Florida Gators
SEC Indoor Championships
Three Gators Crowned Champions at SEC Indoor Championships
Sunday, February 27, 2005 | Women's Track and Field
Krystle Moss (Alexandria, Va.), Tiandra Ponteen (St. Kitts), and Candice Scott (Port of Spain, Trinidad) claimed Southeastern Conference Indoor Individual Championships Sunday at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships as the Gators finished in fourth place with 74.5 points behind champion Tennessee with 135.5 points, Arkansas with 120, and LSU with 75.50. It marks the 10th straight season that Florida has placed in the top four positions in one of the nation's premier conference meets.
"I was proud that we had four individual champions," Florida Head Coach Tom Jones said. "This conference is just getting tougher and tougher. It was a good effort today. I'm really happy for Krystle to get a title in her last shot and Tiandra and Candice had outstanding efforts as they always do."
Senior All-American Moss negotiated the height of 1.81m/5-11.25 in the high jump to win her first SEC title in the swan song of her indoor Florida career. The mark is a season best and is an NCAA provisional height.
"I'm glad I finally got a title in my last chance," Moss said. "It's been a long time coming. I feel good right now because I am into a good rhythm."
Sophomore All-American Ponteen blazed to an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 51.47 in the 400m giving her the first SEC title of her career. Her time is also the fastest collegiate time in the country this year.
"I just wanted to be ahead at the break," Ponteen said. "If I was ahead I thought I could hold on from there. I'm happy because I didn't have the type of meet I wanted to have last year at conference."
Senior All-American Scott ends her indoor conference career by claiming her sixth SEC indoor title winning the weight throw crown with a toss of 24.21m/79-05.25. Scott's mark would be a new collegiate record however her implement was not re-certified after her throw. Scott also claimed the high point award for the meet accounting for 20 of Florida's 74.50 point team total.
Scott took home the shot put and weight throw crown for the second time in her career and is the only athlete in SEC history to accomplish that feat. Scott also won the weight throw every year she competed while a Gator. Florida has now had the shot put and weight throw SEC Champion in each of the last four seasons.
"This was a good way to end my career," Scott said. 'This is a meet where you come to set your personal best and I did that on both days."
The biggest scoring event for Florida on Sunday was the weight throw where the Gators tallied 17 points to lead all schools. Junior All-All American Rachel Longfors (Erhard, Minn) took third place with an NCAA automatic toss of 20.96m/68-09.25 while senior Scarlett Ekeroma (Orlando Fla.) rounded out the scoring placing eighth with a heave of 18.45m/60-06.50
Junior Amanda Schommer (Vero Beach, Fla.) added to the Gator scoring docket in the 800m placing eighth after rounding the track four times in a time of 209.60.
The Gators managed eight points in the relays on Sunday. The 4x400m relay team of Ponteen, freshman Zanquandria Joseph (Boynton Beach, Fla.), freshman Natalie Knight (Snellville. Ga.), and sophomore Nadine Palmer (Manchester, Jamaica) placed fourth with an NCAA automatic and season-best time of 3:33.88. The distance medley team of Schommer, freshman Abigail David (Port of Spain, Trinidad), freshman Kristen Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.), and sophomore Kecia Johnson (Gainesville, Fla.) took home sixth place honors finishing in a season best time of 11.54.82.
"I was really pleased with our 4x400m relay," Jones said. "It was a great effort and we cut our best time of the season by nearly five seconds. I think we can build on this and improve at nationals."
The Gators return to action on Thursday, March 3 in a last chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships 11:00 a.m. at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Team Scores
Tennessee 135.50
Arkansas 120
LSU 75.50
Florida 74.50
South Carolina 70.50
Georgia 54
Auburn 46
Alabama 36
Vanderbilt 19
Kentucky 14
Ole Miss 10
Miss. State 8
SEC Champions
Candice Scott Weight Throw
Tiandra Ponteen 400m
Krystle Moss High Jump
