Florida's Will Claye (Phoenix, Ariz.) , Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) all notched NCAA automatic-qualifying marks/times to highlight a strong day of personal bests and record-setting efforts by the Gators at a trio of meets on Friday – the Tyson Invitational, the Iowa State Classic and the FloTrack Husky Classic.
“Today was a great day for us,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “Across the board, we had tons of personal-bests. When you send as many people to the line as we did today, obviously some things aren't going to go as you plan, but overall I was very pleased. We continue to get better and better, and we're looking forward to doing the same tomorrow.”
McQuay, a sophomore sprinter, turned in an NCAA automatic-qualifying time in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 45.95 to place third overall in the event. That goes down as one of the top-five times in the country this season.
“We have always known Tony is a special athlete,” Holloway said. “He had been a little nicked up and I have to give a lot of credit to Andy Klock and the training staff for getting him healthy. He has trained hard and had the second-fastest time of his life. I am really pleased with Tony today.”
Claye, who had already recorded an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark in the men's triple jump earlier this season, punched his ticket for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the men's long jump as well. Claye tallied a mark of 7.95m/26-1 to place fourth overall in that event. His long jump mark went down as the fifth-best in UF school history.
“I was very pleased with Will Claye qualifying in the long jump,” Holloway said. “When you look across the board, nearly everyone on our team had a seasonal best or a personal best today.”
The Gators have now posted automatic-qualifying marks for seven spots at the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships - Claye (TJ, LJ), Omar Craddock (TJ), Jeff Demps (60m), Gray Horn (heptathlon), Tony McQuay (400m) and Christian Taylor (TJ).
Demps placed second overall in the semifinals of the men's 60-meter dash in a time of 6.58, clocking an NCAA automatic-qualifying time for the second consecutive week. Senior sprinter Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.) finished third in the finals of that event, tying his season high at 6.64.
Freshman sprinter Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.) turned in a personal-best and the 10th-best time in school history to place sixth in the women's 400-meter dash, clocking a 53.56. Sophomore sprinter Lanie Whittaker (Miami, Fla.) ran a season-best time of 53.88 to win her heat and place ninth in the women's 400m. Sophomore sprinter Jovon Toppin (Port of Spain, Trinidad) ran a season-best time of 48.67 in the men's 400m.
Freshman hurdler Eddie Lovett (West Palm Beach, Fla.) advanced to the finals of the men's 60-meter hurdles, placing seventh overall in a time of 7.94. Lovett clocked a personal-best time of 7.85 in the semifinal round, which moved him into a tie for ninth place on the school's all-time 60m hurdles list with former Gator great Rickey Harris. Junior multi-event athlete Gray Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio) also turned in a personal-best time of 8.04 in the 60m hurdles. Earlier in the day, Jarius Cooper (Palm Coast, Fla.) won his heat in the prelims of the 60m hurdles in 8.11.
Sophomore hurdler Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.) advanced to the semifinals of the women's 60-meter hurdles, where she finished 19th overall with a career-best time of 8.56. Ndu's time went down as the fifth-best time in school history, breaking her previous best of 8.63 recorded at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 15.
Freshman sprinter Darshay Davis (Mirimar, Fla.) advanced to the semifinals of the women's 60-meter dash, but recorded a personal-best time of 7.43 in the event's preliminaries. That time went down as the seventh-fastest women's 60m time in school history.
Pole vaulters Claire Spurling (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Daisy Glasser (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) each turned in season-best marks of 3.75m/12-3.50 to place second and fourth, respectively.
Junior jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) charted a season-best mark of 7.60m/24-11.25 to place 10th in the men's long jump, while senior Daniela Griffin (Jacksonville, Fla.) recorded a personal-best mark of 5.87m/19-3.25 to finish sixth in the women's long jump.
At the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, sophomore thrower Jeremy Postin (Auburndale, Fla.) placed fifth in the men's weight throw with a toss of 19.34m/63-5.50. Junior thrower Fidela James (Jacksonville, Fla.) was seventh in the women's weight throw with a toss of 17.64m/57-10.50.
At the FloTrack Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia) and Callie Cooper (St. Johns, Fla.) each competed in the women's 5,000-meter run, clocking times of 16:37.21 and 16:55.24, respectively. On the men's side James Uthmeier (Destin, Fla.) turned in a time of 14:30.19 in the 5K.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, 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.
TYSON INVITATIONAL (FEB. 11-12 :: FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Women's 400m – 1 p.m. ET (AUTO: 52.60)
6. Ebony Eutsey – 53.56
9. Lanie Whittaker – 53.88
73. Michelle Stegall – 58.37
Women's Pole Vault – 1 p.m. ET (AUTO: 4.30m/14-1.25)
2. Claire Spurling – 3.75m/12-3.50
4. Daisy Glasser – 3.75m/12-3.50
Women's Long Jump – 1 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.38m/20-11.25)
6. Daniela Griffin – 5.87m/19-3.25
26. Brittany Harrell – 5.40m/17-8.75
Men's 400m – 2 p.m. ET (AUTO: 46.15)
3. Tony McQuay – 45.95 (A)
38. Jovon Toppin – 48.67
Women's 60m Hurdles (prelim) – 3 p.m. ET (AUTO: 8.14)
21. Ugonna Ndu – 8.64 q
29. Lorraine Graham – 8.72
40. Brittany Harrell – 9.06
Men's 60m Hurdles (prelim) – 3:30 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.70)
10. Eddie Lovett – 7.95 q
16. Gray Horn – 8.10 q
17. Jarius Cooper – 8.11 q
Women's 800m – 4 p.m. ET (AUTO: 2:05.00)
19. Ashley Usery – 2:16.54
Women's 60m (prelim) – 4:40 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.26)
24. Darshay Davis – 7.43 q
64. Lauren Smith – 7.73
Men's 60m (prelim) – 5:10 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.60)
2. Jeff Demps – 6.68 q
7. Terrell Wilks – 6.74 q
31. Leonardo Seymore – 6.88
Women's 60m Hurdles (semi) – 7:20 p.m. ET (AUTO: 8.14)
19. Ugonna Ndu – 8.56
Men's 60m Hurdles (semi) – 7:30 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.70)
5. Eddie Lovett – 7.85 q
18. Gray Horn – 8.04
20. Jarius Cooper – 8.12
Women's 60m (semi) – 8 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.26)
20. Darshay Davis – 7.47
Men's 60m (semi) – 8:30 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.60)
2. Jeff Demps – 6.58 q (A)
6. Terrell Wilks – 6.70 q
Men's Long Jump Invitational – 8:30 p.m. ET (7.90m/25-11)
4. Will Claye – 7.95m/26-1 (A)
10. Christian Taylor – 7.60m/24-11.25
Men's 60m Hurdles Final – 10 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.70)
7. Eddie Lovett – 7.94
Men's 60m Final – 10:20 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.60)
3. Terrell Wilks – 6.64
IOWA STATE CLASSIC (FEB. 11-12 :: AMES, IOWA)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Women's Weight Throw – Unseeded – 1 p.m. ET (AUTO: 21.00m/68-10)
14. Ashley Miller – 16.06m/52-8.25
Women's Weight Throw – Seeded – 3 p.m. ET (AUTO: 21.00m/68-10)
7. Fidela James – 17.64m/57-10.50
Men's Weight Throw – Seeded – 5 p.m. ET (AUTO: 21.50m/70-6)
5. Jeremy Postin – 19.34m/63-5.50
FLOTRACK HUSKY CLASSIC (FEB. 11-12 :: SEATTLE, WASH.)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Women's 5,000m Run (AUTO: 16:07.50)
31. Genevieve LaCaze – 16:37.21
44. Callie Cooper – 16:55.24
Men's 5,000m Run (AUTO: 13.47.00)
58. James Uthmeier – 14:30.19
FLORIDA'S NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS ON FRIDAY
· Will Claye – Men's Long Jump (7.95m/26-1) (A)
· Jeff Demps – Men's 60m (6.58) (A)
· Tony McQuay – Men's 400m (45.95) (A)
