The University of Florida track and field team on Friday saw a day full of standout performances from a cast of stars, using a total-team effort to power the Gators into a strong position heading into Championship Saturday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Florida men currently are in a tie for second place through 14 of 21 events scored, heading into the final day of competition. Florida State leads the men's field with 29 points, while the Gators and Virginia Tech are both tied for second with 28 points each. BYU is fourth with 25.5 points. Oregon leads the women's field with 33 points, while Oklahoma is in second with 29 and Stanford is third with 25.
The final day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships take place beginning Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. CBS will carry live coverage from 1-3 p.m. ET.
“Everything went very well today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “It started off with the 4x4s and I was really proud of both of them – the women ran the fifth-fastest time in school history and the men did a good job of qualifying. We talked with our team about having as many chances to score tomorrow as possible and it was important for them to get that done. We're not going to come out and talk about winning a title tomorrow. We're going to focus on execution. We're in a great position, we just have to come out here and, as we've been saying for the past few years, finish the mission.”
Junior jumper Will Claye (Phoenix, Ariz.) placed third in the men's long jump with a leap of 8.20m/26-11 to pick up six points for the Gators. Claye had to complete the event over a two-day period after weather suspended the event late Thursday night heading into Claye's final attempt.
“I thought it went good,” Claye said. “Yesterday, everybody was really out here going big. When they gave us the delay, it was just hard to come back and repeat that feeling, but I still tried to come out here and simulate it. I really wanted to just come out here and do my best today.”
Sophomore sprinter Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.), who spent much of the outdoor season recovering from an injury sustained at the NCAA Indoor Championships placed second overall in the men's 400-meter dash to earn eight points for the Gators. McQuay clocked a time of 45.14 in the event.
“Tony McQuay was a guy that was hurt most of the outdoor season and really trusted me and our training model,” Holloway said. “I told him that we'd have him ready for this meet and he came in and almost stole the thing. I'm very, very proud of him.”
Senior sprinter Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.), who was not predicted to make the finals of the men's 100-meter dash, capped off his final individual collegiate race, placing fifth in a time of 10.19. For Wilks, Florida's team leader who will also compete in the 4x100-meter relay tomorrow, it will mark the conclusion of a career that has been much more decorated and impactful than any top-10 list may ever show.
“It brought tears to my eyes to watch Terrell finish fifth tonight,” Holloway said. “People don't know, but Terrell has been through a lot here. He had some hip surgery and he hasn't always been healthy. For him to be able to come in here and pick the team up after what happened earlier this week, I am really proud of him.”
“My goal today was just to go out and help the team,” Wilks said. “Whatever came for me, I was going to be happy with. I am thankful that I made it through healthy and can come back and help the team tomorrow. I hope this shows the younger people that just because you're on the form chart doesn't mean you can't help your team. Every point helps.”
Junior decathlete Gray Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio) broke his own UF school record in the men's decathlon, placing fifth overall with a career-best point total of 7,914. Horn added four points for the Gators in earning his best career finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He became Florida's first-ever top-five finisher in the men's decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Horn, who had to complete the final two events of the decathlon on Friday morning due to a severe weather delay on Thursday evening that halted the competition, placed 13th in the javelin with a mark of 52.32/171-8 to earn 623 points. That was just shy of his personal-best mark of 52.63m/172-8. Horn then concluded the day with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run at 4:29.45, also just shy of his personal-best time of 4:29.19.
“Gray Horn is a guy who takes pride in scoring points for the team and I am very proud of him for doing that today,” Holloway said. “He had a new school record and almost a 100-point PR. I am really pleased that he was able to do that at NCAAs.”
Freshman heptathlete Brittany Harrell (McComb, Miss.) placed 11th overall in her first career NCAA Championship meet. Harrell totaled a seven-event total of 5,308, which is just shy of her personal-best mark in the event.
Harrell opened up the second day of the heptathlon competition with a 19th-place finish in the long jump event with a mark of 5.31m/17-5.25 (-0.2). She then followed with a third-place showing in the javelin with a mark of 40.98m/134-5. She closed out the event with a time of 2:23.56 in the 800m to place 13th overall.
Senior pole vaulter Daisy Glasser (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) saw her Florida career come to a close with her first career NCAA Championships appearance. Glasser placed 14th overall with a leap of 4.00m/13-1.50.
High jumper Frankie Hammond (Hollywood, Fla.) concluded his season with a 14th-place finish in the men's high jump with a mark of 2.14m/7-0.25.
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.
NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (JUNE 8-11, 2011 :: DES MOINES, IOWA)
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011
MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS (THROUGH 14 OF 21 EVENTS SCORED)
1. Florida State – 29
T2. Florida – 28
T2. Virginia Tech – 28
4. BYU – 25.5
T5. Texas Tech – 24
T5. Stanford – 24
7. Texas A&M – 22
8. LSU – 17
9. Oregon – 15
T10. Arizona – 14
T10. Kansas – 14
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS (THROUGH 14 OF 21 EVENTS SCORED)
1. Oregon – 33
2. Oklahoma – 29
3. Stanford – 25
4. Texas A&M – 23
T5. Texas – 21
T5. Southern Miss – 21
7. LSU – 20.5
8. Arizona – 20
T9. Kansas State – 19
T9. Clemson - 19
Men's Decathlon – 11:30 a.m. ET
5. Gray Horn – 7,914 (SR) (4 points)
Decathlon Javelin
13. Gray Horn – 52.32m/171-8 (623 points)
Decathlon 1,500m
8. Gray Horn – 4:29.45 (748 points)
Women's 4x400m Relay (semi) – 12 p.m. ET
4. Florida – 3:31.06 q
(E. Eutsey, Al. Usery, D. Williams, U. Ndu)
Men's 4x400m Relay (semi) – 12:15 p.m. ET
7. Florida – 3:04.43 q
(C. Taylor, J. Toppin, T. McQuay, S. Obinwa)
Men's Long Jump - 6:35 p.m. ET
3. Will Claye – 8.20m/26-11 (+0.4) (6 points)
10. Christian Taylor - 7.83m/25-8.25 (-0.1)
Women's Heptathlon - 5 p.m. ET
11. Brittany Harrell – 5,308
Heptathlon Long Jump
19. Brittany Harrell – 5.31m/17-5.25 (-0.2) (645 points)
Heptathlon Javelin
3. Brittany Harrell – 40.98m/134-5 (686 points)
Heptathlon 800m
13. Brittany Harrell – 2:23.56 (776 points)
Men's High Jump - 6:20 p.m. ET
14. Frankie Hammond – 2.14m/7-0.25
Women's Pole Vault - 6:25 p.m. ET
14. Daisy Glasser – 4.00m/13-1.50
Men's 100m (final) - 8:02 p.m. ET
5. Terrell Wilks – 10.19 (+1.3) (4 points)
Men's 400m (final) - 9:02 p.m. ET
2. Tony McQuay – 45.14 (8 points)
