Florida Gators
USA Track & Field Championship
Craddock Sets PR, Wins USA Junior Triple Jump Championship
Saturday, June 26, 2010 | Track and Field
Freshman Florida jumper Omar Craddock (Kileen, Texas) won the junior men's triple jump championship and two additional Gators advanced to the finals of their respective events on Friday at the USA Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Craddock turned in a personal-record leap of 16.56m/54-4 (+1.8), which goes down as the third-best jump in school history, to claim the event and qualify him for the World Junior Championships.
Senior sprinter Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.) placed sixth overall in the semifinals of the men's 400-meter dash in a time of 45.68 to advance to the finals of that event. The men's 400m finals are scheduled for 2:44 p.m. ET Saturday.
Freshman sprinter Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.) won her heat in the women's junior 400-meter hurdles to advance to the event finals with a time of 59.50. She also qualified for the World Junior Championships with her time in the preliminaries. The event finals take place at 3:35 p.m. ET Saturday.
Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.), the 2010 NCAA indoor and outdoor men's triple jump champion, placed second in the men's triple jump on Friday with a leap of 16.76m/55-0 (+2.0).
Former Gator and Olympian Kerron Clement failed to advance to the finals of the men's 400-meter dash, placing ninth overall in a time of 46.01 in the semifinal round.
Former Gator and Olympian Hazel Clark did not advance to the finals of the women's 800-meter run, placing 10th overall in the semifinals in 2:03.00.
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USA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS (JUNE 23-27, 2010 :: DES MOINES, IOWA)
FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010
CURRENT GATORS COMPETING
Women's Junior 400m Dash (First Round)
20. Lanie Whittaker - 55.79
Men's Junior Triple Jump
1. Omar Craddock - 16.56m/54-4 (+1.8) - WJC Qualifier
Women's Junior 400m Hurdles (First Round)
3. Ugonna Ndu - 59.50 Q - WJC Qualifier
Men's Triple Jump - 7 p.m. ET
2. Christian Taylor - 16.76m/55-0 (+2.0)
Men's 400m Dash (Semifinals)
6. Calvin Smith - 45.68 Q
FORMER GATORS COMPETING
Men's 400m Dash (Semifinals)
9. Kerron Clement - 46.01
Women's 800m Run (Semifinals)
10. Hazel Clark - 2:03.00
END OF REPORT
