Florida Gators
Tom Jones Memorial Classic
Track and Field Impressive at Tom Jones Memorial
Sunday, April 18, 2010 | Track and Field
Senior Florida sprinter Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.) captured the men's 400-meter run Saturday with a 2010 world-leading time of 44.81 and the Gators won 11 events on the day to highlight the Tom Jones Memorial Classic contested at James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.
Smith, competing against Tyson Gay – a three-time gold medalist at the 2007 Osaka World Championships – and Renny Quow – the third-place finisher at the 2009 Berlin World Championships, ran a strategic race that ended in a 2010 world-leading time of 44.81. That went down as the second-fastest time in school history and bettered his previous personal-record time of 44.96, recorded at the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championships in Gainesville.
“I thought we did some special things today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “I was very, very pleased with the way we competed. This meet was in memory of Coach Jones and I wanted to make sure we went into this meet and performed at a high level to honor him. We can't rest on our laurels, we have to come out here and continue to work to get better. ”
The meet also served as Senior Day for a number of Florida track and field athletes. They were recognized over the public-address system prior to the start of the running events for competing in the final home meet of their careers.
“When our seniors like Calvin and Mariam [Kevkhishvili] joined this program, it wasn't at the level we are at today,” Holloway said. “They believed in what we were doing and you can see the results of that today. What our fans got to see in those kinds of athletes for four years is something very, very special.”
Redshirt freshman thrower Jeremy Postin (Andover, Kan.) broke his own school record in the men's hammer throw with a winning toss of 60.59m/198-9, surpassing his previous school-record mark of 59.90m/196-6, achieved at the UCF Invitational on March 26. Freshman David Triassi (St. Augustine, Fla.) was second with a throw of 53.39m/175-10.
Senior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia), a four-time NCAA Champion and seven-time All-American, won the women's shot put with a personal-record throw of 18.46m/60-6.75. Kevkhishvili became just the second woman in school history to throw better than 60 meters in the shot put, recording the second-best throw in school history on Saturday.
Kevkhishvili, who broke her previous personal-record throw of 18.05m/59-2.75, anchored a 1-2 finish in the women's shot put event. Sophomore thrower Keely Medeiros (Luziana, Brazil) was second with a throw of 16.22m/53-2.75, while sophomore Fidela James (Jacksonville, Fla.) was fifth with a personal-best toss of 15.50m/50-10.75 in her first 2010 shot put competition.
Medeiros placed third in the women's discus with the ninth-best throw in that event in program history. She did so with a personal-best mark of 51.98m/170-6.
Senior thrower Evelien Dekkers (Etten Leur, The Netherlands) captured the women's javelin throw with a season-best toss of 52.12m/171-0. That was Dekkers best throw in a regular-season meet in her career and was just shy of her personal-record throw of 53.16m/174-5, charted at last season's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Junior thrower Kemal Mesic (Sarajevo, Bosnia) was the top collegian in the men's shot put with a toss of 19.38m/63-7. He finished second to former Kentucky All-American and current UCF assistant coach Jeff Chakouian, who was competing unattached. The mark for Mesic was just shy of his personal-record toss of 19.67m/64-7 recorded at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville , Ark.
Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) opened up with his first long jump competition of the 2010 outdoor season, winning the event with a leap of 7.51m/24-7.75 (+1.5). Freshman Omar Craddock (Kileen, Texas) was second with a jump of 7.03m/23-0.75 (+0.9).
Sophomore sprinter Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.) won the men's 100-meter dash, clocking a time of 10.22 (-0.5). He also ran the anchor leg of the men's 4x100-meter “A” relay team that finished in a time of 39.06. That quartet consisted of Chris Rainey (Lakeland, Fla.), Jeremy Hall (Jacksonville , Fla.), Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.) and Demps.
Impressively, both of Florida's 4x100-meter relay teams ran sub 39.4 times. The Florida “B” relay, consisting of R.J. Anderson (Big Pine Key, Fla.), Smith, Jovon Toppin (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad) and Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) placed second in 39.31.
McQuay placed fourth in the men's 400-meter dash with a personal-record time of 45.37, which goes down as the ninth-best time in school history, while Anderson won his heat in a personal-best time of 46.37.
Senior jumper Shara Proctor (The Valley, Anguilla) won the women's triple jump with a leap of 13.29m/43-7.25.
Distance runner Michael Anderson (Williston, Fla.) won the men's steeplechase in a personal-best time of 9:09.48.
Senior distance runner Julie Northrup (Vero Beach, Fla.), who two weeks ago set the Pepsi Florida Relays meet record in the steeplechase, ran a personal-best time of 4:28.90 to place second in the women's 1,500-meter run Saturday. That betters her previous PR of 4:34.15, recorded at the 2009 War Eagle Invitational.
Junior pole vaulter Eric Foran (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) captured the men's pole vault event with a season-best leap of 4.70m/15-5.
Freshman jumper Bryan Turner (Gainesville, Fla.) won the men's high jump, tying his collegiate best mark at 2.05m/6-8.75.
Junior distance runner Ali Crabb (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and freshman distance runner Callie Cooper (St. Augustine, Fla.) each recorded personal-bests in the women's 3,000-meter run. Crabb was third in 10:08.70, while Cooper was fourth in 10:16.26.
Sophomore pole vaulter Claire Spurling (Jacksonville, Fla.) recorded a major personal best, placing fourth in 3.87m/12-8.25 with each of her leaps on Saturday going down as personal records. That broke her previous PR of 3.66m/12-0 recorded at the Pepsi Florida Relays.
The men's 800-meter corps was stellar on Saturday, recording four top-five finishes in that event and all going down as personal-record times. Freshman John Mitchell (Valrico, Fla.) was second in 1:50.52, while fellow rookie Sean Obinwa (Tampa, Fla.) was third in 1:50.58. Senior Ethan Philpot (Titusville, Fla.) placed fourth in 1:51.16, while senior Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.) was fifth in 1:51.46.
Freshman hurdler Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.) charted a personal-best time in the prelims of the women's 100-meter hurdles at 14.05 and finished fourth in the finals with a time of 14.09 (+0.6).
Florida returns to action this Thursday when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., to compete in the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield or, for up-to-the-minute information, follow the team's Twitter account @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
TOM JONES MEMORIAL CLASSIC (APRIL 17, 2010 – GAINESVILLE, FLA.)
Men's Hammer Throw – 1 p.m. ET
1. Jeremy Postin – 60.59m/198-9
2. David Triassi – 53.59m/175-10
Men's Javelin Throw – 3 p.m. ET
3. Doug Nelson – 60.09m/197-2
Women's Javelin Throw – 3 p.m. ET
1. Evelien Dekkers – 52.12m/171-0
Men's Pole Vault – 4 p.m. ET
1. Eric Foran – 4.70m/15-5
2. Max Lang – 4.55m/14-11
Men's 4x100m Relay – 5 p.m. ET
1. Florida “A” (C. Rainey, J. Hall, T. Wilks, J. Demps) – 39.06
2. Florida “B” (R. Anderson, C. Smith, J. Toppin, T. McQuay) – 39.31
Women's 4x100m Relay – 5:05 p.m. ET
2. Florida (M. McNary, Al. Usery, A. Bryant, U. Ndu) – 45.46
Men's Steeplechase – 5:10 p.m. ET
1. Michael Anderson – 9:09.48
Men's Long Jump – 5:15 p.m. ET
1. Christian Taylor – 7.51m/24-7.75 (+1.4)
2. Omar Craddock – 7.03m/23-0.75 (+0.9)
Women's Discus – 5:30 p.m. ET
3. Keely Medeiros – 51.98m/170-6
6. Ashley Miller – 45.94m/150-9
7. Kaitlin Davis – 43.26m/141-11
Men's Shot Put – 5:30 p.m. ET
2. Kemal Mesic – 19.38m/63-7
6. Jeremy Postin – 14.99m/49-2.25
Men's 110m Hurdles Prelims – 5:40 p.m. ET
5. Jarius Cooper – 14.40 q
6. Jamaal Johnson – 14.96 q
Women's 100m Hurdles Prelims – 5:50 p.m. ET
3. Ugonna Ndu – 14.05 q
Men's 100m Dash Prelims – 6 p.m. ET
2. Jeff Demps – 10.34 q (-0.7)
6. Terrell Wilks – 10.45 q (-0.7)
8. Jeremy Hall – 10.52 q (-0.7)
13. Chris Rainey – 10.76 (+1.3)
Men's High Jump – 6 p.m. ET
1. Bryan Turner – 2.05m/6-8.75
Women's High Jump – 6 p.m. ET
3. Alexis Muniz – 1.63m/5-4.25
4. Rebecca Goldring – 1.58m/5-2.25
Women's 100m Dash Prelims – 6:10 p.m. ET
3. Alishea Usery – 11.64 q (-0.3)
7. Madison McNary – 11.75 q (-0.4)
Men's 1,500m Run – 6:20 p.m. ET
3. James Uthmeier – 3:52.76
4. Jeremy Criscione – 3:53.23
5. Adam Henken – 3:53.30
6. Josh Izewski – 3:53.68
8. Anthony Morales – 3:56.23
10. Geoffrey Anderson – 3:58.58
13. Tim O'Loughlin – 4:02.96
Women's 1,500m Run – 6:30 p.m. ET
2. Julie Northrup – 4:28.90
Men's 110m Hurdles Finals – 6:40 p.m. ET
4. Jarius Cooper – 14.37 (+0.6)
Women's 100m Hurdles Finals – 6:50 p.m. ET
4. Ugonna Ndu – 14.09 (+0.6)
Men's 400m Dash – 7 p.m. ET
1. Calvin Smith – 44.81
4. Tony McQuay – 45.37
5. R.J. Anderson – 46.37
13. Jovon Toppin – 48.53
Women's Pole Vault – 7 p.m. ET
4. Claire Spurling – 3.87m/12-8.25
5. Daisy Glasser – 3.87m/12-8.25
Women's 400m Dash – 7:05 p.m. ET
7. Lanie Whittaker – 54.46
9. Ije Iheoma – 55.37
10. Michelle Stegall – 55.51
Men's 100m Dash Finals – 7:10 p.m. ET
1. Jeff Demps – 10.22 (-0.5)
4. Terrell Wilks – 10.41 (-0.5)
9. Jeremy Hall – 10.55 (-0.5)
Women's 100m Dash Finals – 7:15 p.m. ET
5. Alishea Usery – 11.72 (-2.1)
6. Madison McNary – 11.78 (-2.1)
Men's 800m Run – 7:20 p.m. ET
2. John Mitchell – 1:50.52
3. Sean Obinwa – 1:50.68
4. Ethan Philpot – 1:51.16
5. Justin Taylor – 1:51.46
Women's 800m Run – 7:25 p.m. ET
6. Stacey Johnson – 2:14.01
Men's Discus – 7:30 p.m. ET
4. Kemal Mesic – 51.65m/169-5
5. David Triassi – 43.53m/142-10
Women's Shot Put – 7:30 p.m. ET
1. Mariam Kevkhishvili – 18.46m/60-6.75
2. Keely Medeiros – 16.22m/53-2.75
5. Fiedla James – 15.50m/50-10.25
Men's Triple Jump – 7:30 p.m. ET
2. Omar Craddock – 15.82m/51-11 (+0.0)
Women's Triple Jump – 7:30 p.m. ET
1. Shara Proctor – 13.29m/43-7.25
Women's 400m Hurdles – 7:40 p.m. ET
5. Ugonna Ndu – 1:01.57
6. Ashley Usery – 1:02.40
7. Paige Morton – 1:05.13
Men's 200m Dash – 7:50 p.m. ET
3. Terrell Wilks – 20.99 (+0.1)
4. Christian Taylor – 21.05 (+0.5)
5. Jeff Demps – 21.33 (+0.5)
Women's 200m Dash – 7:55 p.m. ET
4. Madison McNary – 23.91 (-0.6)
10. Alishea Usery – 24.37 (-0.4)
Men's 3,000m Run – 8 p.m. ET
4. Matt Hensley – 8:44.59
Women's 3,000m Run – 8:15 p.m. ET
3. Ali Crabb – 10:08.70
4. Callie Cooper – 10:16.26
8. Laura Garrow – 10:27.16
10. Sydney Devore – 10:31.31
Women's 4x400m Relay – 8:45 p.m. ET
2. Florida (Al. Usery, U. Ndu, I. Iheoma, L. Whittaker) – 3:38.17
END OF REPORT
