Thursday, May 14
Auburn, Ala.
Florida Gators
vs
SEC Outdoor Championships
Judy Chepkoech raced to a silver medal in the 10,000-meters on day one of the SEC Championships. // Credit: Dylan Cannella | UAA Athletics
Three Podium Finishes Highlight Day One of SEC Outdoor Championships
Friday, May 15, 2026 | Track and Field
Seven Gators scored for the Orange & Blue, while five others qualified for finals on day one at Auburn.
AUBURN, Ala.– Florida track & field ended day one of the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships with three podium finishes to highlight a strong day of competition at Hutsell-Rosen Track.
Both the UF men's and women's teams find themselves in second place as a team after the first day. The men tallied 17 points, trailing Ole Miss' 21, while the women ended the day with 16 points behind Alabama's 21.
Finals
Thursday night's last field event produced the Gators' first podium finish of the championships for the men. Leikel Cabrera Gay had his best performance of the season on his first heave, ending with a mark of 78.63m/257-11 to take bronze and move to the No. 5 slot in the NCAA.
The women claimed their first podium finish under the lights in the women's 10,000-meter run. Judy Chepkoech remained patient with the pack throughout the race, pulling away over the last 1500 meters to earn a silver medal for the Orange & Blue. Also scoring for the Gators were Hilda Olemomoi who crossed the line in fifth with a time of 33:21.37, and Reagan Gilmore. Gilmore found herself in ninth entering the final 400 meters facing nearly a four second gap. Not only did the freshman erase the deficit, she opened up a five-second spread over her opponent to secure an important point. Just outside scoring position in her first 10,000-meter run at Florida, Desma Chepkoech placed 10th with the ninth-fastest time in school history of 34:06.13.
On the men's side of the 10,000-meter run, Kelvin Cheruiyot closed day one with a bronze medal performance. The freshman used a kick over the last 400 meters to fend off Alabama's Dennis Kipruto, racing to a time of 29:38.71 to secure third place and six points.
Basel Abosina put on an impressive showing in the men's hammer throw, surpassing his entry mark to pick up five points for the Gators. The freshman recorded personal bests on his second and fourth throws before ending with his best toss of the day, 68.64m/225-02, to solidify a fourth-place finish. His mark pushes him to No. 15 in the NCAA and fifth in the UF outdoor record book.
The first points of the championships for the Orange & Blue came by way of Imani Washington in the hammer throw. Seeded seventh entering Thursday's contest, Washington used her final throw to record a personal-best mark of 62.48m/205-00 and push her into sixth, earning three points. Her toss sits at sixth in UF history and pushes her to No. 15 in the NCAA East Region.
Prelims
A pair of Gators solidified their spots in Saturday's women's 800-meter run final. Freshman Claire Stegall became an automatic qualifier after winning heat one with a time of 2:03.41. Out of heat three, Layla Haynes was also an automatic qualifier after taking second with a time of 2:03.47. The women's 800-meter final will take place on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Junior Miguel Pantojas will represent the men in the 800-meter final at 7:55 p.m. ET on Saturday after earning a time qualifier of 1:47.67, good for second in the first heat.
Gabrielle Matthews earned an automatic qualifying time for the women's 200-meter dash final after winning heat eight of the preliminary round, crossing the line in 22.74. Matthews will take the track at 8:25 p.m. ET on Saturday for the 200-meter dash final.
Florida's men will get a boost in the men's 400-meter hurdles thanks to a strong effort from Vance Nilsson. The sophomore, who entered Thursday seeded 10th, got off the blocks quickly en route to a second-place finish in heat one and personal-best time of 50.24, giving him an automatic bid into the final at 8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. Placing sixth overall, Nilsson now holds the No.25 time on the NCAA performance list.
Heptathlon
The duo Eden Robinson and Pauline Bikembo put themselves into scoring position after one day of the heptathlon. Robinson used personal-bests in each event on Thursday to end the day in fifth with a score of 3,343, while Bikembo is sitting in eighth at 3,306.
In the first event of the heptathlon, Bikembo took sixth in the 100-meter hurdles, tying her wind-legal personal-best after recording a wind-aided time of 13.86. Robinson placed eighth after crossing the line at 14.06, a new personal-best.
Following the 100-meter hurdles, the squad made their way to the high jump pit where Bikembo cleared 1.65m/5-05.00 to place seventh, while Robinson got over the bar at 1.62m/5-03.75, another personal-best.
Robinson continued to shine, releasing a personal-best toss of 13.89m/45-07 in the shot put to place second and gain an important 787 points. Bikembo ended at 11.65m/38-02.75 to place 11th.
The final event of the day once again saw a personal-record from Robinson. Bikembo led the way for the Gators, taking second place in heat one of the 200-meter dash behind a time of 25.13 with Robinson right behind her at a personal-best 25.27.
Up Next
The Gators will resume action at Auburn on Friday at 12:45 p.m. ET with the women's heptathlon long jump. Field action is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. with the women's shot put, while track events will get started at 6:15 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdles.
Day 1 Men's Team Scores
1. Ole Miss - 21
2. Florida - 17
3. Texas A&M - 15
4. Georgia - 14
5. Alabama - 13
6. Arkansas - 10
7. Missouri - 8
8. Tennessee - 6
9. LSU - 5
9. Mississippi State - 5
11. Auburn - 11
-- Texas - 0
-- Kentucky - 0
-- Oklahoma - 0
-- South Carolina - 0
Day 1 Women's Team Scores
1. Alabama - 21
2. Florida - 16
2. Missouri - 16
4. Oklahoma - 11
5. Mississippi State - 10
5. Texas - 10
7. Auburn - 8
7. Texas A&M - 8
9. Ole Miss - 6
10. LSU - 5
11. Tennessee - 3
12. Kentucky - 2
13. Vanderbilt - 1
-- Arkansas - 0
-- Georgia - 0
-- South Carolina - 0
MEN'S DAY ONE PODIUM
Men's 10,000-Meters – Final
3. Kelvin Cheruiyot – 29:38.71
Men's Javelin Throw
3. Leikel Cabrera Gay – 78.63m/257-11, Season-Best, NCAA No. 5
WOMEN'S DAY ONE PODIUM
Women's 10,000-Meters
2. Judy Chepkoech – 33:03.04
MEN'S DAY ONE SCORERS
Men's Hammer Throw
4. Basel Abosina – 68.64m/225-02, PR, No. 5 Florida Outdoor History, NCAA No. 15
WOMEN'S DAY ONE SCORERS
Women's 10,000-Meters
5. Hilda Olemomoi – 33:21.37
8. Reagan Gilmore – 33:56.02
Women's Hammer Throw
6. Imani Washington – 62.48m/205-00, PR, No. 6 Florida Outdoor History, NCAA East Region No. 15
MEN'S DAY ONE PRELIMS
Men's 800m
8. Miguel Pantojas – 1:47.37, Qualified for Final
21. Gavin Nelson – 1:49.57
Men's 200m Dash
19. Trenton Howard – 20.99 (+1.5)
31. Ja'Neil Harris – 21.41 (+0.6)
35. Jesse Myers – 21.58 (+0.6)
Men's 400m Hurdles
6. Vance Nilsson – 50.24, PR, Qualified for Final, NCAA No. 25
11. Daneil Wright – 51.13
WOMEN'S DAY ONE PRELIMS
Women's 200m Dash
4. Gabrielle Matthews – 22.74 (+0.3), Qualified for Final
14. Sydney Sutton – 23.09 (+0.6)
18. Quincy Penn – 23.28 (+0.3)
26. Tyra Cox – 23.47 (+0.3)
Women's 800m
3. Claire Stegall – 2:03.41, Qualified for Final
5. Layla Haynes – 2:03.47, Qualified for Final
Women's 400m Hurdles
19. Marianna Wright – 1:16.98
MEN'S DAY ONE ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Men's 10,000-Meters
19. Jonathan Leon – 30:54.74
Men's Javelin Throw
12. Ayden Campbell – 61.51m/201-09
WOMEN'S DAY ONE ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Women's 10,000-Meters
10. Desma Chepkoech – 34:06.13, No. 9 Florida Outdoor History
WOMEN'S DAY ONE HEPTATHLON
Women's Heptathlon 200m Dash
7. Pauline Bikembo – 25.13 (+0.1)
8. Eden Robinson – 25.27 (+0.1), PR
Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles
5. Pauline Bikembo – 13.86 (+2.5)
8. Eden Robinson – 14.06 (+1.3), PR
Women's Heptathlon High Jump
6. Pauline Bikembo – 1.65m/5-05.00
12. Eden Robinson – 1.59m/5-02.50, PR
Women's Heptathlon Shot Put
2. Eden Robinson – 13.89m/45-07.00, PR
11. Pauline Bikembo – 11.65m/38-02.75
Women's Heptathlon Day One Scores
5. Eden Robinson – 3,343
8. Pauline Bikembo – 3,306
Both the UF men's and women's teams find themselves in second place as a team after the first day. The men tallied 17 points, trailing Ole Miss' 21, while the women ended the day with 16 points behind Alabama's 21.
Finals
Thursday night's last field event produced the Gators' first podium finish of the championships for the men. Leikel Cabrera Gay had his best performance of the season on his first heave, ending with a mark of 78.63m/257-11 to take bronze and move to the No. 5 slot in the NCAA.
The women claimed their first podium finish under the lights in the women's 10,000-meter run. Judy Chepkoech remained patient with the pack throughout the race, pulling away over the last 1500 meters to earn a silver medal for the Orange & Blue. Also scoring for the Gators were Hilda Olemomoi who crossed the line in fifth with a time of 33:21.37, and Reagan Gilmore. Gilmore found herself in ninth entering the final 400 meters facing nearly a four second gap. Not only did the freshman erase the deficit, she opened up a five-second spread over her opponent to secure an important point. Just outside scoring position in her first 10,000-meter run at Florida, Desma Chepkoech placed 10th with the ninth-fastest time in school history of 34:06.13.
On the men's side of the 10,000-meter run, Kelvin Cheruiyot closed day one with a bronze medal performance. The freshman used a kick over the last 400 meters to fend off Alabama's Dennis Kipruto, racing to a time of 29:38.71 to secure third place and six points.
Basel Abosina put on an impressive showing in the men's hammer throw, surpassing his entry mark to pick up five points for the Gators. The freshman recorded personal bests on his second and fourth throws before ending with his best toss of the day, 68.64m/225-02, to solidify a fourth-place finish. His mark pushes him to No. 15 in the NCAA and fifth in the UF outdoor record book.
The first points of the championships for the Orange & Blue came by way of Imani Washington in the hammer throw. Seeded seventh entering Thursday's contest, Washington used her final throw to record a personal-best mark of 62.48m/205-00 and push her into sixth, earning three points. Her toss sits at sixth in UF history and pushes her to No. 15 in the NCAA East Region.
Prelims
A pair of Gators solidified their spots in Saturday's women's 800-meter run final. Freshman Claire Stegall became an automatic qualifier after winning heat one with a time of 2:03.41. Out of heat three, Layla Haynes was also an automatic qualifier after taking second with a time of 2:03.47. The women's 800-meter final will take place on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Junior Miguel Pantojas will represent the men in the 800-meter final at 7:55 p.m. ET on Saturday after earning a time qualifier of 1:47.67, good for second in the first heat.
Gabrielle Matthews earned an automatic qualifying time for the women's 200-meter dash final after winning heat eight of the preliminary round, crossing the line in 22.74. Matthews will take the track at 8:25 p.m. ET on Saturday for the 200-meter dash final.
Florida's men will get a boost in the men's 400-meter hurdles thanks to a strong effort from Vance Nilsson. The sophomore, who entered Thursday seeded 10th, got off the blocks quickly en route to a second-place finish in heat one and personal-best time of 50.24, giving him an automatic bid into the final at 8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. Placing sixth overall, Nilsson now holds the No.25 time on the NCAA performance list.
Heptathlon
The duo Eden Robinson and Pauline Bikembo put themselves into scoring position after one day of the heptathlon. Robinson used personal-bests in each event on Thursday to end the day in fifth with a score of 3,343, while Bikembo is sitting in eighth at 3,306.
In the first event of the heptathlon, Bikembo took sixth in the 100-meter hurdles, tying her wind-legal personal-best after recording a wind-aided time of 13.86. Robinson placed eighth after crossing the line at 14.06, a new personal-best.
Following the 100-meter hurdles, the squad made their way to the high jump pit where Bikembo cleared 1.65m/5-05.00 to place seventh, while Robinson got over the bar at 1.62m/5-03.75, another personal-best.
Robinson continued to shine, releasing a personal-best toss of 13.89m/45-07 in the shot put to place second and gain an important 787 points. Bikembo ended at 11.65m/38-02.75 to place 11th.
The final event of the day once again saw a personal-record from Robinson. Bikembo led the way for the Gators, taking second place in heat one of the 200-meter dash behind a time of 25.13 with Robinson right behind her at a personal-best 25.27.
Up Next
The Gators will resume action at Auburn on Friday at 12:45 p.m. ET with the women's heptathlon long jump. Field action is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. with the women's shot put, while track events will get started at 6:15 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdles.
Day 1 Men's Team Scores
1. Ole Miss - 21
2. Florida - 17
3. Texas A&M - 15
4. Georgia - 14
5. Alabama - 13
6. Arkansas - 10
7. Missouri - 8
8. Tennessee - 6
9. LSU - 5
9. Mississippi State - 5
11. Auburn - 11
-- Texas - 0
-- Kentucky - 0
-- Oklahoma - 0
-- South Carolina - 0
Day 1 Women's Team Scores
1. Alabama - 21
2. Florida - 16
2. Missouri - 16
4. Oklahoma - 11
5. Mississippi State - 10
5. Texas - 10
7. Auburn - 8
7. Texas A&M - 8
9. Ole Miss - 6
10. LSU - 5
11. Tennessee - 3
12. Kentucky - 2
13. Vanderbilt - 1
-- Arkansas - 0
-- Georgia - 0
-- South Carolina - 0
MEN'S DAY ONE PODIUM
Men's 10,000-Meters – Final
3. Kelvin Cheruiyot – 29:38.71
Men's Javelin Throw
3. Leikel Cabrera Gay – 78.63m/257-11, Season-Best, NCAA No. 5
WOMEN'S DAY ONE PODIUM
Women's 10,000-Meters
2. Judy Chepkoech – 33:03.04
MEN'S DAY ONE SCORERS
Men's Hammer Throw
4. Basel Abosina – 68.64m/225-02, PR, No. 5 Florida Outdoor History, NCAA No. 15
WOMEN'S DAY ONE SCORERS
Women's 10,000-Meters
5. Hilda Olemomoi – 33:21.37
8. Reagan Gilmore – 33:56.02
Women's Hammer Throw
6. Imani Washington – 62.48m/205-00, PR, No. 6 Florida Outdoor History, NCAA East Region No. 15
MEN'S DAY ONE PRELIMS
Men's 800m
8. Miguel Pantojas – 1:47.37, Qualified for Final
21. Gavin Nelson – 1:49.57
Men's 200m Dash
19. Trenton Howard – 20.99 (+1.5)
31. Ja'Neil Harris – 21.41 (+0.6)
35. Jesse Myers – 21.58 (+0.6)
Men's 400m Hurdles
6. Vance Nilsson – 50.24, PR, Qualified for Final, NCAA No. 25
11. Daneil Wright – 51.13
WOMEN'S DAY ONE PRELIMS
Women's 200m Dash
4. Gabrielle Matthews – 22.74 (+0.3), Qualified for Final
14. Sydney Sutton – 23.09 (+0.6)
18. Quincy Penn – 23.28 (+0.3)
26. Tyra Cox – 23.47 (+0.3)
Women's 800m
3. Claire Stegall – 2:03.41, Qualified for Final
5. Layla Haynes – 2:03.47, Qualified for Final
Women's 400m Hurdles
19. Marianna Wright – 1:16.98
MEN'S DAY ONE ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Men's 10,000-Meters
19. Jonathan Leon – 30:54.74
Men's Javelin Throw
12. Ayden Campbell – 61.51m/201-09
WOMEN'S DAY ONE ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Women's 10,000-Meters
10. Desma Chepkoech – 34:06.13, No. 9 Florida Outdoor History
WOMEN'S DAY ONE HEPTATHLON
Women's Heptathlon 200m Dash
7. Pauline Bikembo – 25.13 (+0.1)
8. Eden Robinson – 25.27 (+0.1), PR
Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles
5. Pauline Bikembo – 13.86 (+2.5)
8. Eden Robinson – 14.06 (+1.3), PR
Women's Heptathlon High Jump
6. Pauline Bikembo – 1.65m/5-05.00
12. Eden Robinson – 1.59m/5-02.50, PR
Women's Heptathlon Shot Put
2. Eden Robinson – 13.89m/45-07.00, PR
11. Pauline Bikembo – 11.65m/38-02.75
Women's Heptathlon Day One Scores
5. Eden Robinson – 3,343
8. Pauline Bikembo – 3,306
Players Mentioned
FR/FR | Throws
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JR/R-SO | Mid-distance
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SR/SR | Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
FR/FR | Sprints
/ Track and Field
JR/JR | Distance
/ Track and Field
SO/SO | Hurdles
/ Track and Field
SR/SR | Distance
/ Track and Field
JR/JR | Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
JR/JR | Sprints
/ Track and Field
FR/FR | Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
FR/FR | Distance
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FR/FR | Sprints
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SR/SR | Throws
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FR/FR | Hurdles
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FR/FR | Hurdles
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