Florida Women’s Track and Field Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Florida Women’s Athletics
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | Track and Field
Over the past 50 years, the Florida women’s track and field program has transformed into one of the premier teams in the conference and in the nation.
The Gators have won two national titles, 14 SEC titles, been coached by Hall of Famers and have produced a plethora of Olympians who have competed on the world’s grandest stage.
In between those program-changing moments have been constant personal bests, school records broken and decades of academic success.
Here’s a look at some of the accomplishments from the Florida Women’s Track and Field program over the past 50 years.
NCAA Success
The Gators have a pair of national championships to date. The first came in 1992 when Florida, led by the likes of Leah Kirklin, Michelle Freeman, Nekita Beasley, Kim Mitchell and Anita Howard, scored 50 team points to bring home the program’s first title.
That title in 1992 came during the 20th anniversary of Women’s Athletics at Florida.
The second came during this season, the 50th year of Florida Women’s Athletics.
Led by Anna Hall, Grace Stark, Jasmine Moore and Talitha Diggs, the Gators scored 68 team points to take home the 2022 NCAA Indoor National Championship.
The second title for the women was also the 10th of Hall-of-Fame Coach Mike Holloway’s career. Holloway has been the head coach of the women’s team since 2008 and the men’s team since 2003.
In the summer of 2007, the Gators merged to form one whole Track and Field program.
The Gators have won 47 individual national titles in the program’s history. Twice, the program has recorded five during a single season (1992 Outdoor and 2022 Indoor).
Top-4 Finishes at NCAA Championships
Indoor: 1990 (3rd), 1992 (1st), 1993 (3rd), 1999 (T-4th), 2002 (3rd), 2003 (T-2nd), 2004 (2nd), 2005 (2nd), 2010 (4th), 2014 (3rd), 2015 (4th), 2018 (4th), 2022 (1st)
Outdoor: 1992 (2nd), 2003 (4th), 2010 (3rd), 2014 (4th)
All-American Honors
Florida’s women have earned 693 All-American honors through the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Kisha Jett (19), Anita Howard (17), Destinee Gause (16), Robin Reynolds (16) and Ebony Eutsey (15) have earned the most All-American honors in program history.
Rose Allwood (100m and 200m) and Jackie Gordon (Discus) were the first All-Americans in program history during the 1976 Outdoor Season.
Southeastern Conference Success
The Gators have won 14 SEC Titles across the past 50 years. The first outdoor SEC Championships were not contested until 1981. The first indoor SEC Championships were not contested until 1984.
Florida swept the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles in 1997 and won the outdoor title in 1998.
The Gators have won 189 SEC Individual Titles including 11 from Hazel Clark and 10 from Candice Scott.
Awards and Honors
Indoor:
Conference Awards
SEC Athlete of the Year (awarded from 1993-2003):
1993: Monifa Taylor
1998: Hazel Clark
1999: Hazel Clark
SEC Runner of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2005: Tiandra Ponteen
2014: Cory McGee
SEC Field Athlete of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2009: Mariam Kevkhishvili
2010: Shara Proctor
2019: Yanis David
2022: Jasmine Moore
SEC Freshman Runner of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2004: Tiandra Ponteen
2006: Shannon Leinert
2010: Lanie Whittaker
2011: Cory McGee
2014: Rebekah Greene
2020: Grace Stark
SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2005: Shaka Dennison
2007: Shara Proctor
2018: Amanda Froeynes
USTFCCCA Regional Awards (began in 2006):
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year:
2010: Charlotte Browning
2014: Cory McGee
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year:
2009: Mariam Kevkhishvili
2019: Yanis David
2022: Jasmine Moore
USTFCCCA National Awards:
Women’s Athlete of the Year (1994-2005)
2005: Candice Scott
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year:
2019: Yanis David
2022: Jasmine Moore
Outdoor:
Conference Awards
SEC Runner of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2012: Genevieve LaCaze
SEC Field Athlete of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2010: Mariam Kevkhishvili
2019: Yanis David
SEC Freshman Runner of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2004: Tiandra Ponteen
2008: Rebecca Lowe
2009: Genevieve LaCaze
SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year (awarded from 2004-present):
2007: Mariam Kevkhishvili
2021: Claire Bryant
SEC Newcomer Runner of the Year (awarded in 2021 only)
2021: Grace Stark
USTFCCCA Regional Awards (began in 2006):
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year:
2015: Kyra Jefferson
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year:
2010: Mariam Kevkhishvili
2019: Yanis David
USTFCCCA National Awards:
Women’s Athlete of the Year (1994-2005)
2005: Candice Scott
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year:
2019: Yanis David
Overall Awards:
The Bowerman Finalists:
2019: Yanis David
The Honda Award Winner:
2019: Yanis David
Gallery: Awards and Honors
Collegiate Records
Jasmine Moore: Indoor Triple Jump (14.57m)
Grace Stark: Indoor 60-meter hurdles (7.78)
Women's Track and Field Olympians
2020 (Tokyo, Japan):
- Taylor Manson (USA): Mixed 4x400 relay
- Cory McGee (USA): 1500 meters
- Doneisha Anderson (The Bahamas) 4x400 relay
- Lloydricia Cameron (Jamaica): Shot Put
- Genevieve LaCaze (Australia): 3000m Steeplechase
- Yanis Davis (France): Long Jump
- Marija Vucenovic (Serbia): Javelin
2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil):
- Genevieve LaCaze (Australia): 3000m Steeplechase, 5000 meters
- Shara Proctor (Great Britain): Long Jump
- Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica): 4x400 relay
2012 (London, United Kingdom):
- Genevieve LaCaze (Australia): 3000m Steeplechase
- Shara Proctor (Great Britain): Long Jump
- Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica): 400 meters, 4x400 relay
2008 (Beijing, China):
- Hazel Clark (USA)
- Kristin Heaston (USA)
- Mariam Kevkhishvili (Georgia)
- Tiandra Ponteen (St. Kitts/Nevis)
- Candice Scott (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica)
2004 (Athens, Greece):
- Kim Barrett (Jamaica)
- Hazel Clark (USA)
- Erin Gilreath (USA)
- Tiandra Ponteen (St. Kitts/Nevis)
- Candice Scott (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Novlene Williams (Jamaica)
2000 (Sydney, Australia):
- Hazel Clark (USA)
- Michelle Freeman (Jamaica)
1996 (Atlanta, Georgia, USA):
- Michelle Freeman (Jamaica)
1992 (Barcelona, Spain):
- Michelle Freeman (Jamaica)
- Anita Howard (USA)
- Shelly Steely (USA)
1976 (Montreal, Canada):
- Horace Tuitt (Trinidad and Tobago)
