Gators Post Trio of Top-3 National Performances in Columbia

Friday, January 17

Columbia, SC

Florida Gators

Gamecock Open

Raymond Ekevwo opened his senior season with one of the nation's best times and one of the school's top performances.

Gators Post Trio of Top-3 National Performances in Columbia

Friday, January 17, 2020 | Track and Field

By: Zach Dirlam

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Three Gators posted times that rank in the top three nationally Friday, as Florida track and field opened the two-day Gamecock Opener at the Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex.

Women's quarter-milers Doneisha Anderson and Taylor Manson followed up their strong performances at 300 meters last weekend with two of the nation's three fastest times at 400 meters Friday. Both set indoor personal records, as Anderson led the way with a time of 52.83 seconds – the nation's No. 2 time and 12 hundredths of a second off the program's All-Time Indoor Top 10 list. Manson crossed in 53.02 seconds, which ranks third nationally.

Anderson's previous indoor PR was 53.78 seconds, while Manson's was 53.20.

Raymond Ekevwo, who last competed in the 100 meters semifinals of the 2019 IAAF World Championships, opened his senior season with a time of 6.61 seconds in the 60 meters. Ekevwo's time is tied for second nationally, and the only man ahead of him Friday was N.C. State's Cravont Charleston, who ended the 2019 indoor regular season as the No. 2-ranked runner at 60 meters. Ekevwo also tied the No. 7 time on the program's All-Time Indoor Top 10.

Freshman Semira Killebrew dazzled in the 60 meters once again, clocking a top time of 7.29 seconds for a second consecutive weekend. Her time currently ranks eighth nationally on the Division I Indoor Qualifying list.

Florida's jumpers also flashed their speed at 60 meters Friday evening. Senior Clayton Brown finished third in the men's final with a personal record of 6.70 seconds, and fellow senior Kala Penn ran 7.56 (slightly slower than last weekend's 7.51) in the women's semifinals, which were loaded with professional runners.

The Gators conclude their two-day stint at the Gamecock Opener Saturday afternoon. A full schedule for this weekend's meet, broken down by the Gators' entries, is below.

GAMECOCK OPENER MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)

Live Results / Start Lists (Adkins Results)
Venue: Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex (University of South Carolina)

*Friday, January 17 ( - denotes preliminary; ^ - denotes semifinal; all other events are finals)**
Event	Place, Gators – Time / Mark \| Notes
60m (M)	2. Raymond Ekevwo – 6.61 \| Tied No. 2-ranked time in Division I; tied No. 7-ranked time on UF's All-Time Indoor Top 10; topped personal record by 0.05 seconds
	3. Clayton Brown – 6.70 \| Personal record
60m (M) ^	2. Ekevwo – 6.72 \| Advanced to final (automatic)
	5. C. Brown – 6.75 \| Advanced to final (time); first-ever collegiate 60m race
	11. Cameron Miller – 6.84
	14. Joseph Fahnbulleh – 6.86
	16. Tyler Davis – 6.87 \| Season-best time
60m (M) *	5. Davis – 6.92 \| Advanced to semifinals (time)
60m (W)	4. Semira Killebrew – 7.29 \| Tied personal record; finished second among collegians
60m (W) ^	6. Killebrew – 7.39 \| Advanced to final (time)
	11. Kala Penn – 7.56
	17. Grace Stark – 7.66
400m (M)	2. Denzel Villaman – 48.06 \| Topped personal record by 1.15 seconds
	3. Dawson Guillory – 48.36 \| Topped indoor personal record by 0.46 seconds
	17. Cameron Mahorn – 50.18 \| First-ever collegiate 400m race
400m (W)	1. Doneisha Anderson – 52.83 \| No. 2-ranked time in Division I; topped indoor personal record by 0.95 seconds
	2. Taylor Manson – 53.02 \| No. 3-ranked time in Division I; topped indoor personal record by 0.18 seconds
	19. Shakira Dancy – 58.82 \| Indoor personal record
Mile (W)	5. Grace Blair – 5:02.67
	6. Emily Culley – 5:03.96 \| Collegiate debut
	7. Chloe Hyde – 5:07.87 \| Collegiate debut
	8. Madison Morse – 5:10.52
	11. Jackie Addy – 5:15.43 \| Collegiate debut
	12. Maria Fernandez – 5:17.04 \| Indoor collegiate debut
3,000m (M)	8. Blake Lowery -- 8:40.59
	10. Cavan Wilson -- 8:44.56 \| Indoor collegiate debut
60mH (M)	Cory Poole – DNF
60mH (M) ^	1. Poole – 7.79 \| Advanced to final (automatic)
	9. Osaji Skyers – 8.13
60mH (W)	4. Grace Stark – 8.33
	5. Brandee' Johnson – 8.33
60mH (W) ^	2. Stark – 8.33 \| Advanced to final (time)
	8. B. Johnson – 8.50 \| Advanced to final (time)
	9. Nikki Stephens – 8.57 \| Tied personal record
	11. Timetria Mitchell – 8.69
60mH (W)*	6. Mitchell – 8.86 \| Advanced to semifinals (time)
LJ (M)	4. Michael Holloway II – 6.96 meters (22 feet, 10 inches) \| Topped personal record by 43 centimeters (1 foot, 4.75 inches)
TJ (M)	1. Jalen Chance – 14.99 meters (49 feet, 2.25 inches) \| Season-best mark

*Saturday, January 18 (unless denoted otherwise, events are finals)*
Time	Gators – Event
10 a.m.	Nikki Stephens – Women's High Jump
11 a.m.	Cameron Mahorn – Men's 200 meters
	Jalen Chance; Jonathan Miller – Men's Long Jump (invitational)
	Kala Penn – Women's Long Jump (invitational)
12 p.m.	Shakira Dancy – Women's 200 meters
1 p.m.	Deshay Fernandes; Jacob Miley; Justin Pacifico; Chase Ruskin – Men's 800 meters
2:20 p.m.	Tyler Davis; Joseph Fahnbulleh; Cameron Miller – Men's 200 meters (Top Sections)
2:35 p.m.	Doneisha Anderson; Semira Killebrew; Taylor Manson – Women's 200 meters (Top Sections)
3 p.m.	Clayton Brown – Men's High Jump (invitational)
4:10 p.m.	Florida 'A'; Florida 'B'; Florida 'C' – Men's 4x400 Relay
4:30 p.m.	Florida 'A' – Women's 4x400 Relay