein was the first women's athlete to compete on the day. She ran a personal best of 52.70 in her semifinal heat of the 400m and finished third in the race and ninth in the preliminaries. Her time was .05 away from making Saturday's championship final.
"Faith Ran a [personal best] but could not get a break to make the finals," Jones said. "She ran a good race, but this is a very fast field."
Benjamin was Florida's only competitor in the 100m dash. She will not be advancing to the semifnals after she false started in the set position prior to the gun.
"When she came up to the set position, she had a twinge in her knee," Jones said of the false start. "There wasn't much she could do about it other than stand up."
Tomorrow, Florida will be a part of four point-scoring competitions. Thompson, who earned her second-career All-America honor in Wednesday's long jump will enter the triple jump as the number seven seed. The women's 4x100m relay team will be ther thrid seed in the final race and Rickey Harris will run the 400m hurdle final as the second seed. Erin Merten and Kamille Bratton are the Gator representatives in the women's 800m final. Jones will be in the semifinals of the 110m hurdles.
Today's Florida Finishes
Men's Long Jump FINAL
Maurice Lewis- 25-4.5 (8th)
Men's High Jump FINAL
Matt Vincent- 6-10.25 (T-15th)
Women's Shot Put FINAL
Kimberli Barrett- 47-1 (20th)
Men's 110m Hurdles TRIALS
Stephen Jones- 13.64w (automatically advances to semifinals)
Women's 100m TRIALS
Niki Benjamin- False start-disqualified
Men's 400m SEMIFINAL
Geno White- 45.96 (automatically advances to finals)
Women's 400m SEMIFINAL
Faith Rein- 50.70 (did not advance)
Men's 4x400m Relay SEMIFINAL
(Geno White, Moise Joseph, Aaron Armstrong, Rickey Harris)- 3:06.12 (did not advance)
Women's 4x400m Relay SEMIFINAL
(Amber Robinson, Niki Benjamin, Nona Allen, Faith Rein)- 3:32.89 (advances to finals)
Top 10 Men's Team Scores (after Day 2):
1. Oregon-27, 2. Georgia-16, 2. Utah State-16, 2. USC-16, 5. Arkansas-14, 6. Tennessee-13, 6. UTEP-13, 8. Notre Dame-10, 8. Weber State-10, 8. Mississippi, 10 ... T-39. FLORIDA-1
Top 10 Women's Team Scores (after Day 2):
1. UCLA-16, 2. Arizona-10, 2. Idaho-10, 2. Arkansas-10, 5. Rice-8, 5. Colorado State-8, 5. Clemson-8, 5. Wake Forest-8, 9. Arizona State, 6. 9. Texas Tech-6, 9. USC-6 ... T-24. FLORIDA-2
End of Report
