Florida Gators

FAYETTEVILLE, AR. – This week the Florida Gators Track and Field teams split up, participating in both the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Massachusetts. The first event of the day for the Gators took place in Boston where Imogen Barrett competed in the women's 800m, finishing third with a time of 2:01.23. She set a new school record in the indoor 800m, besting Hazel Clark's 24-year-old time.
 
Gabrielle Wilkinson continued Florida's success in Boston, making her debut in the women's mile (4:38.43) and finishing with the seventh fastest indoor mile time in school history. In the final event at the David Hemery Valentine, Parker Valby ran a new PR in the 3000m (8:49.71), extending her school record in the indoor event by 4.18 seconds. Three of the four Gators who participated in the meet set or extended a top-10 mark in school history, with Valby and Barrett running school record times.
 
At the Tyson Invitational the Gators claimed three event titles. Kurt Powdar took first in the men's 60m hurdles, Talitha Diggs in the women's 60m, and Malcolm Clemons in the men's long jump invitational. Eight Gators finished on the podium during the first day of the Tyson Invitational.
  
Tomorrow the Gators begin day two of the Tyson Invitational at 12:00 p.m. ET with Corvell Todd competing in the men's high jump. The day concludes with the men's and women's 4x400m relays.
 
TYSON INVITATIONAL MEET
 
Friday's Finals Recap
Long Jump
Men-Both Jalen Chance and Jordan McCants took part in the men's long jump competition. Chance finished tenth with a top jump on the day of 7.13m/23'4.75". McCants took part in his first long jump competition as a Gator, placing fifteenth with a best jump of 6.83m/22'5".
 
Women- Sterling Lester competed in the first group of the long jump contest, completing her first three jumps and then heading over to take part in the 60m hurdles qualifiers. The multis athlete returned to take part in the long jump finals shortly after, placing seventh with a jump of 5.87m/19'3.25".
 
Men's Invitational- Both Malcolm Clemons and Caleb Foster took place in the men's invitational and both found their way onto the podium. Clemons finished first with a mark of 7.84m/25'8.75", just 0.01 meters back of his personal best in the long jump. Caleb Foster in his first long jump competition of the season placed third (7.69m/25'2.75").
 
Women's Invitational- Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant finish second and third in the women's long jump invitational. Moore's mark (6.74m/22'1.50") is the top jump in the country this year and finished one centimeter off her personal best. Bryant's jump (6.50m/21'4") continues her strong start to the 2023 campaign.
 
60m
Men- Jacory Patterson finished fifth (6.67) in the 60m finals after making it through both qualifying and the prelims. Pjai Austin finished sixth (6.71).
 
Women- Talitha Diggs (7.15) got out of the blocks fast and refused to give up the lead, beating out the runner-up from LSU by 0.007 seconds.
 
60m Hurdles
Men- Having to make it through three races to take the title, Kurt Powar grinded it out, beating out all other runners to take the 60m hurdles title (7.75).
 
Women- Imani Carothers and Jayla Hollis continue their successful 2023 hurdles campaign. Carothers finished on the podium in third (8.15) while Hollis finished fifth (8.19). Carothers' time was the fourth fastest in school history. Hollis' prelim time of 8.13 was the third fastest time in school history.
 
400m
Men- Five Gators took part in the 400m and four of them finished in the top-15. Ryan Willie (46.13), Emmanuel Bamidele (46.56), Jacob Miley (46.96), and Jevaughn Powell (47.24) finished second, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth respectively. Miley set a new indoor PR on his way to a top-10 finish.
 
Women- Vanessa Watson was the lone woman to take part in the 400m at the Tyson Invitational. She came out strong, finishing 23rd and setting a new personal best (54.90). Her time was 0.57 seconds faster than her previous top time.
 

Tyson Invitational Results (All events are finals unless otherwise noted)
Event	Place, Gators (Time/Distance), Notes
Long Jump (M)	10. Jalen Chance (7.13m/23'4.75") 15. Jordan McCants (6.83m/22'5") Event Debut
Long Jump (W)	7. Sterling Lester (5.87m/19'3.25") Indoor Personal Best
Long Jump (M) Invitational	1. Malcolm Clemons (7.84m/25'8.75") 3. Caleb Foster (7.69m/25'2.75")
Long Jump (W) Invitational	2. Jasmine Moore (6.74m/22'1.50") Top jump in the country this year 3. Claire Bryant (6.50m/21'4")
60m (M) Qualifying	4. Jacory Patterson (6.70) Qualified for Prelims 13. Tyler Davis (6.78)
60m (W) Qualifying	2. Jasmine Montgomery (7.36) Qualified for Prelims
60m (M) Prelims	4. Pjai Austin (6.69) Qualified for Finals 6. Jacory Patterson (6.69) Qualified for Finals
60m (W) Prelims	2. Talitha Diggs (7.22) Qualified for Finals 8. Kynnedy Flannel (7.36) Qualified for Finals 12. Jasmine Montgomery (7.44)
60m (M) Finals	5. Jacory Patterson (6.67) Personal Best 6. Pjai Austin (6.71)
60m (W) Finals	1. Talitha Diggs (7.15) 7. Kynnedy Flannel (7.37)
60m Hurdles (M) Qualifying	1. Caleb Foster (7.87) Personal Best, Qualified for Prelims 3. Kurt Powdar (7.94) Qualified for Prelims
60m Hurdles (W) Qualifying	13. Sterling Lester (8.55)
60m Hurdles (M) Prelims	7. Kurt Powdar (7.87) Qualified for Finals 9. Caleb Foster (7.88)
60m Hurdles (W) Prelims	2. Jayla Hollis (8.13) 3rd Fastest Time in School History, Qualified for Finals 3. Imani Carothers (8.18) Qualified for Finals
60m Hurdles (M) Finals	1. Kurt Powdar (7.75)
60m Hurdles (W) Finals	3. Imani Carothers (8.15), 4th Fastest Time in School History 5. Jayla Hollis (8.19)
400m (M)	2. Ryan Willie (46.13) 5. Emmanuel Bamidele (46.56) 9. Jacob Miley (46.96) Indoor Personal Best 14. Jevaughn Powell (47.24) 55. Miles Green (48.83)
400m (W)	26. Vanessa Watson (54.90), Personal Best

 
DAVID HEMERY VALENTINE INVITATIONAL MEET
 
Friday's Finals Recap
800m
In the very first event of the day for the Gators, Imogen Barrett finished third (2:01.23) of 248 runners in the women's 800m setting a new school record in the indoor 800m. The previous record was set by Hazel Clark (2:01.77) at the 1999 NCAA Championships.
 
Mile
Gabrielle Wilkinson made her debut in the women's mile and finished in the top 10% of all runners in the event. Her time of 4:38.43 is the seventh fastest time in indoor school history.
 
3000m
In the final event of the David Hemery Valentine Invitational for the Gators Parker Valby had a career day. She ran a new PR in the 3000m (8:49.71), 4.18 seconds faster than her previous best. This time improves upon the school record in the event she already held and is the eighth fastest time in NCAA history. Vasileia Spyrou also ran a strong race, finishing with a time of 9:24.81.
 

David Hemery Valentine Invitational Results  (All events are finals unless otherwise noted)
Event	Place, Gators (Time/Distance), Notes
800m (W)	3. Imogen Barrett (2:01.23) School Record, 9th Fastest time in NCAA history, Personal Best
Mile (W)	27. Gabrielle Wilkinson (4:38.43) 7th Fastest time in School History, Event Debut
3000m (W)	6. Parker Valby (8:49.71) 8th Fastest time in NCAA History, Personal Best 36. Vasileia Spyrou (9:24.81)

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