Gators' Cross Country Teams Set for SEC Championships
Thursday, October 30, 2014 | Cross Country
Season Stats (M) | Season Stats (W) | SEC Top Times
Live Results | Championship Home Page
On Friday (Oct. 31), the Florida cross country teams will compete at the 2014 SEC Championships at the Harry Pritchett Cross Country Course in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The women's 6K will begin at 10 a.m. (ET), followed by the men's 8K at 11 a.m. (ET).
Live results of the event can be found here, and a post-produced showing of the competition will air on the SEC Network on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET).
PROJECTED RUNNERS
|
Men |
8K Personal Best |
|
Thomas Howell |
24:45.76 (`14 MDI) |
|
Mac Reynolds |
24:56.41 (`14 MDI) |
|
David Kilgore |
24:18.00 (`12 SCBI) |
|
Carlos Miranda |
24.55.40 (`13 SECs) |
|
Mark Mutz |
25:41.98 (`14 MDI) |
|
Austin Decker |
25:36.23 (`14 MDI) |
|
Elliot Clemente |
25:11.93 (`14 MDI) |
|
Women |
6K Personal Best |
|
Lauren Brasure |
20:27.00 (`14 Paul Short) |
|
Becky Greene |
21:03.00 (`14 Paul Short) |
|
Taylor Tubbs |
20:37.00 (`14 Paul Short) |
|
Grace VanDeGrift |
21:21.00 (`14 Paul Short) |
|
Devin McDermott |
-- |
|
Macy Huskey |
21:51.58 (`13 Regionals) |
|
Amber Johnson |
22:02.00 (`14 Paul Short) |
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Men's Championships: 3 | 1955, 1986, 1987
2013 SEC Finish: 2nd (96 points)
2013 Top Performer (returning): Carlos Miranda (29th, 24:55.40)
Women's Championships: 6 | 1984, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2010, 2012
2013 SEC Finish: 4th (150)
2013 Top Performer (returning): Taylor Tubbs (37th, 21:41.30)
TOP OF THE PACK
The men have been a top-five finisher at SECs for 17 straight years, 12 of those being top-three finishes.
AMONG THE BEST
Entering SECs, the women boast three of the top-20 6K times in the conference this season. Freshman Lauren Brasure holds the No. 5 time (20:27.00), sophomore Taylor Tubbs sits at No. 7 (20:37.00) and redshirt freshman Becky Greene has the No. 19 mark (21:03.00).
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Since her first race as a Gator, Brasure has established herself as one of the top runners in the conference. The true freshman not only holds the fifth-fastest 6K time in the SEC this season, but also has the conference's top freshman time, besting teammate Greene by 36 seconds.
FRESHMEN MEN SUCCESS
Since 2011, the Florida men's freshmen have had a great deal of success at SECs, as UF has had at least one student-athlete named to the SEC All-Freshman Team each season, totaling five honorees, which is the second-highest total among any SEC school during that time.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach Paul Spangler will lead the Gators into the SEC Championships for the third year. Spangler was named the 2012 SEC Women's Coach of the Year after directing Florida's women to a SEC title. A Spangler-led Gator team has never finished lower than fifth at SECs, and at least one of his teams have finished second or better every year during his tenure at UF.
FIRST-TIME RUNNNERS
Seven Gators (four men & three women) are expected to make their SEC Championship debuts on Friday.
|
MEN |
WOMEN |
|
Elliot Clemente (Jr.) |
Lauren Brasure (Fr.) |
|
Austin Decker (Fr.) |
Becky Greene (RFr.) |
|
Thomas Howell (Fr.) |
Devin McDermott (RSo.) |
|
David Kilgore (RJr.) |
TOP-5 FINISHES
Since 2008, the Florida women have had a runner finish fifth or better every year at the SEC Championships.
IN THE POLLS
In the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings, the Gator women sit at No. 11 in the South Region. On the men's side, the Gators are planted at No. 8.
SPANGLER SPEAKS
On the SEC Championships…
"Some of these athletes are familiar with this course; it's where the NCAA Regionals were last year. So for our veteran athletes, some of them have gotten a chance to compete on the course already. For some of our younger athletes, like Becky Greene and Lauren Brasure – two of the top freshmen in the SEC – they get to go in there and make a name for themselves at the SEC Championships."
On how Florida stacks up with the other schools…
"It's a good conference. You look on the men's side and women's side going in that Arkansas is favored to win both [races]. You find out on race day that anything can happen. As long as we go in there and compete for 20-21 minutes on the women's side, 24-25 minutes on the men's side and give 100 percent, that's all we can do – I think anything is possible."
-Florida assistant track and cross country coach Paul Spangler
For all of the latest information on Florida cross country:
