Gators Grab Three Medals to Close USATF Outdoors

Sunday, June 24

Des Moines, IA

4 PM

Florida Gators

USATF Championships

Grant Holloway barely missed gold, but he still nabbed his first-ever USATF Outdoors medal.

Gators Grab Three Medals to Close USATF Outdoors

Sunday, June 24, 2018 | Track and Field

Grant Holloway finished two thousandths of a second behind two-time American champion and 2016 Olympian Devon Allen in the 110-meter hurdles final

By: Zach Dirlam

DES MOINES, Iowa – Following a three-hour rain delay, a trio of Gators—Marquis Dendy, sophomore Grant Holloway, Kyra Jefferson—earned medals to close the USATF Outdoor Championships, bringing Florida's four-day medal count to six.

Florida Gators Medalists – 2018 USATF Outdoors (6)

Avione Allgood (2017-18) – Silver, Javelin Throw
Grant Holloway – Silver, 110-meter Hurdles
TJ Holmes (2015-17) – Silver, 400-meter Hurdles
KeAndre Bates (2015-18) – Bronze, Triple Jump
Marquis Dendy (2012-15) – Bronze, Long Jump
Kyra Jefferson (2013-17) – Bronze, 200 meters

Holloway led nearly all of the 110-meter hurdles final, but 2016 Olympic finalist and two-time American champion Devon Allen closed late and took the victory by two thousandths of a second. It is Holloway's first medal at a USATF Outdoors meet. The Chesapeake, Va., native and The Bowerman finalist will be a junior for the Gators in 2019.

.@Flaamingoo_ didn't win the 📸 finish this time, but still a remarkable season 🙌

And that 🥈 is his first #USATFoutdoors medal!

Can't wait to see what you've got for us in 2019 ✊ pic.twitter.com/tbnjJuic3F
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) June 25, 2018

A REMINDER FROM @Flaamingoo_ TO SMILE

"Life could be 10 times harder. You can think about someone in a desperate situation and they're not smiling. But for me not to smile because I didn't do good in one event, we have to think about that." pic.twitter.com/52qooWVsyf
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) June 25, 2018

"I'm still in love with the team aspect of Florida track and field."@Flaamingoo_ is coming back, and he wants everyone to know why in this 📝https://t.co/v8kn7e4fw6
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) June 21, 2018

After clocking nearly a half-second season best in the semifinal, run over five hours prior to the delayed final, Jefferson took third place in a tight final. The Detroit, Mich., native came off the curve in solid position and held on for the bronze medal. It is the first USATF Outdoors medal for Jefferson, a four-time NCAA champion for the Gators.

GOD IS AMAZING. I am so grateful to have my first podium finish at USA Championships 🙌🏽 and got a SB on the way to the finals. 🙏🏽🇺🇸
— Kyra Jefferson 🦒 (@kyruhjeff) June 25, 2018

Dendy's top long jump mark came before the rain delay, and no one was close to it following the restart. A seven-time NCAA champion and 2015 The Bowerman winner, Dendy's bronze is his third long jump medal in the last four USATF Outdoors, previously winning gold in 2015 and silver in 2017.

At the Jamaican Junior Championships, freshman Chantz Sawers took the 400 meters title, running 45.76 seconds and punching his ticket for July's IAAF World U20 Championships.

Sawyers joins fellow freshmen Taylor Manson (women's 400 meters) and Cory Poole (men's 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles) as Florida's official qualifiers for World U20s. It is expected freshman Enzo Hodebar will represent France in the horizontal jumps as well.

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Live Results
Day One Recap
Day Two Recap
Day Three Recap
Venue: Drake Stadium (Drake University)

*Sunday, June 24 (unless denoted by ^ (semifinals) all events are finals)*
Event	Place, Gator – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
200m (W)	3. Kyra Jefferson (2013-17) – 22.89 [-1.0] \| Bronze medalist
200m (W) ^	5. Jefferson – 22.48 [-0.2] \| Advanced to final (automatic); season-best time
110mH (M)	2. Grant Holloway – 13.46 [-1.8] \| Silver medalist; missed gold by 0.003 seconds
110mH (M) ^	1. Holloway – 13.34 [-0.1] \| Advanced to final (automatic)
LJ (M)	3. Marquis Dendy (2012-15) – 8.04 meters (26-4.5) [+2.4] \| Bronze medalist
	9. KeAndre Bates – 7.71 meters (25-3.5) [+3.2]

*Saturday, June 23 only finals listed – see Day Three Recap for full results)*
Event	Place, Gator – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
400mH (M)	2. TJ Holmes (2015-17) – 48.51 \| Silver medalist; second-fastest time of career
LJ (W)	7. Darrielle McQueen – 6.29 meters (20-7.75)

*Friday, June 22 (only finals listed – see Day Two Recap for full results)*
Event	Place, Gator – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
100m (M)	6. Jeff Demps (2009-12) – 10.13 [+1.1]
TJ (M)	3. KeAndre Bates – 17.16 meters (56-3.75) [+1.0] \| Bronze medalist; No. 4-ranked mark on UF's All-Time Outdoor Top 10; improved personal record by 37 centimeters (1 foot, 2.75 inches)
	6. Omar Craddock (2010-13) – 16.65 meters (54-7.25) [+0.5]
	Christian Taylor (2009-11) – FOUL \| Passed two attempts (Flight 2 started moments after he ran the 400 meters semifinals)
HT (M)	11. AJ McFarland – 69.07 meters (226-7)

*Thursday, June 21 (only finals listed – see Day One Recap for full results)*
Event	Place, Gator – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
10,000m (M)	10. Mark Parrish (2011-15) – 29:24.42
JT (W)	2. Avione Allgood – 56.54 meters (185-6) \| Silver medalist; improved No. 5-ranked mark on UF's All-Time Top 10 by 81 centimeters (2 feet, 8 inches)