Former UF All-American Lovett has eyes set on championship season
Sunday, April 5, 2015 | Women's Basketball, Track and Field, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Eddie Lovett was in familiar territory on Saturday at the Florida Relays.
The former UF All-American turned professional after last season but is back at UF this spring working toward finishing his degree.
Beyond his classwork, Lovett eyes a trip to the 2016 Olympics as one of the world's top 110-meter hurdlers.
Running for World Express AC on Saturday, Lovett led off in the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdles and helped World Express -- Spencer Adams, Jarret Eaton and Mikel Thomas were his teammates -- set a meet record of 53.65 seconds, eclipsing the 7-year-old record of 54.10.
Lovett competed Friday in the individual 110-meter hurdles, finishing 11th with a time of 13.70. Former Southern Cal runner Aleec Harris (13.23) was the winner.
The 22-year-old Lovett won the NCAA 60-meter hurdle title in 2013 with a meet-record 7.50. He finished runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Lovett spent most of last year competing around the world in professional events and now back at UF, is training under the direction of UF assistant coach Erin Tucker.
The transition from collegiate runner to the professional ranks is perhaps the biggest hurdle in Lovett's career at the moment.
“You've got to do some things on your own,” he told the SEC Network. “You have to be in the moment all the time. Everything is go-go-go. You've got to be healthy, take care of your body on and off the track.
“When you are in college, you have more of a team aspect. Now, it's all on me. Pretty much from this point forward, whatever I do, it's all on me.”
While Lovett was well off Harris' time on Friday in his premier event, he didn't seem too worried.
Lovett plans to turn up the intensity in training later this month as he eyes the 2015 outdoor championship season, highlighted by the IAAF World Championships in China in August.
“You want to build up to May, June, July -- that's when championship season is,'' he said. “Being consistent is the main thing and hopefully you can keep that peak. No way do I want to be running 13 flat right now. If I'm running as fast as I can right now, once I get to August I am going to be burned out.”
