Froeynes, Holloway Garner SEC Awards; All-SEC Honors Announced

Amanda Froeynes finished third in the SEC Indoor Championships pentathlon.

Froeynes, Holloway Garner SEC Awards; All-SEC Honors Announced

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 | Track and Field

By: Zach Dirlam

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore hurdler, jumper and sprinter Grant Holloway was voted SEC Men's Indoor Runner of the Year, while pentathlete Amanda Froeynes garnered SEC Women's Co-Freshman Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honors, as announced by the league office Wednesday.

Holloway is the third Gator in history to collect the award, first distributed in 2004, joining indoor 400 meters world record holder and 2016 Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold medalist Kerron Clement (2005), and 2016 Olympic 4x400 relay gold medalist Arman Hall (2014) as the only other Gators to win it. Like Holloway, both were sophomores when they won the award.

Froeynes joined two-time IAAF World Championships long jump medalist Shara Proctor (2007) as the only other Gator in history to be the conference's top female freshman field athlete.

Holloway shaved three hundredths of a second off Omar McLeod's collegiate 60-meter hurdles record (7.42) last month, joining American record holder, 7-time world champion and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson as the only other man in indoor track and field history to break 7.45 seconds and long jump at least 8.00 meters. Though his best long jump mark this year is only 7.97 meters (26 feet, 1.75 inches), Holloway jumped 8.05 meters (26 feet, 4.75 inches) last season.

A 2017 semifinalist for The Bowerman, track and field's highest individual honor, Holloway is coming off his second consecutive SEC Indoor Championships 60 hurdles title. The Chesapeake, Va., native also anchored the Gators' 4x400 relay to a runner-up finish and fifth-fastest time in collegiate history, and he took fourth in the long jump.

? Back-to-back #SECTF 60 hurdles ????

? Dance moves ??????

Watch @Flaamingoo_ and the #Gators: https://t.co/qEogfEG9AI pic.twitter.com/bviSJ96goz
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) February 25, 2018

The two-time NCAA champion is the third man in history to win consecutive SEC 60 hurdles titles. Holloway is also the only man since at least 2001 to score in both the 60 hurdles and long jump at SEC Indoor Championships, doing so this year and last season.

Here is a closer look at the feats Holloway's achieved this season:

Broke Omar McLeod's collegiate record by 0.03 seconds (7.42 seconds) at Clemson's Tiger Paw Invitational (Feb. 9)
- That made him the No. 11-ranked American in history and tied him for No. 20 on the world all-time list
Second man in history to run 7.42 or faster prior to turning 21 (Cuba's Dayron Robles)
Only man currently on the collegiate all-time top 10 in the 60 hurdles and with a 4x400 relay team
Split 45.12 seconds for Florida's 4x400 relay—which ran the second-fastest time in collegiate history and sixth-fastest time ever recorded (3:02.23)
Tied for fifth nationally in the long jump
Became first 60 hurdler in collegiate history to break 7.60 seconds six times in a career (four this season)
One of three men ranked fifth or higher in three events this season (Justyn Knight, Syracuse; Elijah Hall, Houston), and the only one ranked as such in three different disciplines (i.e. – hurdles, jumps, relays)

And here is a closer look at Froeynes' achievements from her debut season:

SEC Indoor Championships bronze medalist (pentathlon)
First freshman to medal in the SEC Indoors pentathlon since collegiate record holder Kendell Williams (2014)
Ranks eighth nationally this season in the pentathlon
One of two freshmen qualify for NCAA Indoor Championships pentathlon
Posted sixth-highest pentathlon score (4,199 points) by a freshman since 2010

Below is a list of Florida's All-SEC honorees. Gold medalists at SEC Indoors are All-SEC First Team selections, silver and bronze medalists garner All-SEC Second Team accolades, and SEC All-Freshman plaudits are awarded to the top freshman finisher of each event.

All-SEC First Team
Clayton Brown – Triple Jump
Lloydricia Cameron – Shot Put
Grant Holloway – 60-meter Hurdles

All-SEC Second Team
Sharrika Barnett – 400 meters (bronze)
KeAndre Bates – Triple Jump (bronze)
Yanis David – Triple Jump (silver)
Amanda Froeynes – Pentathlon (bronze)
AJ McFarland – Weight Throw (bronze)
Darrielle McQueen – Long Jump (bronze)
Benjamin Lobo Vedel, Kunle Fasasi, Chantz Sawyers, Grant Holloway – 4x400 relay (silver)

SEC All-Freshman
Amanda Froeynes – Pentathlon
Thomas Mardal – Weight Throw
Hakim Sani Brown – 60 meters

Froeynes, Holloway, and the Gators wrap up their indoor season at this weekend's NCAA Championships, which will be held in College Station, Texas. For more details on Florida's 15 entries, follow this link.

FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators; #PushTheButton; #TheMissionContinues