Saturday, May 27
Greensboro, NC
12:00 AM
Florida Gators
at
NCAA East Regional Champ.
Morrison, Stroup Win Titles As Gators Take Second At NCAA East Regionals
Sunday, May 28, 2006 | Men's Track and Field
Though still nursing injuries, junior Mike Morrison (Willingboro, N.J.) claimed his third high jump-long jump double of the year and senior Shane Stroup (Highland, Md.) notched his first regional title as the No. 10 University of Florida men's track and field team finished second Saturday evening at the NCAA East Regional Championships at Irwin Belk Track.
The men repeated their finish from 2005 when they took second. Florida State claimed the meet crown with 97 points with the Gators in second with 64 followed by South Carolina (51).
For the men, freshman All-American Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) finished second in the 200m and captured sixth in the 100m, senior All- American Sekou Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica) finished third in the 400m and senior Alex Harris (Tampa, Fla.) took fourth in the triple jump to lead those automatically advancing to NCAAs, while sophomore Wes Stockbarger (Port Charlotte, Fla.) picked up two points for the Gators by taking seventh in the shot put and the 4x100m relay of freshman Dennis Martin (Anderson, S.C.), Clarke, Perry and sophomore All-American Bernard Middleton (Jacksonville, Fla.) took fifth.
“Overall, we had a pretty solid day,” Florida men's coach Mike Holloway said. “We had some that didn't qualify for nationals, but, on the whole, I feel good about the group we have going to nationals. I'm very proud of Mike Morrison. For him to win the high jump with a strained hamstring was incredible. Shane Stroup, Alex Harris and Wes Stockbarger all got it done out there today.”
Following his long jump title on Friday, Morrison pulled the high jump- long jump double for the third time at a championship meet this season following titles at both the Southeastern Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Morrison, who is still battling various injuries, won the event in a jump-off after no athlete was able to clear 2.16m/7-1. Nine athletes had cleared the previous height of 2.11m/6-11, which Morrison surpassed on his only attempt. In the jump-off, Morrison was the only athlete in the field to negotiate 2.13m/6-11.75 cleanly in defending his title from 2005.
“It was reminiscent of my first time at regionals except that this time it was a jump-off for first instead of fifth,” Morrison said. “I haven't been myself lately in the jumps and I suffered another injury yesterday in the 4x100. I wasn't even sure today if I'd be able to go, but the trainers were able to put me back together. Even though I didn't jump very well, our goal is to make it to NCAAs and I should feel a lot better for that meet in a couple weeks.”
Stroup became the first Gator to win the 1,500m at regional competition after finishing second last year. In a race that featured four of the six fastest athletes in the country, Stroup was in the middle of the pack until forging ahead with 600 meters remaining. Stroup held off a challenging Max Smith of Providence, who stayed on his heels until the end, as well as Dartmouth's Ben True, who made a late push, and won the event in 3:52.42 to True's runner-up time of 3:52.75.
“I figured it was going to be a slow race,” Stroup said. I could have stayed in the back of the pack and charged ahead, but I wanted to stay in the middle. With about 600 meters left, I knew someone was going to try and take the race. I wanted to challenge them and then hold them off with my speed on the last lap.”
Perry got off to a rough start in the 200m final out of lane six before mounting a comeback in the final 50 meters to take second in 20.42 – the seventh-fastest time in Florida history and the fastest junior mark in the world in 2006. Perry, who finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200m, nearly came back to defeat Florida's State's Walter Dix in the event. Dix, the reigning NCAA indoor champion, won the race in 20.40.
Clarke clocked his third-fastest time of the season to take third in the 400m and advance to NCAAs for the second-straight season. Clarke crossed the finish line in 46.24 and will have a chance to improve on his 14th- place finish from 2005 and earn his second individual event All-America honor following his sixth-place showing at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400m.
Harris will become the first Gator since Erik Newby in 2001 to compete at NCAAs in the triple jump after finishing fourth with a wind-aided mark of 15.86m/52-0.50. Harris was in a tie for eighth place overall when he uncorked his jump on his third attempt to move into third place. He was passed by one athlete during finals before ending in fourth.
With Morrison competing in the high jump and still nursing injuries, the Gators used their fifth 4x100m lineup of the year and took fifth with a time of 40.12 – an improvement of three hundredths of a second from their prelim time.
In the 100m, Perry clocked the seventh-fastest time in school history to take sixth in 10.26. In a fast race won by Clemson freshman Travis Padgett in 10.00, Perry got out of the blocks a little slow before recovering to take sixth.
In UF's second field event of the day, Stockbarger recorded the third- best throw of his career to take seventh. In eighth after two attempts in the second flight, Stockbarger posted a mark of 17.62m/57-9.75 to move into seventh entering finals. On his second throw in finals, Stockbarger improved to 17.77m/58-3.75 and moved into sixth place before being passed and finishing seventh.
Florida will take next weekend off before traveling west to Sacramento, Calif., for the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 7-10 on the campus of Sacramento State.
Team Scores
1. Florida State, 97; 2. Florida, 64; 3. South Carolina, 51; 4. Clemson, 42.50; 5. North Carolina, 33; 5. Virginia Tech, 33; 7. Georgia, 29; 8. Iona, 24; 9. Wake Forest, 21; 9. Pittsburgh, 21.
NCAA East Regional Champions
Mike Morrison – High jump, Long jump
Shane Stroup – 1,500m
Athletes Automatically Advancing To NCAA Outdoor Championships
Sekou Clarke – 400m
Alex Harris – Triple Jump
Mike Morrison – High jump, Long jump
Willie Perry – 200m
Wes Stockbarger – Discus
Shane Stroup – 1,500m
The men repeated their finish from 2005 when they took second. Florida State claimed the meet crown with 97 points with the Gators in second with 64 followed by South Carolina (51).
For the men, freshman All-American Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) finished second in the 200m and captured sixth in the 100m, senior All- American Sekou Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica) finished third in the 400m and senior Alex Harris (Tampa, Fla.) took fourth in the triple jump to lead those automatically advancing to NCAAs, while sophomore Wes Stockbarger (Port Charlotte, Fla.) picked up two points for the Gators by taking seventh in the shot put and the 4x100m relay of freshman Dennis Martin (Anderson, S.C.), Clarke, Perry and sophomore All-American Bernard Middleton (Jacksonville, Fla.) took fifth.
“Overall, we had a pretty solid day,” Florida men's coach Mike Holloway said. “We had some that didn't qualify for nationals, but, on the whole, I feel good about the group we have going to nationals. I'm very proud of Mike Morrison. For him to win the high jump with a strained hamstring was incredible. Shane Stroup, Alex Harris and Wes Stockbarger all got it done out there today.”
Following his long jump title on Friday, Morrison pulled the high jump- long jump double for the third time at a championship meet this season following titles at both the Southeastern Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Morrison, who is still battling various injuries, won the event in a jump-off after no athlete was able to clear 2.16m/7-1. Nine athletes had cleared the previous height of 2.11m/6-11, which Morrison surpassed on his only attempt. In the jump-off, Morrison was the only athlete in the field to negotiate 2.13m/6-11.75 cleanly in defending his title from 2005.
“It was reminiscent of my first time at regionals except that this time it was a jump-off for first instead of fifth,” Morrison said. “I haven't been myself lately in the jumps and I suffered another injury yesterday in the 4x100. I wasn't even sure today if I'd be able to go, but the trainers were able to put me back together. Even though I didn't jump very well, our goal is to make it to NCAAs and I should feel a lot better for that meet in a couple weeks.”
Stroup became the first Gator to win the 1,500m at regional competition after finishing second last year. In a race that featured four of the six fastest athletes in the country, Stroup was in the middle of the pack until forging ahead with 600 meters remaining. Stroup held off a challenging Max Smith of Providence, who stayed on his heels until the end, as well as Dartmouth's Ben True, who made a late push, and won the event in 3:52.42 to True's runner-up time of 3:52.75.
“I figured it was going to be a slow race,” Stroup said. I could have stayed in the back of the pack and charged ahead, but I wanted to stay in the middle. With about 600 meters left, I knew someone was going to try and take the race. I wanted to challenge them and then hold them off with my speed on the last lap.”
Perry got off to a rough start in the 200m final out of lane six before mounting a comeback in the final 50 meters to take second in 20.42 – the seventh-fastest time in Florida history and the fastest junior mark in the world in 2006. Perry, who finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200m, nearly came back to defeat Florida's State's Walter Dix in the event. Dix, the reigning NCAA indoor champion, won the race in 20.40.
Clarke clocked his third-fastest time of the season to take third in the 400m and advance to NCAAs for the second-straight season. Clarke crossed the finish line in 46.24 and will have a chance to improve on his 14th- place finish from 2005 and earn his second individual event All-America honor following his sixth-place showing at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400m.
Harris will become the first Gator since Erik Newby in 2001 to compete at NCAAs in the triple jump after finishing fourth with a wind-aided mark of 15.86m/52-0.50. Harris was in a tie for eighth place overall when he uncorked his jump on his third attempt to move into third place. He was passed by one athlete during finals before ending in fourth.
With Morrison competing in the high jump and still nursing injuries, the Gators used their fifth 4x100m lineup of the year and took fifth with a time of 40.12 – an improvement of three hundredths of a second from their prelim time.
In the 100m, Perry clocked the seventh-fastest time in school history to take sixth in 10.26. In a fast race won by Clemson freshman Travis Padgett in 10.00, Perry got out of the blocks a little slow before recovering to take sixth.
In UF's second field event of the day, Stockbarger recorded the third- best throw of his career to take seventh. In eighth after two attempts in the second flight, Stockbarger posted a mark of 17.62m/57-9.75 to move into seventh entering finals. On his second throw in finals, Stockbarger improved to 17.77m/58-3.75 and moved into sixth place before being passed and finishing seventh.
Florida will take next weekend off before traveling west to Sacramento, Calif., for the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 7-10 on the campus of Sacramento State.
Team Scores
1. Florida State, 97; 2. Florida, 64; 3. South Carolina, 51; 4. Clemson, 42.50; 5. North Carolina, 33; 5. Virginia Tech, 33; 7. Georgia, 29; 8. Iona, 24; 9. Wake Forest, 21; 9. Pittsburgh, 21.
NCAA East Regional Champions
Mike Morrison – High jump, Long jump
Shane Stroup – 1,500m
Athletes Automatically Advancing To NCAA Outdoor Championships
Sekou Clarke – 400m
Alex Harris – Triple Jump
Mike Morrison – High jump, Long jump
Willie Perry – 200m
Wes Stockbarger – Discus
Shane Stroup – 1,500m
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