Perry Named SEC Runner of the Week
Thursday, February 9, 2006 | Men's Track and Field
After running the third-fastest time in the nation in the 200m dash last week, University of Florida freshman Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) was named the Southeastern Conference Runner of the Week.
Perry picked up the first win of his career at the Pepsi Invitational on Feb. 5 by clocking a time of 21.24 to win the 200m. The time was also an NCAA provisional mark as Perry easily claimed the victory with the next closest competitor coming in at 21.40. His mark also tied him for the 23rd-best in the world so far in the 2006 season.
Perry's time ranks as the fastest by a UF freshman since eventual Olympian and world champion John Capel ran 20.79 to take third at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Perry and the rest of the Gators will take part in the highly competitive Tyson Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The meet features 15 of the top 20 teams in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll and is the first scored meet UF has participated in all season.
The meet will be broadcast tape-delayed on ESPN2 on Sunday from 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. Live results can be found at www.flashresults.com.
