Gators Season Opener Highlighted by First Place Finishes and Personal Records

Thursday, January 15

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida Gators

Jimmy Carnes

Gators Season Opener Highlighted by First Place Finishes and Personal Records

Friday, January 16, 2026 | Track and Field

Florida dominated the Jimmy Carnes Invitational, leading all teams with 22 podium finishes, including ten combined first place performances across the men’s and women’s programs.

By: Maleah Morales

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After a full day of competition featuring 46 athletes across 30 events, the Gators wrapped up their first indoor meet of the season at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational with 11 event victories, 22 total podium finishes, and six personal best performances.

The athletes who tallied first place finishes include Claire Stegall, Jarno van Daalen, Jaden Lippett, Gracelyn Leiseth, Jade Brown, Rios Prude Jr.,Tyra Cox, John Luke Witte, Luke Stradley, Gavin Nelson and the 4x400m women's team consisting of Quincy Penn, Tyra Cox, Malia Campbell and Sydney Sutton.

STEGALL SETS THE TONE
Stegall made her indoor track and field debut in the women's 1000m where she placed first overall by nearly three seconds, finding her spot as the 18th-fastest woman in the NCAA. With the running event of the day, the freshman gave the Gators the momentum needed to outperform the competition in the first meet of the 2026 season.

300 SWEEP
Florida swept the podium in the women's 300m, where Tyra Cox, Quincy Penn and Sydney Sutton fueled fire for the Orange and Blue. Penn's 38.86 second place finish nailed a new personal record for the Gator, shaving off nearly a full second from her previous 37.17 mark.

FRESH FACES
17 new athletes made their Gator debut, collecting 14 podium finishes across 26 events. Four freshmen put up first place finishes including Stegall and Cox, as well as long jumper Stradley leaping a total of 7.56m and thrower van Daalen who heaved one legal mark to secure his lead at 18.50m in the men's shot put.

Friday, January 16
Events	Athlete Finishes
60m (M) Prelims	7. Almond Small - 6.79
60m (W) Prelims	1. Jade Brown - 7.41 7. Payton Payne - 7.46
60m (M) Finals	3. Almond Small - 6.74 (PB)
60m (W) Finals	1. Jade Brown - 7.32 3. Payton Payne - 7.39
60mH (M) Prelims	5. Demaris Waters - 7.87
60mH (W) Prelims	8. Pauline Bikembo - 8.66 29. Abigail Elmore - 9.46
60mH (M) Finals	5. Demaris Waters - 7.86
60mH (W) Finals	-
200m (M)	2. Garrett Fox - 21.21 3. Jesse Myers - 21.31 4. Trent Howard - 21.32
200m (W)	5. Jade Brown - 24.10 7. Malia Campbell - 24.45
300m (M)	4. Jaden Horton-Mims - 32.96 6. Malique Smith-Band - 33.28
300m (W)	1. Tyra Cox - 36.99 2. Quincy Penn - 37.17 (PB) 3. Sydney Sutton - 37.19
400m (M)	1. Rios Prude - 47.52
Mile (M)	4. Riley Novack - 4:10.88
Mile (W)	7. Ashley Fitzgerald - 4:53.74 (PB)
1000m (M)	1. Gavin Nelson - 2:21.56 (PB) 3. Riley Smith - 2:22.09 4. Miguel Pantojas - 2:22.38 (PB) 6. Jonah Kirspel - 2:25.59 10. Eddie Kepran - 3:06.09
1000m (W)	1. Claire Stegall - 2:41.72 3. Layla Haynes - 2:44.97 4. Beth Morley - 2:46.39
3000m (W)	3. Kate Drummond - 9:51.07 (PB)
4x400m (M)	3. Spikes, Myers, Pantojas, Fox - 3:09.81 4. McCoy, Smith-Band, Taylor, Horton-Mims - 3:09.96 7. Wright, Nilsson, Howard, Kirspel- 3:14.40 8. Johnson, Small, Wiley, Waters - 3:14.57
4x400m (W)	1. Penn, Cox, Campbell, Sutton - 3:34.55 8. Haynes, Payne, Bikembo, Elmore - 3:50.35

Friday, January 16 – Field
High Jump (W)	10. Abigail Elmore - 1.60m / 5'3"
Long Jump (M)	1. Luke Stradley - 7.56m / 24'9.75"
Long Jump (W)	3. Pauline Bikembo - 6.14m / 20'1.75"
Triple Jump (M)	1. Jaden Lippett - 15.91m / 52'2.5" (PB) 3. Temoso Masikane - 15.56m / 51'0.75" 4. Nicolas Crosswhite - 15.24m / 50'0"
Triple Jump (W)	2. Asia Phillips - 12.96m / 42'6.25" 8. Gabrielle Pierre - 12.33m / 40'5.5"
Shot Put (M)	1. Jarno van Daalen - 18.50m / 60'8.5"
Shot Put (W)	1. Gracelyn Leiseth - 16.72m / 54'10.25" 8. Abigail Elmore - 12.57m / 41'3"
Weight Throw (M)	1. John Luke Witte - 21.10m / 69'2.75"
Weight Throw (W)	5. Imani Washington - 19.38m / 63' 7"

NEXT UP
The Gators will head to Fayetteville, Ark. from Jan. 29-30 to compete in the Razorback Invitational where the two day event will be held at Randal Tyson Track.

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