Florida Gators
SEC Outdoor Championships
Proctor Defends Long Jump Title at SEC Championships
Sunday, May 16, 2010 | Track and Field
Senior Florida jumper Shara Proctor (The Valley, Anguilla) claimed her second consecutive Southeastern Conference women's long jump championship Saturday to highlight the Gators' performances on the third day of the 2010 SEC Outdoor Championships at Tom Black Track on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
Saturday's action was fraught with poor weather and a nearly four-and-a-half hour delay due to lightning in the Knoxville area. Competition was suspended at 6:06 p.m. ET Saturday and did not resume until 10:30 p.m. ET at Tom Black Track. The day's competition was completed on a rolling schedule that did not conclude until well after midnight Eastern Time.
Florida's women surged into second place after the third day of competition with 40.5 total points. Arkansas leads the women's team race with 42.5 points, while Georgia is third (39.5 points) and LSU fourth (39 points). Georgia and LSU are tied for the lead on the men's side with 45 total points, while Auburn is third with 40 points. The Gators are tied with Ole Miss for fourth place on the men's side with 35 total team points.
“I thought we had a very good day today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “I was very, very proud of our team's effort. I talked to the team this morning and told them that it was very important for them to engage in the meet, after what happened yesterday, and I thought we did a great job of that today. We are in the mix to compete for a title on both sides tomorrow and it's going to come down to the team that wants it the most. There are a lot of really good teams and talented athletes in this league, but we also have a great team and some very talented athletes.”
Proctor successfully defended her SEC women's long jump championship, becoming just the sixth multiple-time winner of the event. Proctor's winning leap of 6.69m/21-11.50 (+1.4) on her fifth attempt. That was Proctor's collegiate-best mark in the long jump, second only to her leap of 6.71m/22-0.25 recorded at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
“I am really proud of the way Shara competed today,” said Brian O'Neal, assistant coach for women's jumps. “Any time you can win an SEC title, it's big, but in the chase for a team title, it's great when you can come out and win the first event on Saturday. Putting 10 points on the board for the team is a nice way to start out the day.”
In a thrilling finish to the men's long jump that featured athlete-after-athlete notching his personal best on the sixth attempt, sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) placed second with the second-best leap in school history at 8.19m/26-10.50 (+0.9) on his final attempt. Taylor recorded a PR of more than a foot-and-a-half, shattering his previous personal-record of 7.72m/25-4 recorded at the War Eagle Invitational on April 18, 2009.
“Christian had a tremendous breakthrough in the long jump,” said Dick Booth, assistant coach for men's jumps. “It's not his favorite event, but I told him to hang in there and, before long, he won't know what his favorite event is. It was a tremendous competition environment out there today and he rose to the occasion. We have been working hard on running hard and jumping far and he hadn't quite been able to put those two things together – today he sprinted hard, hit the right check marks and really just kicked the door open. I'm really proud of him because it's so hard to hang in there when you're struggling. It was great to see him overcome that and we're really looking forward to tomorrow.”
The Florida women put together a 2-3 finish in the steeplechase to pick up 14 points with senior Julie Northrup (Vero Beach, Fla.) running a personal-record time of 10:23.53 – the second-fastest time in school history. That shattered her previous personal-best of 10:25.79, achieved at the Penn Relays Carnival on April 22, 2010. Sophomore Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia) placed third in 10:30.12.
The Gators added 11 points from the women's discus with freshman Ashley Miller (Miami, Fla.), the reigning SEC Female Freshman of the Week, placing second in the event with a toss of 50.12m/164-5. Sophomore Keely Medeiros (Luziana, Brazil) was sixth with a throw of 47.96m/157-4, while freshman Kaitlin Davis (Niceville, Fla.) just missed a scoring opportunity, placing ninth with a personal-best toss of 46.63m/153-0.
Junior thrower Kemal Mesic (Sarajevo, Bosnia) finished second in the men's shot put to score eight points. Mesic charted a throw of 18.32m/60-1.25 on Saturday.
Mario Ariet (Gainesville, Fla.) placed fifth in the men's javelin with a toss of 65.40m/214-7, while Doug Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) won his flight with a toss of 60.90m/199-10, but failed to score in the meet.
Michael Anderson (Williston, Fla.) added two points in the men's steeplechase, finishing in a personal-best time of 9:08.77.
Junior pole vaulter Daisy Glasser (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) tied for eighth in the women's pole vault with a leap of 3.73m/12-2.75 to earn a half-a-point for the team. Sophomore Claire Spurling (Jacksonville, Fla.) was 10th with a vault of 3.73m/12-2.75.
Sophomore sprinter Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.) had the fastest time in the men's 100-meter dash prelims, finishing in 10.18 (+0.6), while junior Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.) also qualified for the finals in the 100m prelims in 10.35 (+0.3).
Senior sprinter Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.), who on Friday qualified for the finals of the men's 200m dash, placed fifth in the prelims of the 400m dash in a time of 46.34. Freshman sprinter Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) also qualified in the 400m finals by winning his heat in 46.67. Senior sprinter R.J. Anderson (Big Pine Key, Fla.) just missed qualifying for the finals, as he was ninth in 46.67.
Jarius Cooper (Palm Coast, Fla.) advanced to the finals of the men's 110-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 14.39 in the preliminaries.
Sophomore Madison McNary (Clearwater, Fla.) advanced to the finals of the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 11.70 (-0.7) in the preliminaries, while freshman Lanie Whittaker (Miami, Fla.) qualified for the finals of the women's 400-meter dash in a time of 53.89.
Florida qualified both of its women's competitors for the finals of the 1,500-meter run. Senior Charlotte Browning (Pullborough, England) placed third overall in the preliminaries in a time of 4:26.07, while senior Stacey Johnson (Uttoxeter, England) was fifth in 4:27.01.
Senior Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.) advanced to the finals of the men's 1,500-meter run, finishing third in the preliminaries in a time of 3:48.22.
The final day of the Southeastern Conference outdoor track and field championships begins at 1 p.m. ET from Tom Black Track in Knoxville, Tenn. Live results will be available at www.flashresults.com with complete meet information at www.UTLadyVols.com.
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 updates, follow the team's Twitter account @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (MAY 13-16, 2010 – KNOXVILLE, TENN.)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Men's Javelin – 2:30 p.m. ET
5. Mario Ariet – 65.40m/214-7 (4 points)
10. Doug Nelson – 60.90m/199-10
Women's Long Jump – 3:30 p.m. ET
1. Shara Proctor – 6.69m/21-11.50 (+1.4) (10 points)
Men's Long Jump – 4 p.m. ET
2. Christian Taylor – 8.19m/26-10.50 (+0.9) (8 points)
Women's Pole Vault – 5:30 p.m. ET
T8. Daisy Glasser – 3.73m/12-2.75 (0.5 points)
10. Claire Spurling – 3.73m/12-2.75
Women's Discus – 5:30 p.m. ET
2. Ashley Miller – 50.12m/164-5 (8 points)
6. Keely Medeiros – 47.96m/157-4 (3 points)
9. Kaitlin Davis – 46.63m/153-0
Women's 1,500m Run Prelims – 6 p.m. ET
3. Charlotte Browning – 4:26.07 Q
5. Stacey Johnson – 4:27.01 Q
Men's 1,500m Run Prelims – 6:15 p.m. ET
3. Justin Taylor – 3:48.22 Q
Men's Shot Put – 6:30 p.m. ET
2. Kemal Mesic – 18.32m/60-1.25 (8 points)
Men's 110m Hurdles Prelims – 6:45 p.m. ET
5. Jarius Cooper – 14.39 Q (-0.1)
10. Gray Horn – 15.07 (+0.2)
Women's 400m Dash Prelims – 7 p.m. ET
8. Lanie Whittaker – 53.89 q
18. Ije Iheoma – 55.67
19. Michelle Stegall – 55.79
Men's 400m Dash Prelims – 7:20 p.m. ET
5. Calvin Smith – 46.34 Q
6. Tony McQuay – 46.67 Q
9. R.J. Anderson – 46.67
17. Preston Wilson – 47.75
Women's 100m Dash Prelims – 7:40 p.m. ET
5. Madison McNary – 11.70 (-0.7) q
18. Alishea Usery – 12.10 (-0.6)
24. Amani Bryant – 12.32 (-0.6)
Men's 100m Dash Prelims – 7:55 p.m. ET
1. Jeff Demps – 10.18 Q (+0.6)
4. Terrell Wilks – 10.35 Q (+0.3)
12. Jeremy Hall – 10.56 (+0.3)
14. Jeremy Rankin – 10.60 (+0.2)
20. Chris Rainey – 10.76 (+0.2)
Women's Steeplechase – 8:10 p.m. ET
2. Julie Northrup – 10:23.53 (8 points)
3. Genevieve LaCaze – 10:30.12 (6 points)
Men's Steeplechase – 8:30 p.m. ET
7. Michael Anderson – 9:08.77 (2 points)
9. James Uthmeier – 9:12.93
MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH SEVEN EVENTS
T1. Georgia – 45
T1. LSU – 45
3. Auburn – 40
T4. Ole Miss – 35
T4. Florida – 35
6. Arkansas – 23
7. Tennessee – 18
8. South Carolina – 16
9. Mississippi State – 9
10. Alabama – 7
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH EIGHT EVENTS
1. Arkansas – 42.5
2. Florida – 40.5
3. Georgia – 39.5
4. LSU – 39
5. Kentucky – 36
6. Auburn – 28
7. Alabama – 23
8. South Carolina – 20.5
T9. Ole Miss – 17
T9. Mississippi State – 17
11. Vanderbilt - 5
12. Tennessee - 4
FLORIDA'S SEC CHAMPIONS (ENTIRE WEEKEND)
- Gray Horn – Men's Decathlon
- Shara Proctor – Women's Long Jump
FLORIDA QUALIFIERS FOR SUNDAY'S FINALS
- Charlotte Browning – Women's 1,500m Run
- Jarius Cooper – Men's 110m Hurdles
- Jeff Demps – Men's 100m Dash
- Stacey Johnson – Women's 1,500m Run
- Madison McNary – Women's 100m Dash
- Tony McQuay – Men's 400m Dash
- Carlos Phillips – Men's 800m Run
- Calvin Smith – Men's 200m Dash
- Calvin Smith – Men's 400m Dash
- Justin Taylor – Men's 1,500m Run
- Lanie Whittaker – Women's 400m Dash
- Terrell Wilks – Men's 100m Dash
END OF REPORT
