No. 1 Gators Kick Off Indoor Campaign at UAB Invitational Jan. 9-10
Thursday, January 8, 2015 | Track and Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Let the season begin! The 2015 indoor track and field season kicks off for the Orange and Blue Jan. 9-10 at the UAB Blazer Invitational in Birmingham. Under the direction of head coach Mike Holloway -- entering his 20th season at Florida, 13th as head coach -- the No. 1 Gators will take a contingent of 12 athletes to compete at the season-opening UAB Invite at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Florida's UAB Invitational crew consists of several Gator sprinters and hurdlers: Tyjah Eady, Ashley Favors, Ryann McEnany, Bridgette Owens and Shayla Sanders represent the women's squad, while Caleb Chambliss, Yanick Hart, Tyler Osorio, Moriel Pitt and Antwan Wright will represent the Florida men's team. Freshmen Damien Daniels and Jabari Hill will also make their Gator debuts this weekend in Birmingham.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
· Gators No. 1 in USTFCCCA Preseason National Team Computer Rankings
· Marquis Dendy & Dedric Dukes Named to The Bowerman Trophy Preseason Watch List
MEET INFO | FOLLOW THE GATORS
· UAB Blazer Invitational Meet Central | Meet Records
· Follow the Gators: Twitter and Facebook | Women's Instagram
· Florida Track and Field Record Book
· Participating Teams: Adidas, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Nike, Florida, FAMU, FIU, Georgia State, Jackson State, Jacksonville State, Johnson C. Smith, Kennesaw State, Lousiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Montevallo, New Orleans, Samford, Shorter, Southern New Orleans, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Trevecca Nazarene, Troy, Tulane, UAB, Lousiana-Monroe
PREVIEWING THE 2015 SEASON
On the men's side a year ago in indoor action, the Gators finished second at SEC indoors and third at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Florida boasted the SEC and USTFCCCA Indoor Men's Runner/Athlete of the Year in Gino Hall, who also tied for the Cliff Harper High Point Trophy at SECs. Florida tallied 16 All-America honors indoors -- and the Gators excitedly return all of those performances, except two, with the departure of 2014 seniors Eddie Lovett (60H) and Sean Obinwa (800m). On the women's side, the Gators are geared up to build on one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2014. Florida claimed four conference individual and relay titles to lead the Orange and Blue to the 2014 SEC Indoor crown for the eighth time in school history. The Gators went on to finish third at NCAA indoors, where the contingent of athletes scored Florida's most points in 10 years (40.5). UF's 20 indoor All-America honors were the most in school history. Likewise with the men, the Florida women's program returns a majority of its All-Americans, with just three departing All-America scorers in Ebony Eutsey (400m), Cory McGee (Mile) & Agata Strausa (DMR).
Under the direction of head coach Mike Holloway -- entering his 20th season at Florida, 13th as head coach -- and for the second consecutive year, Florida will kick off the indoor campaign with competition at the UAB Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex, where the Gators notched 13 event victories and 10 meet records a year ago.
RECAPPING 2014 | FLORIDA MEN
Was the national runner-up at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Florida's third straight top-two finish and seventh consecutive top-five finish… Scored 70 points at NCAA Outdoors, the most under Florida head coach Mike Holloway and the most for Gators in 40 years… Had 21 All-America honors at NCAA Outdoors, tying for the most in UF history (2011)… Honored with the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year in Mike Holloway and the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Outdoor Athlete of the Year Dedric Dukes and USTFCCCA Indoor Athlete of the Year and SEC Indoor Men's Runner of the Year and Cliff Harper Trophy winner Arman Hall… Boasted three NCAA individual champions in Marquis Dendy (LJ & TJ) and Dedric Dukes (200m), while the Gators' 4x1 quartet of Antwan Wright, Hugh Graham, Jr., Gino Hall and Dukes also claimed their second straight NCAA title in the event… Crowned four SEC Champions – Gino Hall (200m) and Eddie Lovett (60H) indoors and Marquis Dendy (TJ) and Stipe Zunic (SP) outdoors… Placed third at SEC Outdoors, Florida's fifth top-three league finish in the last eight years… Notched a third-place finish at NCAA Indoors for the Gators' sixth-straight top-three finish… Was the SEC runner-up indoors as well… Had 16 indoor All-America honors, tying for the most in program history (1992)… Had two semifinalists for The Bowerman Award 200m NCAA Outdoor Champion Dedric Dukes and two-time 2014 NCAA long and triple jump champion Marquis Dendy… Set two school records indoors: Mark Parrish (5k: 13:43.15), 4x4 (Glass, Graham, Jr., Dukes, Hall: 3:03.50)… Saw three school records fall outdoors: 4x1 (Wright, Graham, Jr., Hall Dukes, 38.29) in American Collegiate Record pace at Texas Relays, 4x4 (Glass, Graham, Jr., Dukes, Hall: 2:59.73), third fastest in collegiate history at Florida Relays and Stipe Zunic in the Shot Put at the NCAA East Preliminary (20.60m).
RECAPPING 2014 | FLORIDA WOMEN
Won the 2014 SEC Indoor Championship, Florida's eighth indoor title in program history and third indoor league title in the last five years… Tied for third at the NCAA Indoor Championship, Florida's highest finish under Mike Holloway and highest place at the meet since 2005… Scored 40.5 points at NCAA Indoors, Florida's most in 10 years, while the Gators' 20 All-America honors indoors were the most in program history… Turned in a runner-up finish at SEC Outdoors, Florida's sixth top-two finish in the last seven years… Followed up with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, the Gators' second top-five finish under Holloway and the best since third in 2010… Scored the second-most points in program history at NCAA Outdoors (55), while the Gators' 19 All-America honors from outdoors marked the most in school history… Honored with the USTFCCCA South Region and SEC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year in Mike Holloway and the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Indoor Athlete of the Year Cory McGee… McGee SEC Indoor Co-Women's Runner of the Year and Cliff Harper Trophy winner… Garnered the SEC Indoor Women's Freshman Runner of the Year in Becky Greene and the SEC Outdoor Co-Women's Field Athlete of the Year in Ciarra Brewer… Boasted one NCAA champion in Fawn Miller, who claimed the outdoor title in the javelin for Florida's first national title indoors or outdoors since 2010… Crowned two SEC individual champion indoors and two relays: Ciarra Brewer (TJ), Cory McGee (3000m) and Florida's DMR (Greene, Curtis, Strausa, McGee) and the Gators' 4x4 (Reynolds, Gause, Jefferson, Eutsey)… Boasted three SEC Champions outdoors: Ciarra Brewer (TJ), Cory McGee (1500m) and Fawn Miller (javelin)… Set five school records indoors: Shayla Sanders (60m: 7.18), Kyra Jefferson (200m: 22.79), 4x4 (Reynolds, Gause, Jefferson, Eutsey: 3:30.16), Taylor Burke (HJ: 1.87m/6-1.5), Brittany Harrell (Pentathlon: 4,287)… Saw three school records fall outdoors: Kyra Jefferson (200m: 22.78), 4x4 (Reynolds, Whittaker, Gause, Eutsey: 3:27.38), Ciarra Brewer (TJ: 13.91m/45-7.75).
