Florida To Host 65th-Annual Pepsi Florida Relays
Thursday, April 2, 2009 | Track and Field
The University of Florida will play host to the 65th-annual Pepsi Florida Relays this Friday and Saturday at James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Friday for the event's 10 a.m. start and 8 a.m. Saturday for the 9 a.m. start. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for children and seniors and $1 for University of Florida students with a valid UF student ID. Complete coverage of the Florida Relays can be found at http://www.gatorzone.com/trackfield/floridarelays/
Participating collegiate teams in the meet include: Alabama, Alabama State, Albany (N.Y.), Arkansas, Bethune-Cookman, Boston University, Cal State Fullerton, Catholic University (D.C.), Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Dayton, Delaware State, East Tennessee State, Embry-Riddle, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Florida Southern, Florida State, Fort Valley State, George Mason, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Illinois, Jackson State, Jacksonville, Kentucky, Lincoln (Pa.), Maryland, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Miami, Morehouse, Navy, Norfolk State, Northeastern, Nova Southeastern, Ole Miss, Savannah State, South Alabama, South Carolina, South Carolina State, South Florida, St. Francis (N.Y.), Tampa, Temple, Tennessee, Tulane, UCF, Villanova, Webber International, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A number of high school teams from across the state and country also will be participating in the meet.
The Florida Relays first began nearly 75 years ago in 1939, thanks to the vision and creativeness of the Gators' legendary head track and field coach Percy Beard. Since that first meet 69 years ago, the Pepsi Florida Relays have grown in epic proportions from the small regional competitions on April Fool's Day that featured 209 competitors, to one of the nation's premier track and field meets.
Since its inception, the Florida Relays has grown in both stature and size. Previously regarded nationally as the first major event of the collegiate outdoor track and field season, the Relays once swelled from a one-day inaugural event featuring slightly more than 200 athletes to a four-day extravaganza that attracted more than 3,000 athletes from the high school, collegiate and international ranks.
Starting with the 2007 Florida Relays, athletes have the benefit running on a completely renovated track. More than $650,000 was poured into a new Mondo surface, which included installing an additional 30 feet of track space at the southwest corner of the stadium.
Since 1959, James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track has served as the outdoor home of the Gator track and field program. Recognized as one of the finest collegiate track and field facilities in the nation, the complex provides permanent grandstand seating for 4,500 in addition to increased bleacher seating for special events.
The facility is named after former Gator head coach Percy Beard (1937-63), a world record-holder and Olympian in the high hurdles and a member of the prestigious USA Track & Field Hall of Fame.
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.
END OF REPORT
