EUGENE, Ore. – Champion Allison and
Joseph Fahnbulleh spearheaded an outstanding day for the Florida men's track and field team on the opening day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Gators advanced seven of a possible eight entries to Friday's finals including a pair in the 100 meters and 400 meters.
Florida's 4x100 team opened up the evening, passing the stick around in 38.94 to win Heat 1 and secure an automatic spot into the final.
The team of
Dedrick Vanover,
Tyler Davis,
PJ Austin and Fahnbulleh ran sub-39 seconds for the fifth time this season. Every completed race for the Gators this year has gone under the 39-second threshold.
This is the 14th time under head coach
Mike Holloway that the Gators will have a 4x100 team in the finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Florida has won the event seven times prior, six of those titles coming under Holloway.
Fahnbulleh came right back to the track for his second race of the day, the 100 meters.
In an extremely talented heat, Fahnbulleh qualified through automatically to the finals in 10.11 (-0.6).
After missing the finals of the 60 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships by .01 seconds, Vanover qualified automatically into the finals of the 100 meters with a time of 10.15.
Vanover will be making his debut in an individual NCAA final when he lines up for the 100 meters on Friday. Fahnbulleh was a finalist in the event a season ago and will look to add points to the Florida tally again.
Allison, the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the 400 meters, has had a special year so far.
Perhaps the best performance so far this season came in the semifinals of the 400 meters on Wednesday night.
Allison ran 44.29 to break the Florida school record and establish the top-qualifying time to Friday's final. On top of that, Allison became the No. 12 all-time performer in NCAA history in the 400 meters.
Ryan Willie also earned an automatic spot into the finals with a time of 45.47.
Jacory Patterson was 12th in 45.78, earning Second Team All-American honors.
Fahnbulleh finished his evening by taking the top-qualifying time in the 200 meters at 20.10 (-0.1).
He will have the chance to defend his 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 200 meters on Friday evening.
That race made him a perfect 3-for-3 on entries into Friday's finals. He will run the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 relay for the Gators.
He is one of two athletes (Houston's Shaun Maswanganyi) to make the finals in all three events at this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The last Gator to make the finals in those three events at the same NCAA Outdoor Championships was Hakim Sani Brown in 2019.
Mark Porter competed in the final of the Javelin on Wednesday, finishing 16th at 67.93m/222-10. He earns Second Team All-American honors to close out his collegiate career.
Florida finished the evening with a 3:01.30 from its 4x400 team to earn a spot in Friday's final. Patterson, Willie,
Jacob Miley (46.19) and Allison (44.75) ran legs for the Gators to win Heat 3.
This marks the 15th-consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships that Florida has put a 4x400 team into the finals.
The Gators will have seven entries into Friday's finals with a number of heavy hitters left on the board.
Florida is expected to be right at the heart of the team race as the night winds down on Friday.
The 4x100 final will kick things off at 6:02 p.m. PST with the finals of the 100 meters, 400 meters, 200 meters and 4x400 relay all set to be contested within an hour-and-a-half of each other.
Qualified to Friday's Finals:
- Florida (4x100)
-
Joseph Fahnbulleh (100m)
-
Dedrick Vanover (100m)
-
Joseph Fahnbulleh (200m)
-
Champion Allison (400m)
-
Ryan Willie (400m)
- Florida (4x400)
Men's Team Title Race (Through Six Events)
1. Tennessee (21)
2. Florida State (16)
3. Princeton (15)
4. Texas (12)
5. Alabama (11)
| Wednesday, June 8th: NCAA Outdoor Championships |
| Event |
Place, Gators – Time / Mark | Notes |
| Javelin: Final (M) |
16. Mark Porter: 67.93m/222-10 | Second Team All-American |
| 4x100 Relay: Semifinal (M) |
5. Florida: 38.94 | Advanced to Final
- Dedrick Vanover, Tyler Davis, PJ Austin, Joseph Fahnbulleh |
| 100 Meters: Semifinal (M) |
3. Joseph Fahnbulleh: 10.11 (-0.6) | Advanced to Final
4. Dedrick Vanover: 10.15 (+1.2) | Advanced to FInal |
| 400 Meters: Semifinal (M) |
1. Champion Allison: 44.29 | Personal Best, Advanced to Final, School Record, No. 12 All-Time NCAA
6. Ryan Willie: 45.47 | Advanced to Final
12. Jacory Patterson: 45.78 | Second Team All-American |
| 200 Meters: Semifinal (M) |
1. Joseph Fahnbulleh: 20.10 (-0.1) | Advanced to Final |
| 4x400 Relay: Semifinal (M) |
3. Florida: 3:01.30 | Advanced to Final
- Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley, Champion Allison |
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