Outdoor Track and Field DIVISION I MEN’S
Outdoor Track and Field DIVISION I MEN’S Highlights Florida ties Texas A&M for title in first championship tie since 1978 -- It couldn’t have ended better for Florida. It couldn’t have ended worse for Texas A&M. Going into the final event Saturday at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Texas A&M men held a nine-point lead ahead of second-place Florida in the team standings. That meant the Aggies would have to finish last in the 4x400 relay and the Gators would have to finish first in order for Texas A&M to lose sole possession of first place. And that’s exactly what happened. Going into the first handoff, Texas A&M runners Ricky Babineaux and Aldrich Bailey Jr. let the baton fall to the track. Babineaux picked it up, and the final three runners ran valiantly to try to catch up, but in the most improbable hypothetical coming to life, Texas A&M indeed finished the race last while Florida’s team crossed the line first. The two Southeastern Conference rivals each scored 53 points for the first shared NCAA title since 1978. Arkansas was third with 46.5. “The goal was for us to win the relay,” Florida coach Mike Holloway said. “I just told the guys, let’s go win the relay. We don’t see it as Texas A&M dropping the baton; we see it as we didn’t drop it. Success is where preparation meets opportunity. We had an opportunity, and we were prepared.” The result keeps the NCAA title in familiar territory: Texas A&M won three consecutive outdoor titles from 2009–11 before Florida won in 2012.
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