AUSTIN, Texas -- Gators senior
Ryan Clark lived up to his words at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
First, let's rewind to last month at the regional meet in Jacksonville.
"He told me after the regional meet -- with tears in his eyes -- 'Coach, I want to be the best anchor man on the track in two weeks.' And he was,'' Gators head coach
Mike Holloway said.
Once the action started at Michael A. Myers Stadium on Friday, it took all of 37.97 seconds for those in attendance to witness a collegiate record when the Gators opened the meet by winning the national title in the 4x100 relay. The race remained in doubt when Florida's
Grant Holloway handed the baton to Clark for the final leg.
In the next lane was Florida State senior Andre Ewers, who took the baton from teammate Michael Timpson Jr. with the same national championship dreams Clark held tight.
Clark left no doubt who the best anchor man on the track was, outracing Ewers to the finish line as the Gators became the first team to post a sub-38 second mark in the event. For Clark, the performance capped an unsteady outdoor season in which he did not qualify for the 100 or 200 meters races as in the past due to inconsistency and injuries.
"This outdoor season wasn't the best for me,'' Clark said. "I knew I had one job and that was to bring that baton in first. Doing my job was the best thing. I was so excited to be able to do that for my team and my boys."
Junior
Raymond Ekevwo ran the first leg for Florida before handing off to sophomore
Hakim Sani Brown. Next up was
Grant Holloway, who came around the turn near the lead as he handed off to Clark. A veteran from College Park, Ga., Clark did the rest by bursting down the lane and pulling away from Ewers for the victory over their in-state rivals.
"What a better way to end your career,''
Mike Holloway said. "This is the first year that he wasn't in the 100 or 200, which was disappointing for him."
Whatever disappointment Clark had before the meet was washed away by victory. The record time was a goal for the team since practice started last fall.
"I've thought about this moment since August,'' Clark said. "We always talk about running under 38. It was excited to see that actually happen."
"We just wanted to give energy for the rest of the meet,'' added Sani Brown. "That's always the goal for us. We always want to pop it off. We knew we could get the collegiate record."
Pop it off they did, setting the tone for Florida's national runner-up finish to Texas Tech.
Grant Holloway, who later set a collegiate record in the 110-meter high hurdles, was overjoyed at sharing the historic moment with his teammates. It would not have been possible without Clark's strong finish.
"It was great. Everybody did their part,''
Grant Holloway said. "Everybody did what they had to do. The time speaks for itself. We got a collegiate record. Now it's time to watch the film of that race and go celebrate."
They earned it.
