Florida Gators
Drake Relays
Montague Makes Move Up UF Javelin Charts As Gators Open Up Drake Relays
Friday, April 25, 2008 | Track and Field
Snow flurries and wind chills in the low 30s didn't stop University of Florida junior Adam Montague (Townsville, Australia) from finishing second and making a dent on the school record books in the men's javelin on Friday, as the Gators kicked off action at the Drake Relays with competitors in a trio of events.
“It was nasty out there today, but we competed hard and did our best to battle through it,” Florida throws coach Steve Lemke said. “Everyone at the meet has to face the same conditions, so the best thing to do is stay organized and focused on what you have to do. Our athletes certainly did a good job of that today.”
Montague ripped off the second-best javelin toss in school history to open the morning, finishing second with a career-best mark of 80.20m/263-1. The effort currently ranks third in the nation and ninth in the world this season, and moves Montague in second place on UF's all-time chart, ahead of 2000 Olympian Derek Trafas and behind only two-time Olympic Games participant Tom Pukstys, who also holds the American collegiate record (83.30m/273-3). Freshman Doug Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) finished 14th with a toss of 59.47m/195-1.
“Adam had been really consistent in each of his previous meets, but we both knew there was something better waiting under the surface,” Lemke said. “It was great to see it come out today, and the fact that he did it in such adverse weather conditions make it even more impressive. He was someone that I really wanted to see have a good weekend, and her definitely answered that call.”
The UF women were up next on the javelin runway, and a pair of Gator sophomores posted top-10 finishes in the event on Friday. Evelien Dekkers (Etten-Leur, The Netherlands) led the way with an eighth-place toss of 47.40m/155-6, while Star Sansone (Boca Raton, Fla.) checked in at 45.24m/148-5 to place 10th.
Junior Beau Burroughs (Tampa, Fla.) was Florida's final competitor on the afternoon, finishing ninth in the men's shot put with a heave of 16.62m/54-6.50.
The Gators will wrap up competition at both the Penn and Drake Relays on Saturday. Live results for both events will be available via www.GatorZone.com.
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