Eight Gators Earn USTFCCCA All-Region Honors
Thursday, May 31, 2007 | Men's Track and Field
Eight University of Florida men's track and field athletes received 15 honors of distinction when the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the All-East Region teams Thursday afternoon.
Junior All-American Bernard Middleton (Jacksonville, Fla.), sophomore All-American Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) and freshman All-American Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.) each picked up three All-East Region honors, while sophomore Dennis Martin (Anderson, S.C.) and junior All-American Wes Stockbarger (Port Charlotte, Fla.) earned two each. Junior Eric Alberter (Benton, Ill.), junior Ryder Leary (Yulee, Fla.) and freshman Carlos Phillips (Winter Park, Fla.) each claimed one honor.
Middleton finished eighth in the 400m (46.44), ran the third leg of the winning 4x400m (3:06.31) and was the anchor leg of the fourth-place 4x100m (39.76), while Perry took third in the 200m (20.57), fifth in the 100m (10.50) and was the third leg on the 4x100m. Smith was the runner-up in the 400m (45.60) and the second leg on both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
Stockbarger won the discus with a meet record throw (61.39m/201-5) and was fifth in the shot put (18.43m/60-5.75). Martin improved his PR for the fifth time in taking fourth in the 110m hurdles (13.97), while running the opening leg of the 4x100m. Leary shaved more than 10 seconds off his PR to take sixth in the 3,000m steeplechase (8:50.07), while Phillips was the opening leg of the victorious 4x400m and Alberter ran the anchor leg of the relay.
Athletes are eligible for All-Region honors if they finish in the top eight of an event at their regional championship.
Florida will send 10 athletes to compete in nine different events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be contested June 6-9 at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. The meet will air live on CSTV on June 8 from 8:30-11:30 p.m. (ET) and live on CBS on June 9 from 1-3 p.m. (ET). Live results can be found at www.ncaasports.com.
Florida All-East Region (8 athletes, 15 honors):
Eric Alberter - 4x400m
Ryder Leary - 3,000m Steeplechase
Dennis Martin - 110m Hurdles, 4x100m
Bernard Middleton - 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m
Willie Perry - 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Carlos Phillips - 4x400m
Calvin Smith - 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m
Wes Stockbarger - Discus, Shot Put
Florida NCAA Championships Participants (10 athletes, 9 events):
Eric Alberter - 4x400m
Jeremy Hall - 4x100m
Ryder Leary - 3,000m Steeplechase
Dennis Martin - 110m Hurdles, 4x100m
Bernard Middleton - 4x100m, 4x400m
Mike Morrison - Decathlon
Willie Perry - 200m, 4x100m
Carlos Phillips - 4x400m
Calvin Smith - 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m
Wes Stockbarger - Discus, Shot Put
