LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Five SEC individual titles, a ton of depth, focus and diligence Friday and Saturday led the No. 1 Florida men's track and field program to the 2015 SEC Indoor Championship at the conclusion of competition Saturday evening at Nutter Field House in Lexington. The Gators returned to the top of the conference meet for the first time since 2011 and won the program's seventh SEC Indoor Championship with 114 points.
Junior Kyra Jefferson, the women's 200m SEC Champion and 400m runner-up, helped lead the No. 3 Florida women's squad that secured seven podium performances over the weekend to a runner-up team finish with 86 points behind the team from Arkansas (130). The ladies squad finished in the top two at the conference championships for the fourth time in the last six seasons Saturday.
On the men's side, Florida's rise to the top was the result of multiple factors. Senior jumper Marquis Dendy, after doubling in the men's long and triple jump at 2014 NCAA Outdoors, pulled off the feat at SEC Indoors, becoming the first athlete to do so since Florida's Christian Taylor in 2009. Dendy tied for the Cliff Harper High Point Trophy for contributing 20 points towards UF's tally. Then, there was freshman jumper KeAndre Bates with a fifth-place presence in both events for added depth. Senior thrower Stipe Zunic carried the torch for the Florida throwers, wrapping up UF's third shot put title in the last five years with a new SEC Meet Record (20.41m/66-11.5).
From the distance crew -- take senior Mark Parrish's runner-up finish in the 5K (13:53.68) and third-place finish in the 3K (8:05.70) -- to the middle distance races with UF's 1-2 punch in the 800m from junior Ryan Schnulle (1:48.25) and sophomore Andres Arroyo (1:48.48), it was a total team effort as the Gators clinched the 2015 title with both relays still to go Saturday. Junior sprinter Najee Glass (45.37) gutted out an impressive title run in the 400m, but that was just the start for Florida in the race. UF went 1-4-6 in the quarter mile with junior Gino Hall (45.97) and sophomore Nick Uruburu (46.47) close behind.
The Gators now own 15 SEC Indoor Championships after their seventh Saturday on the men's side, while the UF ladies own eight indoor titles in program history.
Next up, Florida will regroup on both sides, focus on getting healthy and turn its sights towards the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville March 13-14.
HEARING OUT HOLLOWAY
“Our men really showed up and fought though some adversity. I'm extremely proud of everybody. We know that everyone comes in here with a lot of pride and passion, and we just needed to match that. We did that and I'm very proud of our team. I'm so proud of the women's team also, it was the same deal on the women's side -- we were dealing with some injuries and had some ladies not quite 100 percent. Every lady the put on the Gator uniform went out there and fought hard all weekend long. I'm really proud of everybody who wore the Gator uniform this weekend.”
2015 SEC CHAMPIONS
· Marquis Dendy: Long Jump (8.00m/26-3)
· Third SEC indoor individual title, first athlete in two decades to win three LJ titles (last, Erick Walder of Arkansas: 1992-94)
· Marquis Dendy: Triple Jump (16.98m/55-8.5)
· Fourth SEC individual title, Nutter Field House Record, first athlete to double in the jumps since 2009 (Florida's Christian Taylor)
· Najee Glass: 400m (45.37)
· The first UF SEC 400m Champion since Kerron Clement in 2005 and the fifth Gator to ever win a quarter mile SEC indoor championship
· Kyra Jefferson: 200m (23.02)
· The second UF 200m Champion in program history (last, Michelle Freeman: 1992)
· Ryan Schnulle: 800m (1:48.25)
· UF's third-ever 800m SEC indoor champion, Florida has won 800m two of last three years
· Stipe Zunic: Shot Put (20.41m/66-11.5)
· first SEC indoor title | SEC Meet Record | UF has won shot put three of last five years
TOP FIVE SEC INDOOR MEN'S FINISHERS
1. FLORIDA, 114
2. Arkansas, 89
3. Texas A&M, 87
4. Ole Miss, 62
5. LSU, 53
TOP FIVE SEC INDOOR WOMEN'S FINISHERS
1. Arkansas, 130
2. FLORIDA, 86
3. Texas A&M, 81.9
4. Kentucky, 76
5. LSU, 51
SATURDAY GATOR RESULTS
| Field Events |
| W Weight Throw | 4. Jayla Bostic, 20.86m/68-5.25 | season-best mark |
| | 13. Lloydricia Cameron, 16.92m/55-6.25 |
| | | |
| W High Jump | 3. Taylor Burke, 1.84m/6-0.5) | season-best mark |
| | |
| W Triple Jump | 2. Ciarra Brewer, 13.54m/44-5.25 |
| | 9. Gissell Warner, 12.71m/41-8.5 |
| | 10. Darrielle McQueen, 12.67m/41-7 |
| | | |
| M Pole Vault | 10. Jared Watkins, 4.86m/15-11.25 |
| | 11. Anthony Amodio, 4.86m/15-11.25 |
| | | |
| M Shot Put | 1. Stipe Zunic, 20.41m/66-11.5 | SEC Meet Record |
| | |
| M Triple Jump | 1. Marquis Dendy, 16.98m/55-8.5 | Nutter Field House Record |
| | 5. KeAndre Bates, 16.06m/52-8.25 | PR, No. 7 all-time for UF |
| | | |
| Running Events |
| W 60m Hurdles (F) | 2. Bridgette Owens, 8.08 |
| | |
| M 60m Hurdles (F) | 5. Yanick Hart , 7.84 |
| | |
| W 60m (F) | 3. Shayla Sanders, 7.25 |
| | | |
| M 60m (F) | 6. Antwan Wright, 6.75 |
| | 9. Hugh Graham, Jr., 7.09 |
| | | |
| W Mile (F) | 6. Taylor Tubbs, 4:43.87 | PR, No. 10 mark in UF history |
| | 8. Becky Greene, 4:51.43 |
| | | |
| W 400m (F) | 2. Kyra Jefferson, 52.00 | PR, No. 4 mark in UF history |
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| M 400m (F) | 1. Najee Glass, 45.37 |
| | 4. Arman Hall, 45.97 | season-best mark |
| | 6. Nick Uruburu, 46.47 |
| | | |
| W 5,000m | 14. Lauren Brasure, 17:01.09 |
| | 21. Devin McDermott, 17:16.71 |
| | | |
| W 800m (F) | 3. Claudia Francis, 2:04.39 | PR |
| | | |
| M 800m (F) | 1. Ryan Schnulle (1:48.25) |
| | 2. Andres Arroyo (1:48.48) |
| | | |
| W 200m (F) | 1. Kyra Jefferson (23.02) |
| | 5. Destinee Gause (23.41) |
| | | |
| M 200m (F) | 3. Dedric Dukes, 20.96 | |
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| M 5,000m | 2. Mark Parrish (13:53.68) |
| | 7. Jimmy Clark (14:15.41) |
| | 12. Eddie Garcia (14:23.12) |
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| W DMR | 6. Becky Greene, Julie Nunn, Shelby Hayes, Taylor Tubbs, 11:32.27 |
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| W 4x400 | 4. Destinee Gause, Kyra Jefferson, Claudia Francis, Destiny Washington, 3:34.28 |
| | | |
| M 4x400 | 2. Najee Glass, Dedric Dukes, Nick Uruburu, Arman Hall, 3:04.28 |
IN THE POLLS
Men: No. 1
Women: No. 3
UP NEXT
The 2015 indoor campaign wraps up with NCAA Indoors March 13-14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. NCAAs will mark the third meet the Gators will visit Fayetteville this indoor season, having already competed at the Razorback Invitational and Tyson Invitational.
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