Gators Geared Up for Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite Meet Feb. 7-8
Thursday, February 6, 2014 | Track and Field
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Orange and Blue track & field Gators are at it again this weekend, this time at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. Coming off two ultra-competitive meets at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington and the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, back-to-back Division I National Meets of the Week, the No. 2 and No. 4 Gator men's and women's track and field squads will take a contingent of athletes to Blacksburg for competition at the VT Elite Meet at Rector Field House Feb. 7 and 8.
Gator fans wishing to follow along with the Orange and Blue in Blacksburg can do so via Live Results.
Florida junior jumper Ciarra Brewer and a pair of Gator freshmen in hurdler Skylar Ross-Ransom and sprinter Nick Uruburu picked up SEC Athlete of the Week accolades just Tuesday, wrapping up a strong week of competition for the No. 2 Gator men and No. 3 Florida women following the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville. Tabbed the USTFCCCA Division I National Meet of the Week, the Gators finished third on both the men's (90 pts) and women's sides (84 pts) following competition at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The invite featured a number of top-25 teams, as Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M and Tulsa all competed Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
Brewer, Ross-Ransom & Uruburu all turned in stellar performances at the meet – Brewer with the nation's best triple jump mark this season (13.55m/44-5.5), Ross-Ransom with a PR in the 60mH and the third-fastest performance in school history (8.28) and Uruburu with two PRs in the 200m (21.53) & 400m (47.16), while also collaborating with Najee Glass, Hugh Graham, Jr. and Arman Hall for the fastest time in the world in the men's 4x4 relay thus far this season (3:04.46). Florida walked away from the Razorback Invitational with eight total event victories, including three Friday and five Saturday.
The Orange and Blue hold the top marks in the country in the men's 4x4 (3:04.46), the men's long jump (Marquis Dendy, 7.87m/25-10) and women's triple jump (Brewer, 13.55m/44-5.5). In the SEC, the Gators reign in the all three aforementioned events, in addition to the men's 800m (Ryan Schnulle, 1:48.05), women's 3000m (Cory McGee, 9:18.26), men's 60mH (Eddie Lovett, 7.70) and Florida's women's DMR (11:00.16).
Brewer, Dendy, Hall and McGee are all on The Bowerman Award February Watch List, Hall one of the top-10 on the men's side, while Dendy is receiving votes on the men's side. Both Brewer and McGee are receiving votes for the women's The Bowerman Watch List, as Brewer was an addition to the list Thursday.
This weekend's competition kicks off at Virginia Tech at 5 p.m. (ET) Friday with the men's and women's long jump events, while running events also commence at 5 p.m. with the women's mile. Action resumes Saturday at Rector Field House at 11 a.m. with the women's high jump, while running events are slated to begin at 1 p.m. with the women's 3000m run.
DOC HALE VIRGINIA TECH ELITE MEET
Competition Dates: Feb. 7-8 | Rector Field House
Participating Teams: Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, NC State, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
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Following the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, the Gators will get their first glimpse of the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station this season when UF visits Texas for the Texas A&M Invitational Feb. 15. The competition will serve as a preview to the facility for Florida, as the Aggies play host to the 2014 SEC Indoor Championships Feb. 27-March 1 in College Station.
