AUSTIN, Texas — For the sixth time in program history, the Florida Gators men's track and field team won the NCAA Outdoor Championship. This is the 11th National Championship for the men's team and the 14th overall for the Florida Gators track and field programs. All 11 of the men's titles have come under Head Coach
Mike Holloway.
The 4x100 relay team of
Ryan Willie,
Jacory Patterson,
Pjai Austin, and
Robert Gregory led off the day winning silver, crossing the line with a time of 38.26. The Gators earned their second consecutive silver medal in the 4x100, after finishing second last year at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championship. The second place finished scored eight points for the Gators in the team competition.
Next up for the Gators was the 100m, where
Pjai Austin's fifthp-lace finish earned the Gators four more points towards the team title. Shortly after the 100m, the trio of
Emmanuel Bamidele,
Ryan Willie, and
Jevaughn Powell collected 20 more points in the 400m. Bamidele won the 400m title with a time of 44.24, the fastest time in the country this year, second fastest in school history and fourth fastest in the world this year.
Ryan Willie secured silver (44.25) with the second fastest time in the country this year and fifth fastest in the world this year.
Jevaughn Powell finished seventh in the event (45.32).
In the 200m,
Robert Gregory earned fourth (19.89), running a personal best and earning five more points for the Gators. The final individual event was the triple jump where
Sean Dixon-Bodie in his first NCAA Outdoor Championship as a Gator, placed fourth (16.61m/54'6") to also earn five team points.
Entering the final event, the 4x400, the Gators were down five points to Arkansas. The team of
Emmanuel Bamidele,
Jacory Patterson,
Jevaughn Powell and
Ryan Willie proceeded to win gold, setting a collegiate record time of 2:57.74 to win the relay title and secure the National Championship for the Gators.
Up Next
Day four of the competition is comprised of the remaining women's finals and the women's heptathlon. The Gators begin the fourth day of competition at 5 p.m. ET when
Sterling Lester begins the final day of heptathlon competition with the long jump. The first final of the day is the women's high jump at 8:30 p.m. ET followed by women's discus at 8:35 p.m. ET. The first running event of the day begins at 9:02 p.m. ET with the 4x100 final and the day ends with the 4x400.
NCAA Outdoor Championship Meet
Friday's Finals Recap
Heptathlon
Women -
Sterling Lester competed in the heptathlon, comprised of the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin, and 800m. On day one of the competition, Lester took part in the first four events. She led off the competition with the 100m hurdles, placing sixth with a time of 13.36. Lester's time was a season best. In the second heptathlon event, Lester cleared 1.66m/5'5.25" in the high jump, finishing twentieth. In the shot put, Lester threw 11.83m/38'9.75", placing eighteenth in her third event. Fourth up for Lester was the 200m, where she finished first (23.52). At the end of day one of the heptathlon competition, Lester is seventh overall in the competition with 3554 points.
Triple Jump
Men - In his first NCAA Outdoor Championship as a Gator,
Sean Dixon-Bodie finished fourth with a mark of 16.61m/54'6". He scored five points for the Gators.
100m
Men -
Pjai Austin finished fifth in the 100m (9.97), earning four points for the men's team competition.
200m
Men -
Robert Gregory (19.89) finishes fourth in the men's 200m competition. His time is a personal best and improves his third fastest time in the event in school history. He earned five points for the team.
400m
Men - The 400m trio of
Emmanuel Bamidele,
Ryan Willie, and
Jevaughn Powell finished first, second, and seventh respectively. Bamidele wins the individual National Title in the 400m, with a time of 44.24. This is the fastest time in the country this year, the second fastest in school history, and the fourth fastest in the world this year. Willie finished 0.01 seconds behind Bamidele, earning silver (44.25). Willie's time is the second fastest in the country this year, the third fastest in school history and the fifth fastest in the world this year. Powell earned seventh with a time of 45.32. The Gators earned 20 points for their performances in the 400m.
4x100
Men -
Ryan Willie,
Jacory Patterson,
Pjai Austin,
Robert Gregory (38.26) start off the day for the Gators with a podium finish, winning silver in men's 4x100. The Gators repeat as silver medalists in the relay after earning second last year at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championship. The 4x100 team scored eight points towards the team competition.
4x400
Men - In the final race of the day, the 4x400 team of
Emmanuel Bamidele,
Jacory Patterson,
Jevaughn Powell and
Ryan Willie ran a collegiate record time (2:57.74), breaking the previous record they set at the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships. The victory secured the team national title for the Gators program.
Holloway's Words
On winning the National Championship…
"It is an incredible feeling. I get asked all the time what my favorite championship is and I jokingly but not jokingly say the next one. There are different people, different experiences, different emotions involved. We had new athletes who had never done it before. For Coach Palmer, we always joke that when we get a new coach we get a National Championship. If we did not win this one I would let him down so. I am so happy for him and his wife Sam [Palmer] and Liam [Palmer]. It is just an awesome feeling. We do not think about last year or think about defending anything. Our job was to come in here and win this one and that is what we did."
National Championship Notes
- Florida is one of two programs to win at least one national team title in each fully contested season since 2008-09. This is Florida's 26th national title in that span and second of 2022-23. Men's golf closed May winning its fifth NCAA team title. This is the ninth season in that span Florida won two or more national team titles.
- Gator men's outdoor track & field claims Florida's 47th national team title. Men's outdoor track & field is one of four Gator teams with five or more NCAA team titles – women's tennis (7), men's outdoor t&f (6), men's golf, men's indoor t&f (5).
- Sixteen Gator sports have won national team titles. That is the nation's fourth highest array of sport titles for a program (and highest east of Mississippi). Florida's 16 leads Southeastern Conference programs (Georgia is second with national titles in 10 NCAA sanctioned sports).
- Since 2008—09 season, Florida's 26 national titles have come in 12 different sports. Stanford and UCLA also with national titles in 12 different sports in that span.
- Since Florida won its first NCAA Championship under Mike Holloway (2010 men's indoor), the Gator program has won 13 titles - 6 men's outdoor, 5 men's indoor, 1 women's indoor, 1 women's outdoor) . That ties Oregon's Robert Johnson (4 men's & women's indoor; 2 men's & women's outdoor,1 women's cross country) for the top total of team titles since 2010.
NCAA Outdoor Championship Results
All events are finals unless otherwise noted.
| Event |
Place, Gators (Time/Distance), Notes |
Heptathlon (W) Overall through Day 1
100m Hurdles
High Jump
Shot Put
200m |
7. Sterling Lester (3554) with 3 events remaining on day 2
(13.36) Season Best, 6th in the event, 6th overall after event 1
(1.66m/5'5.25") 20th in the event, 10th overall after event 2
(11.83m/38'9.75") 18th in the event, 13th overall after event 3
(23.52) 1st in the event, 7th overall after event 4 |
| Triple Jump (M) |
4. Sean Dixon-Bodie (16.61m/54'6") |
| 100m (M) |
5. Pjai Austin (9.97) |
| 200m (M) |
4. Robert Gregory (19.89) Personal Best |
| 400m (M) |
1. Emmanuel Bamidele (44.24) Personal Best, Collegiate Leader, 2nd Fastest in School History, 4th Fastest in the World this Year
2. Ryan Willie (44.25) Personal Best, 3rd Fastest in School History, 2nd Fastest in the Country this Year, 5th Fastest in the World this Year
7. Jevaughn Powell (45.32) |
| 4x100 (M) |
2. Ryan Willie, Jacory Patterson, Pjai Austin, Robert Gregory (38.26) |
| 4x400 (M) |
1. Emmanuel Bamidele, Jacory Patterson, Jevaughn Powell, Ryan Willie (2:57.74) School Record, Facility Record, Meet Record, Collegiate Record |
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