Gators Pile Up Regional Berths in Pre-Championships Finale

Saturday, April 27

Gainesville, FL

10 AM

Florida Gators

Tom Jones Memorial

Benjamin Lobo Vedel congratulates event-mate Cole Johnson on his personal record.

Gators Pile Up Regional Berths in Pre-Championships Finale

Saturday, April 27, 2019 | Track and Field

By: Zach Dirlam

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida's nationally-ranked track and field teams made the most of their final tune-up meet, with numerous Gators either solidifying or securing new qualifying times and marks for the NCAA East Preliminary, as they wrapped up the Tom Jones Memorial at James G. Pressly Stadium.

The men's 4x100 relay team continues to be Florida's headliner, as junior Raymond Ekevwo, sophomore Hakim Sani Brown, junior Grant Holloway, and senior Ryan Clark clocked a time of 38.52 seconds, once again lowering the nation's third-fastest time. The quartet also moved to fifth on the program's All-Time Top 10 list.

3⃣8⃣.5⃣2⃣ 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥@RaymondEkevwo, @Hakimsanib, @Flaamingoo_, and @clarknation14 just keep lowering that time!

That's No. 5 in SCHOOL HISTORY. #LessSaid pic.twitter.com/wNoOti5f8l
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) April 27, 2019

All four also competed in individual events, and they were equally impressive in those.

Holloway ran the second-fastest 110-meter hurdles time in the world (13.25 seconds) and tied the NCAA lead. Sani Brown and Ekevwo were the top two collegians in the 100 meters, clocking 10.06 and 10.12 seconds (with a plus-2.2 wind reading), respectively. Sani Brown's time tied the No. 4-ranked time in the nation, while Ekevwo's ranks eighth nationally. Clark solidified a regional berth with a time of 10.30.

Everybody is finding out why that 4x1 is MOVIN' this year 👀👀👀@Hakimsanib - 10.06 [+2.2]@RaymondEkevwo - 10.12

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #LessSaid #TheHolloWAY pic.twitter.com/9WffHIfXKg
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) April 27, 2019

The women's 400 meters saw NCAA leader Sharrika Barnett take the win among collegians, and she pulled teammate Taylor Manson to the No. 15-ranked time in the nation (52.53 seconds). On the men's side of the event, sophomores Chantz Sawyers was the top collegiate finisher and solidified a regional berth with a season best of 46.26 seconds. Junior Cole Johnson, who set a personal record by more than half a second, and sophomore Benjamin Lobo Vedel likely nabbed regional spots as well.

#NCAATF leader Sharrika Barnett pulls @TaylorManson4 to a national top 15 time!

Barnett - 51.88
Manson - 52.53#WeBelieve

📹: https://t.co/hWqyQCYOTr pic.twitter.com/XtOMnF730u
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) April 27, 2019

OH COLE JOHNSON'S GETTING IN ON THIS 400 NOW?!?!? 😨😨😨@ChantzSawyers - 46.26 (No. 32 in #NCAATF)
C. Johnson- 46.64 (PR by 0.61 seconds)@BenjaminVedel97 - 46.69 (SB)#LessSaid #GoGators pic.twitter.com/qouBtUJsxw
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) April 27, 2019

Other Gators who moved themselves into prime position for NCAA East Preliminary berths were redshirt sophomore Connor Bandel (men's discus throw), junior Brandee' Johnson (women's 100-meter hurdles), sophomore Thomas Mardal (men's discus), junior Justin Pacifico (men's 1,500 meters), and sophomore Cory Poole (men's 110-meter hurdles).

The SEC Outdoor Championships are next up for the Gators, who travel to Fayetteville, Ark., May 9-11.

TOM JONES MEMORIAL INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Results (Half-Mile Timing)
Nationally-Ranked Teams Competing: Florida State (No. 6 women), Miami (No. 14 women), North Carolina A&T (No. 17 men), Tennessee (No. 17 women)
Additional Division I Teams Competing: Bethune-Cookman, Boston, Connecticut (women), Florida Atlantic (women), Jacksonville (women), Kent State, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Florida, Syracuse, UCF (women)
Venue: Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium

*Saturday, April 27 (all events are finals, except hurdles prelims denoted by )**
Event	Place, Gators – Time / Mark [Wind] \| Notes
100m (M)	1. Hakim Sani Brown – 10.06 [+2.2] \| Tied No. 4-ranked time in Division I
	3. Raymond Ekevwo – 10.12 [+2.2] \| No. 8-ranked time in Division I
	12. Ryan Clark – 10.30 [+2.2] \| Tied No. 41-ranked time in Division I; tied No. 26-ranked time in East Region
400m (M)	6. Chantz Sawyers – 46.26 \| No. 32-ranked time in Division I; No. 17-ranked time in East Region; top collegiate finisher
	11. Cole Johnson – 46.64 \| No. 36-ranked time in East Region; topped personal record by 0.61 seconds
	12. Benjamin Lobo Vedel – 46.69 \| Tied No. 37-ranked time in East Region
	20. Jabari Hill – 47.98
	21. Dawson Guillory – 48.01 \| Topped personal record by 0.57 seconds
400m (W)	4. Sharrika Barnett – 51.88 \| Top collegiate finisher (already NCAA leader at 50.69)
	5. Taylor Manson – 52.53 \| No. 15-ranked time in Division I
	16. Doneisha Anderson – 54.09
	25. Lauryn Ghee – 56.21
1,500m (M)	4. Justin Pacifico – 3:45.21 \| No. 32-ranked time in East Region; topped personal record by 3.34 seconds
	11. Marshall Dillon – 3:49.92 \| Topped personal record by 6.44 seconds
	19. Dominic Williams – 4:00.05 \| Topped personal record by 0.09 seconds
	26. Cavan Wilson – 4:08.28
1,500m (W)	1. Gabrielle Wilkinson – 4:23.41 \| Topped personal record by 0.93 seconds
	2. Elisabeth Bergh – 4:23.89 \| Season-best time
	3. Jessica Pascoe – 4:24.82 \| Topped personal record by 1.81 seconds
	6. Madison Morse – 4:31.35 \| Topped personal record by 9.31 seconds
	8. Pamela O'Brien – 4:35.32 \| Topped personal record by 4.21 seconds
	20. Delaney Tiernan – 4:48.29 \| Topped personal record by 5.05 seconds
	23. Maria Fernandez – 4:50.69 \| Topped personal record by 5.91 seconds
110mH (M)	1. Grant Holloway – 13.25 [+1.5] \| No. 2-ranked time in world; tied NCAA-leading time
	4. Cory Poole – 14.01 [+1.5] \| Tied No. 43-ranked time in Division I; tied No. 24-ranked time in East Region
110mH (M)*	1. Holloway – 13.34 [-0.6] \| Advanced to final (automatic)
	2. Poole – 14.27 [-1.6] \| Advanced to final (automatic)
100mH (W)	9. Brandee' Johnson – 13.90 [+2.3]
100mH (W)*	6. Johnson – 13.39 [+1.1] \| Tied No. 44-ranked time in Division I; tied No. 21-ranked time in East Region; advanced to final (time)
	12. Timetria Mitchell – 13.86 [+1.9] \| Season-best time
	25. Amanda Froeynes – 14.87 [+0.7]
3kSC (M)	3. Blake Lowery – 9:44.71 \| First career 3,000-meter steeplechase
3kSC (W)	2. Grace Blair – 11:17.43
	Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell – DNF
4x100 (M)	1. Ekevwo-Sani Brown-Holloway-Clark – 38.52 \| Improved No. 3-ranked time in Division I; No. 5-ranked time on UF's All-Time Top 10
4x400 (M)	2. Johnson-Sawyers-Denzel Villaman-Lobo Vedel – 3:05.31 \| Season-best time for 'B' Team
	6. Hill-Kyren Hollis-Guillory-Cameron Mahorn – 3:14.94
4x400 (W)	2. Anderson-Manson-Ghee-Stephens – 3:34.16
	5. Froeynes-Johnson-Wilkinson-Harrelson – 3:53.70
TJ (M)	Clayton Brown – FOUL
TJ (W)	1. Yanis David – 13.69 meters (44 feet, 11 inches) [+1.8]
	4. Asa Garcia – 13.20 meters (43 feet, 3.75 inches) [0.0] \| Passed final three attempts; tied wind-legal personal record
	6. Kala Penn – 12.73 meters (41 feet, 9.25 inches) [0.0]
SP (W)	13. Froeynes – 11.96 meters (39 feet, 3 inches)
DT (M)	1. Connor Bandel – 54.61 meters (179 feet, 2 inches) \| No. 21-ranked mark in East Region
	2. Thomas Mardal – 53.04 meters (174 feet, 1 inch) \| No. 32-ranked mark in East Region; topped personal record by 10 centimeters (5 inches)
	3. Edward Shelikoff – 51.16 meters (167 feet, 10 inches) \| Topped personal record by six centimeters
	5. Adam Shuler – 49.90 meters (163 feet, 8 inches)
	6. AJ McFarland – 49.06 meters (160 feet, 11 inches) \| Season-best mark
HT (W)	10. Amara Wiggan – 46.72 meters (153 feet, 3 inches)

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