Junior Florida jumper Will Claye (Phoenix, Ariz..) and junior distance runner Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia) each captured Southeastern Conference individual championships on Saturday to highlight the third day of the 2011 SEC Outdoor Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia at its Spec Towns Track.
Claye claimed the men's long jump title, setting a facility record in the process, while LaCaze captured the women's steeplechase crown for the second time in her career.
Florida's women currently lead the competition through eight of 21 scored events with a total of 50 points. Georgia is second with 49 points, while Arkansas and LSU are tied for third with 39 points. Host Georgia leads the men's competition through seven of 21 scored events with 68 total points, while Florida is second with 51 points and Arkansas is third with 46.
The final day of the 2011 SEC Outdoor Championships begins at 12 p.m. ET Sunday. Live coverage of the running events will be available through ESPN3.com, while live results will be available at www.flashresults.com. Florida's men are looking for their second consecutive league outdoor crown, while the women are seeking their second in three years.
“I think we had a great day today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “We started with the long jump and Will had a lifetime best with one of the top jumps in the world, and Christian had a season-best and he's getting better every week. On the women's side, we had two long jumpers coming in not seeded very high and they both scored. Kudos to both Coach [Dick] Booth for the men's jumps and Coach [Brian] O'Neal for the women's jumps. I thought our women did very well in the discus and I was proud of Stipe [Zunic] for going out and scoring in both the javelin and shot put today. We qualified very well across the board, especially with our men's hurdlers today. We have a chance to do some special things tomorrow.”
The Florida men's squad faced some adversity in the 100-meter dash with two of its athletes false-starting in their respective heats. Holloway said that despite being disappointed in the event, he still feels strongly about the Gators' chances for a conference team title on both the men's and women's sides. It's nothing Florida hasn't faced before after fighting through injuries to claim a second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship on the men's side this past March.
“I'm extremely disappointed with what went on in the 100 today,” Holloway said. “I'm the sprints coach here and I'm going to shoulder the blame for that, get back to Gainesville and get it right. People may be looking at that event saying it may have put a damper on our team chances on the men's side, but I guarantee you, win or lose, the Gators are going to show up and compete hard tomorrow. We've got somebody in almost every event and we've got a chance to do some great things. It's just like indoor nationals - if they want to give somebody else the title, they're going to have to earn it. We're going to show our true colors tomorrow.”
Claye won the SEC Outdoor Championship in the men's long jump using a leap of 8.29m/27-2.50 (+1.9), which goes down as the second-best men's long jump in the world so far this season. Claye, who was second in the long jump at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championship, set the Spec Towns Track facility record en route to the league title. Junior jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) placed fourth overall in the event with a season-best leap of 8.00m/26-3 (+0.5), as both Florida jumpers recorded marks of eight meters or better in the event.
“I felt good warming up and, from the get-go, me and Christian both felt good and wanted to go out there and do something big,” Claye said. “Every time I touch the track or the runway, I feel like I have to do something big and do the best I can. The track was really nice and bouncy, and the crowd was helping all of us out. It just felt like another day at practice out there with Christian. This meet has one of the best jumping fields in the nation and I think it just brings out the best in everybody.”
LaCaze captured the second SEC women's steeplechase title of her collegiate career after also winning the event as a freshman in 2009. She turned in a winning time of 10:21.82 and fought off a late charge from Georgia's Taylor Adams to take home the crown. Teammate Stephanie Strasser (Fernandina Beach, Fla.) also scored in the event, placing eighth in a time of 10:46.25 to give the Gators 11 points from the women's steeplechase.
“It was a tough one. I knew they [Georgia] were going to come back,” LaCaze said. “That's what the steeple is all about. It's trying to go out hard but make sure you have enough to finish it. That girl from Georgia [Taylor Adams] really pushed me all the way to the end, but I knew it would just come down to that last water jump and if I could get there first and get out quick, that would hopefully break her and it worked well.”
Freshman thrower Stipe Zunic (Zadar, Croatia) used the seventh-best throw in Florida school history to place second overall in the men's javelin with a personal-best toss of 73.07m/239-8. Senior thrower Doug Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) just missed a scoring opportunity in the men's javelin, placing ninth with a throw of 61.39m/201-5.
Zunic went directly from the javelin to the shot put, where he posted a seventh-place finish with a toss of 16.53m/54-2.75.
The Florida women's long jumpers turned in an incredible performance with a 3-6 finish in the event, both greatly bettering their seeds entering the meet. Freshman Lorraine Graham (Springdale, Md.) placed third with a personal-best mark of 6.17m/20-3 (+1.8), while senior Daniela Griffin (Jacksonville, Fla.) was eighth with a personal-best mark of 6.05m/19-10.25. Graham shattered her previous personal-best mark of 5.91m/19-4.75.
Senior pole vaulter Daisy Glasser (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) turned in the second-best women's pole vault mark in program history with a leap of 4.11m/13-5.75 to place fourth overall. Junior Claire Spurling (Jacksonville, Fla.) was eighth in the event with a personal-best mark of 3.86m/12-8. That gave the Gators six important points on the women's side.
The Gators tallied 13 points from the women's discus event thanks to a trio of top-six finishes. Sophomore Ashley Miller (Miami Beach, Fla.) placed third overall with a toss of 51.09m/167-7, while sophomore Kaitlin Davis (Niceville, Fla.) was fifth with a throw of 49.56m/162-7. Junior thrower Keely Medeiros (Blumenau-SC, Brazil) was sixth overall in the women's discus with a mark of 48.82m/160-2.
Junior Michael Anderson (Williston, Fla.) placed sixth overall in the men's steeplechase in a time of 9:14.24.
Florida qualified an impressive quartet of runners to the finals of the men's 110-meter hurdles. Freshman Eddie Lovett (West Palm Beach, Fla.), the 2011 SEC Indoor 100m Hurdles Champion, was second overall in the preliminaries in a time of 13.85 (+2.2). Sophomore William Wynne (Marietta, Ga.) placed fourth overall in a time of 14.05 (+2.2), while senior Jarius Cooper (Palm Coast, Fla.) was sixth in a time of 14.45 (+0.0). Junior Gray Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio), fresh off claiming his third consecutive SEC decathlon title on Friday, placed eighth in the preliminaries of the men's 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.49 (+0.0).
Senior sprinter Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.) qualified on time in the men's 100-meter dash, clocking a time of 10.35 (+1.5) to advance to Sunday's final in the event. Freshman sprinter Darshay Davis (Mirimar, Fla.) advanced to the finals of the women's 100-meter dash by recording a time of 11.57 in the preliminaries, making her the only freshman to qualify for the finals of that event. Davis' time goes down as the 10th-fastest in UF school history.
Sophomore sprinter Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) charted the fastest time in the preliminaries of the men's 400-meter dash with a season-best time of 45.89 to advance to the finals of that event. Freshman sprinter Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.) clocked a personal-best time of 52.81 – just outside Florida's all-time top-10 list – to advance to the finals of the women's 400-meter dash. That shattered her previous personal-best time of 54.31, charted at the Pepsi Florida Relays on April 1.
LaCaze and freshman Cory McGee (Pass Christian, Miss.) both qualified for the finals of the women's 1,500-meter run. LaCaze had the second-best time in the preliminary field at 4:22.82, while McGee was ninth in 4:26.60.
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.
2011 SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS :: MAY 12-15, 2011 :: ATHENS, GA.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Men's Javelin – 12 p.m. ET
2. Stipe Zunic – 73.07m/239-8 (8 points)
9. Doug Nelson – 61.39m/201-5
10. Zane Breakiron – 61.36m/201-3
11. Adam Montague – 61.31m/201-1
Women's High Jump – 12 p.m. ET
16. Alexis Muniz – 1.60m/5-3
Men's Long Jump – 12 p.m. ET
1. Will Claye – 8.29m/27-2.50 (+1.9) (10 points)
4. Christian Taylor – 8.00m/26-3 (+0.5) (5 points)
Men's Shot Put – 1:30 p.m. ET
7. Stipe Zunic – 16.53m/54-2.75 (2 points)
Women's Pole Vault – 2:30 p.m. ET
4. Daisy Glasser – 4.11m/13-5.75 (5 points)
8. Claire Spurling – 3.86m/12-8 (1 point)
Women's Long Jump – 3 p.m. ET
3. Lorraine Graham – 6.17m/20-3 (+1.8) (6 points)
6. Daniela Griffin – 6.05m/19-10.25 (+2.0) (3 points)
Women's Discus – 3:30 p.m. ET
3. Ashley Miller – 51.09m/167-7 (6 points)
5. Kaitlin Davis – 49.56m/162-7 (4 points)
6. Keely Medeiros – 48.82m/160-2 (3 points)
Men's 1,500m (prelim) – 4 p.m. ET
17. Derek Wehunt – 3:59.85
Women's 1,500m (prelim) – 4:15 p.m. ET
2. Genevieve LaCaze – 4:22.82 Q
9. Cory McGee – 4:26.60 Q
13. Mandy Perkins – 4:29.08
29. Shelby Hayes – 4:41.46
Men's 110m Hurdles (prelim) – 4:30 p.m. ET
2. Eddie Lovett – 13.85 (+2.2) Q
4. William Wynne – 14.05 (+2.2) Q
6. Jarius Cooper – 14.45 (+0.0) Q
8. Gray Horn – 14.49 (+0.0) q
Women's 100m Hurdles (prelim) – 4:45 p.m. ET
11. Ugonna Ndu – 13.83 (+0.7)
13. Paige Morton – 13.92 (+2.4)
Men's 400m (prelim) – 5 p.m. ET
1. Tony McQuay – 45.89 Q
19. Jovon Toppin – 48.58
Women's 400m (prelim) – 5:15 p.m. ET
2. Ebony Eutsey - 52.81 q
Men's 100m (prelim) – 5:30 p.m. ET
8. Terrell Wilks – 10.35 (+1.5) q
FS. Jeff Demps
FS. Chris Rainey
Women's 100m (prelim) – 5:45 p.m. ET
8. Darshay Davis – 11.57 (+0.7) Q
Men's Steeplechase – 6:05 p.m. ET
6. Michael Anderson – 9:14.24 (3 points)
Women's Steeplechase – 6:15 p.m. ET
1. Genevieve LaCaze – 10:21.82 (10 points)
8. Stephanie Strasser – 10:46.25 (1 point)
FLORIDA'S SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS ON SATURDAY
· Will Claye – Men's Long Jump (8.29m/27-2.50)
· Genevieve LaCaze – Women's Steeplechase (10:21.82)
FLORIDA ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN EVENT FINALS ON SUNDAY
· Jarius Cooper – Men's 110m Hurdles (14.45)
· Darshay Davis – Women's 100m (11.57)
· Darshay Davis – Women's 200m (23.63)
· Ebony Eutsey – Women's 400m (52.81)
· Gray Horn – Men's 110m Hurdles (14.49)
· Genevieve LaCaze – Women's 1,500m (4:22.82)
· Eddie Lovett – Men's 110m Hurdles (13.85)
· Cory McGee – Women's 800m (2:07.65)
· Cory McGee – Women's 1,500m (4:26.60)
· Tony McQuay – Men's 400m (45.89)
· Ugonna Ndu – Women's 400m Hurdles (58.68)
· Sean Obinwa – Men's 800m (1:50.01)
· Terrell Wilks – Men's 100m (10.35)
· Terrell Wilks – Men's 200m (20.60)
· William Wynne – Men's 110m Hurdles (14.05)
SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN'S STANDINGS (THROUGH 7 OF 21 EVENTS)
1. Georgia – 68
2. Florida – 51
3. Arkansas – 46
4. LSU – 31
5. Auburn – 27
6. Tennessee – 14
T7. Mississippi State – 11
T7. Kentucky – 11
9. Ole Miss – 10
10. South Carolina - 4
SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WOMEN'S STANDINGS (THROUGH 8 OF 21 EVENTS)
1. Florida – 50
2. Georgia – 49
T3. Arkansas – 39
T3. LSU – 39
5. Tennessee – 28
6. Ole Miss – 24
7. Auburn – 22
8. Kentucky – 21
9. Mississippi State – 19
10. South Carolina – 11
11. Alabama - 10
