Mark Maloney: Gray Horn Comes Full Circle with Heptathlon Win
Sunday, February 27, 2011 | Track and Field
By: Mark Maloney
For GatorZone.com
Gray Horn says he discovered multi-eventing at the ripe old age of 10. That's when first tried a “track triathlon” that consisted of high jump, shot put and 400 meters.
Saturday, the Florida junior showed just how far he has come since then, taking first place in the heptathlon at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Leading after each of four events Friday, Horn turned it up a notch Saturday by setting personal records in the 60-meter hurdles (8.00 seconds) and pole vault (15 feet, 9 inches), then gutting out the 1,000-meter run (2:49.28).
His total of 5,816 points, his season best and an automatic NCAA qualifying mark, dominated the field. Arkansas freshman Kevin Lazas was runner-up with 5,674, followed by Georgia junior Michael Ayers with 5,578 and Arkansas' Terry Prentice at 5,462.
“I dug deep because I had to,” Horn said. “Arkansas' guys stepped up. They had a great meet. So me, being the competitor that I am, I couldn't help but dig deep with them and pull out a few PRs.”
In the midst of heptathlon chores Saturday, Horn also advanced to Sunday's finals in the 60-meter hurdles. He says he's shooting for a top five finish in the hurdles, which would boost the top-ranked Gators' quest to secure their first SEC team title since 2004.
“There's pride being thrown around here everywhere today,” Horn said. “We've got to be the team that steps up and says 'we're here, let's go!' “Everybody always wants to beat us because we're the Gators. The same way with Arkansas. Everyone always wants to beat them because they win so much. We're here to try to do that the best we can, and I'm here to give us a little kick-start in the process.”
Horn became UF's first SEC decathlon champion at the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships, when he was a freshman. He followed that with another title last year.
From Waynesfield, Ohio, he is urged on at every meet by his father, grandfather and other family members. His grandfather, Joe Horn, coached him through his high school years.
Gray Horn said Saturday's heptathlon win “means a lot to me and my family and my hometown, just representing for them. I'm very happy with how I did today and I'm hoping I can carry it into College Station (Texas) in two weeks.”
College Station – Texas A&M – is the site of the NCAA Championships.
Horn's first-day SEC results were a 6.99 clocking for 60 meters, 24-1 ? in the long jump, 43-3 ? in the shot put and 6-4 ? in the high jump.
Picking a favorite discipline, he said, “is tough.”
“I do all the events because I love them all. I'd say the hurdles, though. That's really taken me over these past few weeks – the hurdles, running fast. And I get a big adrenaline rush when I cross the line and see a fast time” on the scoreboard. He sees upsides to most events, though, seeking to improve in all. “I'm always looking to get better in my throws, and that's just coming naturally with maturity,” Horn said. “But I'd like to do better in the high jump. That's always been one of my strong points and lately, since I've gotten bigger, it really hasn't been. So I want to find that groove again, and I know I can do that.”
When Horn came to UF as a freshman, he stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 185 pounds. Now, he's 6-4 – or 6-5, depending on the shoes, he says – and 200 pounds.
Thanks to Matt DeLancey, UF's strength and conditioning coach for field athletes, there's no fat to be seen. He's come a long way since his greenhorn days as a 10-year-old triathlete.
“I started there and worked my way up,” Horn said. “I was always a really good football player, too, so I had to weigh my options going into college. Track weighed out, though, because I love being an athlete and I'm going to stay there.”
