Gators’ NCAA Leads, Numerous Top 10s Heat Up Pepsi Florida Relays

Friday, March 29

Gainesville, FL

9:30 AM

Florida Gators

Pepsi Florida Relays

Gators’ NCAA Leads, Numerous Top 10s Heat Up Pepsi Florida Relays

Friday, March 29, 2019 | Track and Field

By: Zach Dirlam

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida senior quarter-miler Sharrika Barnett and junior all-around sensation Grant Holloway threw down NCAA-leading times, while the Gators tacked on another nine times and marks that rank in the top 10 nationally on the Pepsi Florida Relays' penultimate day. Florida concludes its hosting duties for one of the nation's premier meets Saturday evening.

Holloway opened the Gators' day with a world-leading 110-meter hurdles time of 13.28 seconds. Even more impressive, the two-time defending national champion posted the time running into a slight headwind, off a sloppy start, and with a finish that saw him hit the 10th hurdle.

1️⃣3️⃣.2️⃣8️⃣ INTO the wind!@Flaamingoo_ wins and opens with 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#LessSaid pic.twitter.com/4v90JVnCQa
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) March 29, 2019

The Chesapeake, Va., native came back a little over three hours later and clocked the nation's sixth-fastest time in the 200 meters (20.66 seconds, again, into a slight headwind).

What does @Flaamingoo_ do after a 🌎 lead in the 110 hurdles?

Runs 20.66 for No. 6⃣ in #NCAATF 🤯🤯🤯#TheHolloWAY #LessSaid pic.twitter.com/B42MIJsFLz
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) March 29, 2019

Barnett was stellar in her 400 meters opener, running a nation-leading time of 50.96 seconds. The time was the third-fastest of Barnett's career, only behind the 50.93 she ran at last year's Pepsi Florida Relays, and her school record of 50.69 from her victory at the 2018 SEC Outdoor Championships.

'RIKA IS HERE! 5⃣0⃣.9⃣6⃣

Sharrika Barnett is your @NCAATrackField-leading quarter-miler 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

📹: https://t.co/DQTmzufN33 pic.twitter.com/JrsK7QrkU8
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) March 29, 2019

Freshman half-miler Gabrielle Wilkinson impressed in her outdoor opener, too. The Wynnewood, Pa., product ran a personal record of 2:05.03, ranking her third nationally in the 800 meters. Wilkinson took runner-up honors to this year's indoor national champion, who won the race with a nation-leading time.

Florida's dynamic throws duo of Thomas Mardal and AJ McFarland posted strong hammer throw openers amid a competition that produced the nation's top four throws. Mardal logged the nation's No. 4 mark (71.42 meters / 234 feet, 4 inches), while McFarland ended up with the country's seventh-ranked mark (69.51 meters / 228 feet, 1 inch).

.@m97_thomas with a top-five #NCAATF 🔨 throw!

He opens his 🔨 season with a 💪💪 71.42 meters.#LessSaid pic.twitter.com/1PNy2x6xy8
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) March 29, 2019

Freshman Imogen Barrett capped a day full of likely NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers with a great run in the 1,500 meters. The Australian clocked a time of 4:18.52 – which put her at No. 9 on the program's All-Time Top 10 list.

Other Gators to post top-10 national times and marks were: Raymond Ekevwo (men's 100 meters), Taylor Manson (women's 400 meters), and Hakim Sani Brown (men's 100 and 200 meters).

.@Hakimsanib throws down a wind-legal 20.53!

That's No. 3⃣ in #NCAATF this year 🔥🔥#LessSaid pic.twitter.com/ZhNSUSNSxL
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) March 29, 2019

Saturday Promotions

Rowdy Reptile check-in (8 points) is scheduled for 2:30-6 p.m.
Senior Day – Saturday, 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Autographs (signing will take place near main entry gate)
- Saturday (5 p.m.) – Sharrika Barnett, Grant Holloway, AJ McFarland, Nikki Stephens, Jhonny Victor
- NOTE: No outside items are allowed to be signed by student-athletes. UAA Marketing will provide materials for signing.
2019 Men's NCAA Indoor Championship, 2019 Men's SEC Indoor Championship, 2018 Women's SEC Outdoor Championship; 2018 Men's SEC Outdoor Championship Team Recognitions (Saturday, 5:50 p.m.)

Parking, ticketing, and other spectator information is available at this link.

SEC Network +, via Watch ESPN, will provide live streaming, with Delta Timing providing results. Links to follow Pepsi Florida Relays via those mediums are below.

PEPSI FLORIDA RELAYS INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Live Results (Delta Timing)
Saturday Streaming – 2:30-7:45 p.m. (SEC Network +)
Pepsi Florida Relays Central (for meet schedule / entries / heat sheets)
Nationally-Ranked Teams Competing: Alabama (No. 3 men; No. 12 women), Florida State (No. 6 women; No. 11 men), Georgia (No. 10 men; No. 15 women), Georgia Tech (No. 25 women), Indiana (No. 19 men), Kentucky (No. 7 women; No. 18 men), Miami (No. 8 women), North Carolina A&T (No. 24 men), South Carolina (No. 25 men), Tennessee (No. 16 women; No. 20 men), Virginia Tech (No. 18 women)
Venue: Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium

Friday, March 29 ( ^ - denotes invitational; all events are finals except for 4x400)
Event	Place, Gators – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
100m (M)	5. Raymond Ekevwo – 10.28 [+0.8] \| No. 8-ranked time in Division I; topped personal record by 0.07 seconds
	6. Hakim Sani Brown – 10.30 [-0.4] \| Tied No. No. 10-ranked time in Division I
	16. Ryan Clark – 10.44 [-0.4]
200m (M) ^	2. Sani Brown – 20.53 [+0.6] \| No. 3-ranked time in Division I
	4. Grant Holloway – 20.66 [-0.7] \| No. 6-ranked time in Division I
	9. Clark – 20.95 [-0.8] \| Tied No. 18-ranked time in Division I
	14. Chantz Sawyers – 21.45 [-0.8]
400m (M)	16. Sawyers – 46.66 \| No. 24-ranked time in Division I
	27. Cole Johnson – 47.25 \| Topped personal record by 0.17 seconds
	39. Jabari Hill – 47.67
400m (W)	1. Sharrika Barnett – 50.96 \| NCAA-leading time
	8. Taylor Manson – 52.82 \| No. 9-ranked time in Division I
	44. Lauryn Ghee – 55.79 \| Outdoor collegiate personal record
800m (W)	2. Gabrielle Wilkinson – 2:05.03 \| No. 3-ranked time in Division I; personal record
	9. Abbie Harrelson – 2:06.64 \| No. 12-ranked time in Division I; topped personal record by 3.77 seconds
1,500m (M)	7. Justin Pacifico – 3:47.55 \| No. 14-ranked time in Division I; topped personal record by 11.24 seconds
	14. Sam Ahrenholz – 3:50.24
	33. Magnus Pettersen – 3:56.58
	42. Matt Clark – 3:59.80 \| Collegiate debut
	48. Dominic Williams – 4:02.00
1,500m (W)	3. Imogen Barrett – 4:18.52 \| No. 3-ranked time in Division I; No. 9-ranked time on UF's All-Time Top 10
	9. Elisabeth Bergh – 4:26.58 \| No. 24-ranked time in Division I
	29. Pamela O'Brien – 4:39.53 \| First collegiate 1,500 meters race
	33. Madison Morse – 4:40.66 \| Topped personal record by 0.58 seconds
	51. Delaney Tiernan – 4:53.34 \| Topped personal record by 9.55 seconds
	57. Maria Fernandez – 4:56.60 \| Collegiate debut
110mH (M)	1. Holloway – 13.28 [-0.5] \| World-leading time
100mH (W)	11. Brandee' Johnson – 13.56 [+0.2]
400mH (M)	7. Denzel Villamn – 51.62 \| Season-best time
400mH (W)	10. Nikki Stephens – 58.91
3kSC (M)	8. Marshall Dillon – 9:13.43 \| Topped personal record by 7.77 seconds
3kSC (W)	20. Grace Blair – 11:03.75 \| First collegiate 3,000-meter steeplechase
	27. Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell – 11:20.07
4x400 (M)*	6. Hill-Johnson-Dawson Guillory-Villaman – 3:08.66 \| Advanced to final (time)
HJ (M) ^	2. Jhonny Victor – 2.16 meters (7 feet, 1 inch)
LJ (W) ^	2. Kala Penn – 6.20 meters (20 feet, 4.25 inches) [0.0]
DT (M)	5. Connor Bandel – 52.60 meters (172 feet, 7 inches) \| Season-best mark
	9. Edward Shelikoff – 51.10 meters (167 feet, 8 inches) \| Topped personal record by 1.58 meters (5 feet, 2 inches)
DT (W)	8. Kristina Moore – 46.90 meters (153 feet, 10.5 inches) \| Season-best mark
HT (M) ^	5. Thomas Mardal – 71.42 meters (234 feet, 4 inches) \| No. 4-ranked mark in Division I
	6. AJ McFarland – 69.51 meters (228 feet, 1 inch) \| No. 7-ranked mark in Division I
HT (W)	22. Amara Wiggan – 51.36 meters (168 feet, 6 inches) \| Topped personal record by 1.75 meters (5 feet, 9 inches)
JT (W)	13. Megan Reed – 42.54 meters (139 feet, 6.75 inches)

*Saturday, March 30 (all events are finals)*
Time	Gator – Event
11 a.m.	Thomas Mardal; Adam Shuler – Men's Discus Throw (invitational)
1 p.m.	Mike Harris; Davis Ott – Men's Pole Vault
3:10 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Men's 4x100 relay
3:30 p.m.	Connor Bandel – Men's Shot Put (invitational)
4:15 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Women's 4x800 relay
	Yanis David; Asa Garcia; Kala Penn – Women's Triple Jump
4:30 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Men's 4x800 relay
5:45 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Women's Distance Medley Relay
6:45 p.m.	Florida 'B' – Men's 4x400 relay
7:25 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Tom Jones Women's 4x400 relay (invitational)
7:35 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Jimmy Carnes Men's 4x400 relay (invitational)

RALEIGH RELAYS INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Live Results (FlashResults)
Venue: Paul Derr Track (North Carolina State University)

Friday, March 29 (^ - denotes invitational; all events are finals)
Time	Gator – Event
5,000m (M)	70. Nick Deal – 14:28.75 \| Topped personal record by 27.96 seconds
	105. Colin Schaefer – 14:49.42 \| Topped outdoor personal record by 3.57 seconds
10km (M)^	40. Trevor Foley – 30:46.31 \| Topped personal record by 1 minute, 57.11 seconds

Saturday, March 30 (all events are finals)
Time	Gator – Event
9:30 a.m.	Blake Lowery – Men's 10,000 meters (Section 2)

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