Taylor Notches NCAA Automatic Mark in Long Jump
Saturday, February 14, 2009 | Track and Field
Florida freshman Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) notched an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark in recording the second-best long jump mark in school history Friday to highlight a successful opening day by the Gator track and field team, competing at both the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.
In all, the Florida track and field team notched one NCAA automatic-qualifying mark, posted eight NCAA provisional-qualifying marks and captured three events to open its participation in this weekend's two meets.
“It was an eventful day today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “We were able to get some important things done. We had a couple of bumps in the road, but we have a chance to get back at it tomorrow and do some good things, especially in the 200, the 800 and the field events.”
Taylor punched his ticket to the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships with a leap of 26-3.75/8.02, which checks in just shy of the Florida school record of 26-8.25/8.13m set by Dion Bentley in 1993. He captured the event at Friday's Tyson Invitational, winning his second long-jump event of the year, and shattering his previous collegiate-best mark of 25-4/7.72m set at the Kentucky Invitational on Jan. 17. Taylor capped off the night by running a leg of Florida's NCAA provisional-qualifying 4x400m relay team.
“Unbelievable,” Holloway said of Taylor's performance. “For a freshman to come into the biggest meet so far in his career and have a big jump like that on his last jump is very impressive and then he came back and really helped us in the 4x4 with a 46.5.”
Taylor's mark is the best in the country in that event so far this season and goes down as the second-best by an American at any level this year. He joins junior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia), who will compete tomorrow in Ames, Iowa, as just the second Gator this season to automatically qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, as Kevkhishvili has already qualified in the women's shot put.
Senior middle-distance runner Carlos Phillips (Winter Park, Fla.) won the men's 800-meter run and improved upon his season-best time, finishing in an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 1:49.01.
Freshman sprinter Alishea Usery (St. Louis, Mo.) recorded an impressive day in the 60m dash. Usery, who has competed primarily in the 200m and 400m this season, ran an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 7.44 in the prelims of the event before coming back to run a 7.38 in the finals to finish third overall.
“I thought Alishea Usery had a great day today,” Holloway said. “Carlos Phillips also improved his provisional time in the 800 meters and he's really doing a great job.”
Women's long jumper Shara Proctor (The Valley, Anguilla) slightly improved on her NCAA provisional-qualifying mark from the SEC/Big 12 Showdown, capturing the long jump event with a leap of 20-9/6.33m.
Junior sprinter Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.) ran a season-best and NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 47.03 in the invitational round of the men's 400-meter dash. He was the top collegian finisher in an impressive field that included Nike's Xavier Carter and adidas' Michael Tinsley.
Freshman multi-event athlete Gray Horn (Wapakoneta, Ohio), not competing in the heptathlon but gearing up for the upcoming Southeastern Conference Championships by participating in several events, notched a personal-best mark of 23-0.50/7.02m in the men's long jump on Friday. He also notched a personal-best time of 8.16 in the 60m hurdles.
“Gray Horn had a big day, setting PRs in both the long jump and the hurdles,” Holloway said. “He is setting himself up to perform well in the heptathlon at the SEC meet.”
Sophomore distance runner Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.) ran her third NCAA provisional-qualifying time of the season in that event, finishing third in a time of 4:46.30. Junior Charlotte Browning (West Sussex, England) was sixth in 4:49.99.
Freshman distance runner Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia), competing in her first 3,000-meter run this season, clocked the top time by a Gator this season in that event, finishing seventh in 9:39.92.
For the fourth consecutive meet, the men's 4x400m relay team notched an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark, as the Gators finished second in a time of 3:09.02.
Senior Kallinka Pitt (Largo, Fla.) notched an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 7.88 in the men's 60m hurdles and will join senior Dennis Martin (Anderson, S.C.) and freshman William Wynne (Marietta, Ga.) in the finals of that event on Saturday.
At the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, freshman thrower Fidela James (Jacksonville, Fla.) placed 12th in the weight throw with a toss of 55-1.50/16.80m.
The University of Florida is home of the 2009 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. For all of the latest information on Gator Track and Field, log on to www.GatorZone.com.
Tyson Invitational – February 13, 2009 (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Men's Pole Vault – 11 a.m. EST (AUTO: 5.50; PROV: 5.20)
T5. Justin Semeyn – 16-1.25/4.91m
T8. Eric Foran – 15-9.25/4.81m
Men's Mile Run – 11:45 a.m. EST (AUTO: 3:59.50; PROV: 4:04.00)
3. Justin Taylor – 4:06.73
Men's Long Jump – 12 p.m. EST (AUTO: 7.85; PROV: 7.50)
10. Gray Horn – 23-0.50/7.02m SB
Women's 60m Dash Prelims – 12:15 p.m. EST (AUTO: 7.26; PROV: 7.44)
3. Alishea Usery – 7.44 Pq
8. Madison McNary – 7.55 q
Women's 60m Dash Finals (AUTO: 7.26; PROV: 7.44)
3. Alishea Usery – 7.38 P
8. Madison McNary – 7.61
Men's 60m Dash Prelims – 12:45 p.m. EST (AUTO: 6.63; PROV: 6.74)
7. Deonte Thompson – 6.81q
11. Terrell Wilks – 6.83
16. Jeremy Hall – 6.86
Men's 60m Dash Finals (AUTO: 6.63; PROV: 6.74)
5. Deonte Thompson – 6.80
Men's 60m Dash Consolation (AUTO: 6.63; PROV: 6.74)
3. Terrell Wilks – 6.77
Women's 400m Dash – 1:15 p.m. EST (AUTO: 52.40; PROV: 54.40)
21. Ije Iheoma – 56.41
30. Danielle Williams – 56.90
Men's 400m Dash – 2:15 p.m. EST (AUTO: 46.15; PROV: 47.25)
10. William Wynne – 47.48
18. R.J. Anderson – 48.03
25. Preston Wilson – 48.31
Women's 60m Hurdles Prelims – 3:45 p.m. EST (AUTO: 8.14; PROV: 8.43)
23. Paige Morton – 8.72
Women's Long Jump – 4 p.m. EST (AUTO: 6.35; PROV: 6.10)
1. Shara Proctor – 20-9/6.33m P
Men's Long Jump – 4 p.m. EST (AUTO: 7.85; PROV: 7.50)
1. Christian Taylor – 26-3.75/8.02m A
Men's 60m Hurdles Prelims – 4:10 p.m. EST (AUTO: 7.70; PROV: 7.91)
3. Kallinka Pitt – 7.88 P q
5. Dennis Martin – 7.94 q
6. William Wynne – 7.96 q
14. Jarius Cooper – 8.08
18. Gray Horn – 8.16
Men's 800m Run – 4:20 p.m. EST (AUTO: 1:48.00; PROV: 1:50.50)
1. Carlos Phillips – 1:49.01 P
Women's Mile Run – 4:30 p.m. EST (AUTO: 4:38.00; PROV: 4:48.00)
3. Kaitlin Shiver – 4:46.30 P
6. Charlotte Browning – 4:49.99
Men's 400m Dash, Invitational – 9:40 p.m. EST (AUTO: 46.15; PROV: 47.25)
3. Calvin Smith – 47.03 P
Women's 3,000m Run, Invitational –9:45 p.m. EST (AUTO: 9:15.80; PROV: 9:34.80)
7. Genevieve LaCaze – 9:39.92
Men's 4x400m Relay, Invitational – 10:30 p.m. EST (AUTO: 3:06.50; PROV: 3:10.40)
2. Florida – 3:09.02 P
Iowa State Classic – February 13, 2009 (Ames, Iowa)
Women's Weight Throw – 2:30 p.m. EST (AUTO: 21.00; PROV: 18.75)
12. Fidela James – 55-1.50/16.80m
FLORIDA'S NCAA AUTOMATIC-QUALIFYING MARKS
- Christian Taylor, Men's Long Jump, 26-3.75/8.02m A
FLORIDA'S NCAA PROVISIONAL-QUALIFYING MARKS
- Carlos Phillips, Men's 800m, 1:49.01 P
- Kallinka Pitt, Men's 60m Hurdles, 7.88 P
- Shara Proctor, Women's Long Jump, 20-9/6.33m P
- Kaitlin Shiver, Women's Mile, 4:46.30 P
- Calvin Smith, Men's 400m, 47.03 P
- Alishea Usery, Women's 60m Dash (Prelims), 7.44 P
- Alishea Usery, Women's 60m Dash (Finals), 7.38 P
- Men's 4x400m Relay, 3:09.02 P
FLORIDA'S EVENT WINNERS
- Carlos Phillips, Men's 800m, 1:49.01 P
- Shara Proctor, Women's Long Jump, 20-9/6.33m P
- Christian Taylor, Men's Long Jump, 26-3.75/8.02m A
END OF REPORT
