Gators Men, Women in Top Six of USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings

Florida's men won the title, while the Gators' women snagged a fourth-place trophy last year.

Gators Men, Women in Top Six of USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | Track and Field

By: Zach Dirlam

NEW ORLEANS – Florida's men will open the season at No. 2, and its women will begin the year at No. 6 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's new rankings system—the USTFCCCA National Track and Field Rating Index—which was unveiled Thursday afternoon.

The USTFCCCA National TFRI is based on returning student-athletes' personal bests.

If those personal records were scored today at the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Gators men and women would both have the third-highest scores in the country. The rankings, however, count everyone who meets an event's minimum standard (determined by the USTFCCCA). The preseason rankings do not include either the distance medley relay or 4x400 relay.

The Gators, who captured their eighth men's national title since 2010 with a victory at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships, return six personal records in the top eight nationally. And their entire 4x400 relay team from last season—which ran the third-fastest time in indoor track and field history (3:01.43)—is back.

Grant Holloway, 60-meter Hurdles – No. 1 (7.42 – collegiate record)
Holloway, Long Jump – No. 1 (8.13 meters / 26 feet, 8.25 inches)
Clayton Brown, Triple Jump – No. 3 (16.58 meters / 54 feet, 4.75 inches)
Kunle Fasasi, 400 meters – No. 4 (45.57)
Brown, High Jump – No. 5 (2.25 meters / 7 feet, 4.5 inches)
AJ McFarland, Weight Throw – No. 7 (22.20 meters / 72 feet, 10 inches – school record)
4x400 Relay – Fasasi, Holloway, Chantz Sawyers, Benjamin Lobo Vedel

Florida's women, which finished fourth at last season's NCAA Indoors, return four personal records inside the top eight, including a pair of national No. 1s from senior Yanis David. The Gators also return all four members of their 4x400 relay team, which broke the school record and ran 3:29.41 en route to a third-place finish at NCAA Indoors.

David, Triple Jump – No. 1 (14.11 meters / 46 feet, 3.5 inches – school record)
David, Long Jump – No. 1 (6.49 meters / 21 feet, 3.5 inches)
Sharrika Barnett, 400 meters – No. 2 (51.07)
Amanda Froeynes, Pentathlon – No. 6 (4,199 points)
4x400 Relay – Brandee' Johnson, Taylor Manson, Lauryn Ghee, Barnett

The Gators open their 2019 season next Friday and Saturday at the Clemson Invitational and Hokie Invitational.

Follow this link for the complete men's rankings, and follow this link for the complete women's rankings.

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