Florida Gators
NCAA East Preliminary
Gators Qualify 23 on to Eugene, Turn Focus Towards NCAA Championships Finals
Sunday, May 31, 2015 | Track and Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With the NCAA East Preliminary now in the rearview mirror, the No. 1/6 Florida track and field teams will focus in on Historic Hayward Field and a trip to Eugene, Ore., in just over a week. Florida will take a squad of 23 athletes to the west coast for the NCAA Championships, 12 men and 11 women, to compete for the program's seventh and eighth national championships June 10-13.
The Gators buckled down for a successful final day of qualifying at Hodges Stadium on the North Florida campus to solidify 25 event entries for UF in Oregon, highlighted by dominating 4x1 performances and solid 4x4 relays for both the men's and women's quartets to wrap up the night, while the Orange and Blue took the 200m by storm.
Sophomore Kyra Jefferson notched the top seed entering the NCAA Championships next week with a new PR and school record 22.26 in the 200m to remain undefeated this season in the event with the No. 8 performance all-time in collegiate history and the No. 3 mark in the world so far this season. Teammate Destinee Gause notched a PR 22.93 to improve her No. 6 mark in school history and advance alongside Jefferson. Dedric Dukes, the men's 200m defending national champion, held it down for the Gators on the men's side with a 20.14 to head to Oregon as the top qualifier from the East Preliminary.
Florida hurdlers Yanick Hart (13.71) and Bridgette Owens (13.10) carried the momentum from the 4x1s into the 110 and 100 hurdles as the first events on the track Saturday, Hart qualifying for his first career outdoor championships, while Owens will make her second appearance in Eugene as a Gator.
The Gators' jump crew rose to the occasion Saturday, qualifying seniors Ciarra Brewer (TJ) and Taylor Burke (HJ), while classmate Marquis Dendy was being “Marquis Dendy”. The five-time national champion will have the opportunity to go back-to-back outdoors in both the long and triple jumps after punching his ticket in the triple Saturday. Let the veteran leadership carry the Gators -- senior thrower Stipe Zunic will do just that in the shot put after advancing second from the east.
HEARING OUT HOLLOWAY
“We had a very impressive day and I really felt like we did a much better job tonight of matching the intensity of the other teams competing tonight, starting with the women's 4x1 and the great job they did, followed by the men's 4x1, ending with the 4x4s and the great 200s in between. We had great hurdle races from Bridgette (Owens) and Yanick (Hart) -- everyone that went to the line tonight did a great job. Very impressive.”
“The key to being successful at any level with any group, no matter the team, is you have to have leadership. When you've been there before, you know the process and understand the process. They (UF's seniors) are a calming presence. Guys like Stipe (Zunic), Marquis (Dendy), Ciarra (Brewer), Taylor (Burke), Mark (Parrish), Dedric (Dukes) and Fawn (Miller) -- they have been here before. They know what to do and expect and that makes it easier for them to have a calming effect on everyone. Gino (Hall) and Antwan (Wright), for example -- it didn't go as well as they wanted in their open events, but they were able to come back in relays and I thought they did a phenomenal job.”
FLORIDA MEN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS | 12 athletes, 13 event entries
· Andres Arroyo | 800 (SB: 1:46.49, qualifying mark: 1:47.33)
· Marquis Dendy | LJ (SB: 8.19m/26-10.5, qualifying mark: 8.02m/26-5) & TJ (SB: 7.35m/56-11.25, qualifying mark: 16.27m/53-4.5)
· Dedric Dukes | 100 (SB: 10.17, qualifying mark: 10.29) & 200 (SB: 19.99, qualifying mark: 20.14)
· Eric Futch | 400H (SB: 49.45, qualifying mark: 49.91)
· Najee Glass | 400 (SB: 44.79, qualifying mark: 45.51)
· Yanick Hart | 110H (SB: 13.68, qualifying mark: 13.71)
· Mark Parrish | 3K Steeple (SB & qualifying mark: 8:37.64)
· Ryan Schnulle | 800 (SB: 1:46.89, qualifying mark: 1:47.60)
· Stipe Zunic | SP (SB: 20.38m/66-10.5, qualifying mark: 20.10m/65-11.5)
· Florida 4x1 | Wright, Hall, Futch, Dukes (SB: 39.08, qualifying mark: 39.23)
· Florida 4x4 | Uruburu, Hall, Futch, Glass (SB: 3:01.60, qualifying mark: 3:03.69)
FLORIDA WOMEN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS | 11 athletes, 12 event entries
· Ciarra Brewer | TJ (SB: 13.49m/44-3.25, qualifying mark: 12.88m/42-3.25)
· Taylor Burke | HJ (SB: 1.85m/6-0.75 , qualifying mark: 1.79m/5-10.5)
· Claudia Francis | 800 (SB & qualifying mark: 2:02.92)
· Destinee Gause | 200 (SB & qualifying mark: 22.93)
· Kyra Jefferson | 200 (SB & qualifying mark: 22.26)
· Darrielle McQueen | LJ (SB: 6.26m/20-6.5, qualifying mark: 6.10m/20-0.25)
· Fawn Miller | JT (SB: 56.01m/183-9, qualifying mark: 48.80m/160-1)
· Bridgette Owens | 100H (SB: 12.73, qualifying mark: 13.10)
· Robin Reynolds | 400 (SB: 51.93, qualifying mark: 51.97)
· Shayla Sanders | 100 (SB: 11.46, qualifying mark: 11.51)
· Florida 4x1 | Reynolds, Sanders, Gause, Jefferson (SB: 42.72, qualifying mark: 42.93)
· Florida 4x4 | Reynolds, Gause, Washington, Francis (SB: 3:27.84, qualifying mark: 3:29.80)
FLORIDA SATURDAY RESULTS
| Field Events |
|
| W Hammer | 28. Jayla Bostic, 54.49m/178-9 |
| W Triple Jump | 8. Ciarra Brewer, 12.88m/42-3.25 (0.0w) | advances to Eugene |
| 17. Gissell Warner, 12.66m/41-6.5 (-0.1w) | |
| M Shot Put | 2. Stipe Zunic, 20.10m/65-11.5 | advances to Eugene |
| W High Jump | 12. Taylor Burke, 1.79m/5-10.5 | advances to Eugene |
| M Triple Jump | 1. Marquis Dendy, 16.27m/53-4.5 (+1.2w) | advances to Eugene |
| 14. KeAndre Bates, 15.49m/50-10 | |
| Running Events |
|
W 4x1 (Quarter) | 1. Robin Reynolds, Shayla Sanders, Destinee Gause, Kyra Jefferson, 42.93 | advances to Eugene, Hodges Stadium facility record |
| | |
M 4x1 (Quarter) | 1. Antwan Wright, Arman Hall, Eric Futch, Dedric Dukes, 39.23 | advances to Eugene, Hodges |
| | |
7:05pm | 5. Bridgette Owens, 13.10 (-0.2w) | advances to Eugene |
| | |
M 110H (Quarter) | 3. Yanick Hart, 13.71 (+1.4w) | advances to Eugene |
| | |
W 200m (Quarter) | 1. Kyra Jefferson, 22.26 (+0.5w) | school record, advances to Eugene |
| | 6. Destinee Gause, 22.93 (+0.5) | PR, improves No. 6 mark in school history, advances to Eugene |
| | |
M 200m (Quarter) | 1. Dedric Dukes, 20.14 (+1.4) | advances to Eugene |
| | |
W 5000m (Semi) | 20. Taylor Tubbs, 16:35.62 |
| | |
| W 4x4 (Quarter) | 3. Robin Reynolds, Destinee Gause, Destiny Washington, Claudia Francis, 3:29.80 | advances to Eugene |
| M 4x4 (Quarter) | 3. Nick Uruburu, Arman Hall, Eric Futch, Najee Glass, 3:03.69 | advances to Eugene |
NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY HIGHLIGHTS & CHAMPIONSHIPS NOTABLES
· Senior Mark Parrish broke a 13-year-old school record in the steeplechase Friday, downing Chris Duncan's 8:38.59 from April 25, 2002
· Sophomore Kyra Jefferson shattered UF's second school record of the weekend Saturday in quarterfinals of the 200m, going a PR 22.26 to advance as the top seed overall heading into Eugene in two weeks
· The Gators own six national titles, including five on the men's side. Two of those crowns are outdoor national titles as the No. 1 UF men's squad struck with back-to-back outdoor titles in 2012 and 2013.
· Florida's women's national title came in 1992 indoors, while the men won three consecutive indoor titles from 2010-12
· The 12 individuals and 12 teams from each relay event that advance out of both the East and West regions (Austin, Texas) will compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.
· The official list of student-athletes, by event, who qualify from the preliminary championships competition will be announced Sunday, May 31. Start lists for the finals site in Eugene will be available Monday, June 8
