Bates Wins Long Jump, Gators Struggle Through Opening Night of SEC Indoors

Friday, February 24

Nashville, TN

5:25 PM

Florida Gators

SEC Indoor Championships

KeAndre Bates set a new indoor PR and took home his first individual SEC title.

Bates Wins Long Jump, Gators Struggle Through Opening Night of SEC Indoors

Saturday, February 25, 2017 | Track and Field

KeAndre Bates' title in the long jump is the 14th in school history--no other SEC program can claim more than 10 such titles

By: Zach Dirlam

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – KeAndre Bates' first-ever SEC title highlighted what was otherwise a lackluster opening night of competition for the Gators at SEC Indoor Championships.

Bates captured the long jump title with a leap of 8.04 meters (26 feet, 4.5 inches), tying 2012 Olympic long jump bronze medalist Will Claye for the No. 4-ranked mark on UF's all-time indoor top 10. It is also the No. 3-ranked mark in the country.

????GATORS TOP 10 JUMP????@ijump_524 adds to his lead and ties @WilliamClaye for 4th on the ???? top 10!

8??.0??4??m / 26-4.5 ?? #GoGators pic.twitter.com/cdDEm8wVvt
— Gators T & F and XC (@GatorsTF) February 25, 2017

Bates' victory marks the 14th SEC indoor long jump title in school history. No other SEC program has won more than 10. It is also the seventh title since 2003, Mike Holloway's first year as the men's head coach, and third since 2013, assistant coach Nic Petersen's first year working with Florida's jumpers. Both those figures lead all SEC programs during their respective time frames.

Another of Friday's (Feb. 24) highlights was redshirt senior Eric Futch's stellar run in the 400 meters preliminary. In what was his first open 400 of the year, Futch crossed in 46.12 seconds, the fifth-fastest time in an absurdly fast round of qualifying. The time ranks sixth nationally and, in all likelihood, punches his ticket to NCAA Indoor Championships.

Senior half-miler Andres Arroyo logged the top time in the 800 meters preliminary, as did freshman Grant Holloway in the 60-meter hurdles prelim. Holloway also scored four points in the long jump, finishing fifth overall and tops among freshmen.

7??.6??6?? + Heat Win = Automatic #SECITF Final berth for @Flaamingoo_ ????

Time to go long jump! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/XTLwldNe1r
— Gators T & F and XC (@GatorsTF) February 24, 2017

Sophomore Sharrika Barnett, the SEC 400 meters leader entering the meet, posted the second-fastest qualifying time. And redshirt junior Skylar Ross-Ransom broke through with a season-best in the 60 hurdles prelim, making the final as the fourth-fastest competitor.

#SECITF 60mH Prelims

Skylar Ross-Ransom is moving on to the final with an 8.21--fourth-fastest prelim and an SB! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/S0DenB2big
— Gators T & F and XC (@GatorsTF) February 24, 2017

Redshirt freshman Jack Guyton was the only frosh to qualify for the men's mile final, and freshman Hannah Brookover was one of two to accomplish the feat on the women's side.

Saturday's action will be streamed live on SEC Network +, via Watch ESPN. A two-hour television broadcast of the championship will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET Sunday. A full schedule and results table for this weekend is below.

HEARING OUT (COACH) HOLLOWAY
Head coach Mike Holloway on KeAndre Bates' long jump title…
"Very, very proud of KeAndre. He looked great warming up, and he went out and executed. First SEC title for him. I'm very proud of him and very proud of the work Coach (Nic) Petersen is doing with him right now."

Holloway on some of the night's other top performances…
"Thought Grant (Holloway) did a good job in the hurdles. (Grant) had a little bit of a brain fart in the long jump, but he pulled it together and nabbed fifth. Thought we did a good job in the men's weight throw and thought we competed hard there. How about Eric Futch? Phenomenal run for him, a big personal best for him in the 400. It took 46.2 just to make that final, so that was big. Very happy with Andres Arroyo today. Did a great job to make the final. Sam Ahrenholz ran a great race … huge PB for him.

"Very happy for Skylar Ross-Ransom; she did a great job in the hurdles and she's rounding into shape. We're looking for big things out of her tomorrow. Sharrika Barnett did a good job in the 400 as well."

Holloway on his overall take away from Friday…
"Overall, to be honest, I'm just a little disappointed. I don't think some of our team took this meet as seriously as it needs to be taken, and that's just not who we are. I'm almost embarrassed with some of the efforts today. We just had too many people that didn't engage, that just didn't trust the process. But I'm the head coach. That's on me. We've got less than 24 hours to get it figured out. When we walk in this building tomorrow we've got to be a lot tougher and a lot more focused.

"We've got a lot of people going tomorrow and we'll put our best foot forward. I promise you will see a better effort from everyone who puts a Gator uniform on tomorrow."

Holloway on whether the uphill climb to a team title will be in the minds of anyone…
"I just want to see people compete harder. It is what it is as far as the team title goes. At the end of the day, you win championships with effort. You don't win championships because you put a jersey on your chest that says Florida. There are too many people here this weekend who thought they were going to come in here and do great things because we're Florida. That's not the way it works. Again, that's on me. I'll get it figured out. But we've got to do better than that tomorrow."

SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Live Results (Prime Time Timing)
Saturday Stream – 2:55-7:45 p.m. (SEC Network + / Watch ESPN)
Television Replay: Sunday (Feb. 26), 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Meet Notes (PDF)
Venue: Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility

*Friday, February 24 (unless denoted otherwise all events are finals)*
Event	Place (Points). Gator – Time/Mark \| Notes
60m (M)*	9. Ryan Clark – 6.72 \| Missed final by 0.02 seconds
	13. Michael Timpson Jr. – 6.75
200m (M)*	10. Clark – 21.14
	18. Timpson Jr. – 21.46
200m (W)*	21. Destinee Gause – 24.07
400m (M)*	5. Eric Futch – 46.16 \| No. 6-ranked time in Division I; advanced to final (time); personal record
	9. Kunle Fasasi – 46.34 \| Missed final by 0.06 seconds
	23. TJ Holmes – 47.42 \| Personal record
	28. Nick Uruburu – 48.04 \| Season-best time
	29. Jabari Hill – 48.08 \| Personal record
	36. Shayne Rodney – 49.01
400m (W)*	2. Sharrika Barnett – 52.46 \| Advanced to final (time)
	13. Taylor Sharpe – 54.07
800m (M)*	1. Andres Arroyo – 1:48.64 \| Advanced to final (automatic)
	12. Justin Pacifico – 1:51.51
	13. Sam Ahrenholz – 1:51.64 \| Personal record
	16. Kyren Hollis – 1:52.97 \| Collegiate personal record
Mile (M)*	10. Jack Guyton – 4:10.91 \| Advanced to final (time)
	15. Jack Beitter – 4:15.74
	21. Carlos Miranda – 4:23.17
Mile (W)*	9. Hannah Brookover – 4:49.18 \| Season-best time; advanced to final (time)
	17. Lauren Perry – 4:54.69 \| Personal record
	19. Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell – 4:58.86
3,000m (W)	5 (4). Taylor Tubbs – 9:26.77
	18. Becky Greene – 9:58.31
60mH (M)*	1. Grant Holloway – 7.66 \| Advanced to final (automatic)
	12. Caleb Chambliss – 8.08
	14. Marques Burgman – 8.18
60mH (W)*	4. Skylar Ross-Ransom – 8.21 \| Season-best time; tied No. 21-ranked time in Division I; advanced to final (time)
	11. Brandee' Johnson – 8.38 \| No. 6-ranked time on UF's all-time indoor top 10
	12. Ryann McEnany – 8.42
HJ (M)	Clayton Brown – NH
LJ (M)	1 (10). KeAndre Bates – 8.04 meters (26-4.5) \| No. 3-ranked mark in Division I; tied No. 4-ranked mark on UF's all-time indoor top 10
	5 (4). Holloway – 7.73 meters (25-4.5) \| Top freshman finisher; third freshman since 2001 to jump 7.73-plus meters at SEC Indoors
LJ (W)	6 (3). Darrielle McQueen – 6.36 meters (20-10.5) \| Season-best mark; improved No. 11-ranked mark in Division I
	10. Yanis David – 6.21 meters \| Season-best mark
SP (W)	4 (5). Lloydricia Cameron – 16.82 meters (55-2.25) \| Third Gator since 2006 (Keely Medeiros, 2009-10; Mariam Kevkhisvili, 2008-10) with consecutive top-four finishes in women's shot put at SEC Indoors
WT (M)	5 (4). AJ McFarland – 21.06 meters (69-1.25)
	9. Anders Eriksson – 20.31 meters (66-7.75) \| No. 5-ranked mark on UF's all-time indoor top 10

*Saturday, February 25 (all events are finals)*
Time	Gators – Event
1:00 p.m.	Lloydricia Cameron; Jontavia Dykes; Amara Wiggan – Women's Weight Throw
3:00 p.m.	KeAndre Bates; Clayton Brown – Men's Triple Jump
	Yanis David; Asa Garcia; Ebony Luster; Darrielle McQueen – Women's Triple Jump
	Skylar Ross-Ransom – Women's 60-meter Hurdles
3:10 p.m.	Grant Holloway – Men's 60-meter Hurdles
3:50 p.m.	Hannah Brookover – Women's Mile
4:00 p.m.	Connor Bandel – Men's Shot Put
	Jack Guyton – Men's Mile
4:10 p.m.	Sharrika Barnett – Women's 400 meters
4:20 p.m.	Eric Futch – Men's 400 meters
4:30 p.m.	Taylor Tubbs – Women's 5,000 meters
	Michael Harris; Aaron Owens – Men's Pole Vault
5:05 p.m.	Andres Arroyo – Men's 800 meters
6:00 p.m.	Brookover-Mikayla Barber-Becky Greene-Lauren Perry – Women's DMR
6:15 p.m.	Arroyo-Nick Uruburu-Justin Pacifico-Guyton (Ahrenholz) – Men's DMR
6:30 p.m.	Barnett-Destinee Gause-Taylor Sharpe-Brandee' Johnson – Women's 4x400 Relay
6:50 p.m.	Kunle Fasasi-Holloway-Futch-TJ Holmes (Ryan Clark/Uruburu/Shayne Rodney) – Men's 4x400 Relay

Top 5 Men's Teams
Place	Team – Points
1.	No. 4 Georgia – 30
2.	No. 2 Arkansas – 27
3.	Kentucky – 23
4.	No. 9 Alabama – 21
5.	No. 1 Florida – 18

Top 5 Women's Teams
Place	Team – Points
1.	No. 2 Arkansas – 48.5
2.	No. 3 Georgia – 25
3.	No. 13 Ole Miss – 24.5
4.	No. 6 Kentucky – 23
5.	No. 9 Alabama – 22
6.	No. 11 Florida – 12