Florida Gators
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Florida Men's 4x100m Relay, Hurdler Win National Titles
Saturday, June 12, 2004 | Track and Field
The University of Florida men's 4x100m relay team claimed its first national title since 2000 Friday night at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Austin, Texas. Josh Walker added another national title in the 110m hurdles, shattering his own school record in the process.
The Gator men are currently in second place with 23 points, just two points behind Arkansas. The Florida women have not scored in a final event thus far.
"It was an unbelievable day as a coach," said UF men's head coach Mike Holloway. "Our goal was to be national champions in the 4x100 and for Josh to be a national champion and for them to realize that goal and that dream - to watch that was unbelievable as a coach. Tomorrow we're going to do what we do every day. We're going to get up in the morning, do our pre-meet warm-up, come out to the track tomorrow and do what the Gators do. We're going to fight and fight hard."
The quartet of Ahmad Jasmine, Mike Morrison, Kyle Farmer and Sekou Clarke combined to run 39.11 and hold off a late run by both Arizona State and in-state rival Florida State.
"I'm extremely excited for that group of guys," said Holloway. "We talked about clean passes and working hard. I told them we had to believe that we could do it. They trusted me, they trusted each other and we're national champions because of it."
The last time Florida won the 4x100m relay, Daymon Carroll, Bernard Williams, Aaron Armstrong and Geno White combined to run 38.35 - the fastest time in school history.
"We had a meeting this morning, and Coach Holloway told us we could win this relay," said junior Kyle Farmer. "We got together and said 'We can win this. If we move the stick through the zone, nobody can run with us.' We've got the most talent in the country, I think. We didn't run the best time ever, but we moved the stick, we crossed the finish line first and that's all that matters."
Walker, who entered the finals with the top qualifying time, won the 110m hurdles in a blazing time of 13.32 under a legal wind. This is the first time since 2000 that the Gators have tallied at least two national titles in the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
"It just started in the 4x100m relay. I was in the warm-up area wondering what was going on, and (athletic trainer) Kyle (O'Day) came back and told me the guys won," said Walker. "That just got the ball rolling. I'm big on not letting my team down. I'll fight, scratch, do anything I can for the guys. They pulled it through for me in the 4x100, so I had to do what I had to do."
Added Holloway, "I'm extremely proud of Josh Walker. He set that goal early in the year to run that time and to be national champion, and for him to realize that was unbelievable."
The Gators also advanced all three entrants in the 400m hurdles preliminary. Kerron Clement won his heat in 49.91 to automatically qualify and place fourth overall. Rickey Harris was fifth in a time of 49.61, and Dwight Ruff was the ninth and final qualifier with a time of 50.69.
Reggie Witherspoon competed in the preliminaries of the 400m dash, but did not finish the race.
In the only men's field event final for Florida Friday, Ryan McIntyre finished 10th in the men's discus with a throw of 56.30m/184-08, missing advancing to the finals by three inches. The senior will still earn All-America honors as one of the top eight American competitors in the event.
In the women's 400m dash qualifying, both Novlene Williams and Tiandra Ponteen will advance to tomorrow's final, as they notched the two fastest times after the automatic qualifiers. Williams clocked a time of 51.81 to finish fifth overall, while Ponteen's time of 51.99 was good for sixth place in the preliminaries.
Andrea Bliss finished 13th in the preliminaries of the women's 400m hurdles, clocking a time of 58.13, and will not advance to the finals.
Krystle Moss finished ninth in the women's high jump with a mark of 1.81m/5-11.25, which is a personal best and the second-best jump in school history.. Just like McIntyre in the men's discus, though, Moss earned All-America honors as one of the top eight American competitors. LaQuanda Cotten finished 15th in the discus with a mark of 51.58m/169-3.
"I was proud of Krystle. It was a tough field - I knew the bar was going to go high," said Florida women's coach Tom Jones. "I was really proud of our quarter-milers. They're in the game to score some points tomorrow. Tiandra and Novlene handled the field very well today, and they'll be in the mix. We have to make something happen tomorrow in the shot, hammer and the 400m dash. If we do that, we'll be all right."
The NCAA Championships conclude Saturday.
NOTES
UF National Champions
Men's 4x400m relay - Ahmad Jasmine, Mike Morrison, Kyle Farmer, Sekou Clarke - 39.11
Josh Walker - 110m hurdles, 13.32
UF All-Americans
Men (6): Sekou Clarke - 4x100m relay, 39.11; Kyle Farmer - 4x100m relay, 39.11; Ahmad Jasmine - 4x100m relay, 39.11; Ryan McIntyre - discus, 56.30m/184-8; Mike Morrison - 4x100m relay, 39.11; Josh Walker -110m hurdles, 13.32
Women (1): Krystle Moss - high jump
UF Advancing Athletes
Men (3): Kerron Clement - 400m hurdles; Rickey Harris - 400m hurdles; Dwight Ruff - 400m hurdles
Women (2): Tiandra Ponteen - 400m dash; Novlene Williams - 400m dash
