Thursday, July 25
Des Moines, IA
3:45 PM
Florida Gators
vs
USATF Outdoor Championships
Kerron Clement has made every global championship since 2005.
Four Gators Keep World Championships Dreams Alive
Thursday, July 25, 2019 | Track and Field
DES MOINES, Iowa – One of the four Gators who advanced to semifinals Thursday evening at USATF Outdoor Championships was 400-meter hurdler William Wynne.
Wynne took third place in a heat paced fellow Gators alum TJ Holmes, nabbing the final automatic berth for Friday's semifinals. The fact the Georgian will make a second consecutive semifinals appearance carries with it a story familiar in Olympic sports. Wynne's collegiate career wrapped in 2012. He rehabbed a torn hamstring in 2013, working at two shoe stores in Atlanta to support himself financially. After the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he bowed out in the preliminaries, Wynne moved to North Carolina to train with a new coach.
Today, he works in youth outreach for a local YMCA, training in his spare time.
"It was hard. I wasn't sure I'd be able to come back," Wynne said, referencing his left hamstring. "It's crazy just being here."
Wynne came to Florida as the under-18 world record holder in the 400 hurdles (and still holds that title), but his best finish for the Gators came in the 110-meter hurdles, as he took third at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"William is a guy who puts a lot of pressure on himself," head coach Mike Holloway said. "He came to Florida with a lot of accolades and just put too much pressure on himself. He and I had a running debate he was actually a better high hurdler than a 400 hurdler. We are appreciative of everything he did for the Gators."
Not long after Wynne ducked out of the interview area, Gators Great and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kerron Clement came through, fresh off a season-best time and a victory in the final 400 hurdles heat.
Clement, who turns 34 in October, envisions himself not just on the World Championships team, but on the podium in Doha. The two-time World Championships 400 hurdles gold medalist has made every global championship meet (Olympics and World Championships) since 2005, when he turned professional following a sophomore season highlighted by an indoor 400 meters world record and 400 hurdles collegiate record.
"When it comes to these big meets, I'm in a zone," Clement said. "I'm pretty much the old man in the group, but I'm just really excited to keep running. Hopefully I can keep up with these young boys. I'm a fighter. I've always been right there on the podium. No difference for this season, or next season. I'm going to be on the podium."
Asked about why he rises to the occasion so well at major championships, Clement delivered a direct, straight-faced answer.
"Honestly, I love medals. I'm very greedy," Clement said, prompting chuckles from the press. "Seriously. That's why I perform my best when there's a team on the line, or a medal on the line. I always make those doubters eat their words."
Their motivations may be different, as are their chances of actually making Team USA, but Clement and Wynne shared a common thread Thursday: both their dreams are alive for at least one more day. And that remains the beauty of events like USATF Outdoors.
The fourth Gators semifinalist was Tony McQuay, who nabbed one of the four "time" qualifiers in the men's 400 meters. Florida's lone finalist Thursday was Avione Allgood, who finished fourth in the women's javelin throw.
Broadcast / Streaming Information (all times Eastern)
Competitors at USATF Outdoors are vying for spots at this fall's IAAF World Championships, scheduled for Sept. 28 through Oct. 6 in Doha, Qatar. Top-three finishers in each event, so long as they hold the World Championships standard, earn Team USA berths.
USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)
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Wynne took third place in a heat paced fellow Gators alum TJ Holmes, nabbing the final automatic berth for Friday's semifinals. The fact the Georgian will make a second consecutive semifinals appearance carries with it a story familiar in Olympic sports. Wynne's collegiate career wrapped in 2012. He rehabbed a torn hamstring in 2013, working at two shoe stores in Atlanta to support himself financially. After the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he bowed out in the preliminaries, Wynne moved to North Carolina to train with a new coach.
Today, he works in youth outreach for a local YMCA, training in his spare time.
"It was hard. I wasn't sure I'd be able to come back," Wynne said, referencing his left hamstring. "It's crazy just being here."
Wynne came to Florida as the under-18 world record holder in the 400 hurdles (and still holds that title), but his best finish for the Gators came in the 110-meter hurdles, as he took third at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"William is a guy who puts a lot of pressure on himself," head coach Mike Holloway said. "He came to Florida with a lot of accolades and just put too much pressure on himself. He and I had a running debate he was actually a better high hurdler than a 400 hurdler. We are appreciative of everything he did for the Gators."
Not long after Wynne ducked out of the interview area, Gators Great and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kerron Clement came through, fresh off a season-best time and a victory in the final 400 hurdles heat.
Clement, who turns 34 in October, envisions himself not just on the World Championships team, but on the podium in Doha. The two-time World Championships 400 hurdles gold medalist has made every global championship meet (Olympics and World Championships) since 2005, when he turned professional following a sophomore season highlighted by an indoor 400 meters world record and 400 hurdles collegiate record.
"When it comes to these big meets, I'm in a zone," Clement said. "I'm pretty much the old man in the group, but I'm just really excited to keep running. Hopefully I can keep up with these young boys. I'm a fighter. I've always been right there on the podium. No difference for this season, or next season. I'm going to be on the podium."
Asked about why he rises to the occasion so well at major championships, Clement delivered a direct, straight-faced answer.
"Honestly, I love medals. I'm very greedy," Clement said, prompting chuckles from the press. "Seriously. That's why I perform my best when there's a team on the line, or a medal on the line. I always make those doubters eat their words."
Their motivations may be different, as are their chances of actually making Team USA, but Clement and Wynne shared a common thread Thursday: both their dreams are alive for at least one more day. And that remains the beauty of events like USATF Outdoors.
The fourth Gators semifinalist was Tony McQuay, who nabbed one of the four "time" qualifiers in the men's 400 meters. Florida's lone finalist Thursday was Avione Allgood, who finished fourth in the women's javelin throw.
Broadcast / Streaming Information (all times Eastern)
- Friday TV / Streaming – 7-9 p.m. (NBC Sports Network) / 1:30-9 p.m. (NBC Sports Gold – subscription)
- Saturday TV / Streaming – 4-6 p.m. (NBC) / 2-6 p.m. (NBC Sports Gold – subscription)
- Sunday TV / Streaming – 7-8 p.m. (NBC Sports Network), 8-9 p.m. (NBC) / 4-9 p.m. (NBC Sports Gold – subscription)
Competitors at USATF Outdoors are vying for spots at this fall's IAAF World Championships, scheduled for Sept. 28 through Oct. 6 in Doha, Qatar. Top-three finishers in each event, so long as they hold the World Championships standard, earn Team USA berths.
USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)
- Live Results / Start Lists (Flash Results)
- Complete Schedule
- Venue: Drake Stadium (Drake University – Des Moines, Iowa)
| Thursday, July 25 (unless denoted by *, events are finals) | |
| Event | Place, Gators (Years Competed) – Time / Mark [Wind] | Notes |
| 100m (M)* | 25. Jeff Demps (2009-12) – 10.55 [-1.6] |
| 100m (W)* | 23. Robin Reynolds (2013-16) – 11.90 [-1.4] |
| 400m (M)* | 14. Tony McQuay (2010-12) – 45.78 | Advanced to semifinals (time); season-best time |
| 1,500m (W)* | Cory McGee (2011-14) – DQ |
| 400mH (M)* | 3. Kerron Clement (2004-05) – 49.79 | Advanced to semifinals (automatic) |
| 4. TJ Holmes (2015-17) – 49.87 | Advanced to semifinals (automatic) | |
| 12. William Wynne (2009-12) – 50.57 | Advanced to semifinals (automatic) | |
| 3kSC (M)* | 18. Mark Parrish (2011-15) – 8:45.49 |
| JT (W) | 4. Avione Allgood (2017-18) – 55.29 meters (181 feet, 4 inches) | Season-best mark |
| Friday, July 26 (unless denoted otherwise, events are finals) | |
| Time | Gators (Years Competed) – Event |
| 5:05 p.m. | Bridgette Owens (2014-15) – Women's 100-meter Hurdles (prelim) |
| 6:30 p.m. | KeAndre Bates (2015-18); Will Claye (2010-11); Omar Craddock (2010-13); Christian Taylor (2009-11) – Men's Triple Jump |
| 8:14 p.m. | Tony McQuay (2010-12) – Men's 400 meters (semifinals) |
| 8:28 p.m. | Kerron Clement (2004-05); TJ Holmes (2015-17); William Wynne (2009-12) – Men's 400-meter Hurdles (semifinals) |
| Saturday, July 27 (unless denoted otherwise, events are finals) | |
| Time | Gators (Years Competed) – Event |
| 2:33 p.m. | Kyra Jefferson (2013-17); Robin Reynolds (2013-16) – Women's 200 meters (prelim) |
| 3:23 p.m. | Grant Holloway (2017-19) – Men's 110-meter Hurdles (prelim) |
| 4 p.m. | Darrielle McQueen (2015-18) – Women's Long Jump |
| 4:04 p.m. | Bridgette Owens (2014-15) – Women's 100-meter Hurdles (semifinals) |
| 5:25 p.m. | Kerron Clement (2004-05); TJ Holmes (2015-17); William Wynne (2009-12) – Men's 400-meter Hurdles |
| 5:43 p.m. | Tony McQuay (2010-12) – Men's 400 meters |
| 5:52 p.m. | Bridgette Owens (2014-15) – Women's 100-meter Hurdles |
| Sunday, July 28 (unless denoted otherwise, all events are finals) | |
| Time | Gators (Years Competed) – Event |
| 6:14 p.m. | Kyra Jefferson (2013-17); Robin Reynolds (2013-16) – Women's 200 meters (semifinals) |
| 6:28 p.m. | Grant Holloway (2017-19) – Men's 110-meter Hurdles (semifinals) |
| 7 p.m. | KeAndre Bates (2015-18); Will Claye (2010-11) – Men's Long Jump |
| 8:20 p.m. | Grant Holloway (2017-19) – Men's 110-meter Hurdles |
| 8:43 p.m. | Kyra Jefferson (2013-17); Robin Reynolds (2013-16) – Women's Nike 200 meters |
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators; #PushTheButton; #TheMissionContinues; #WeBelieve; #LessSaid
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Hurdles
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Sprints/Jumps
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