2016 FLORIDA GATORS TRACK & FIELD 6 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS | 99 INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLES | 25 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS Breakin’ It Down • Florida’s 25 combined NCAA Championships entries are the fourth-most nationally. • UF’s 13 entries on the women’s side are the seventh-most in the country, while its 12 entries on the men’s side are tied for the fourth-most nationally. • The Gator men boast nine entries in the sprints, hurdles, and relays, which is the third-highest total of any team. • UF’s women are the only team in the country with at least three entries in both the throws and jumps. Top Three, Top Three, Top Three • Florida’s men have finished third or higher at each of the last seven NCAA 2016 SCHEDULE Outdoor Championships, which is the fifth-longest streak in history. INDOOR • Another top-three finish this year would tie UTEP (1975-82) for the fourth- longest run in NCAA Outdoor Championships history. January 22-23 Rod McCravy Memorial Lexington, Ky. January 29-30 Razorback Invitational Fayetteville, Ark. SEC Outdoor Championships Rewind February 5-6 Virginia Tech “Doc Hale” Elite Blacksburg, Va. • Florida won four SEC titles, as Anders Eriksson (hammer throw), February 12-13 Iowa State Classic Ames, Iowa Eric Futch (400-meter hurdles), Kyra Jefferson (100 meters), and its women’s 4x400 relay team were all crowned champions. Tyson Invitational Fayetteville, Ark. • Eriksson became just the second true freshman since 2006 to win the title, February 26-27 SEC Inoor Championships M: 4th/W: T-4th and was named the SEC Outdoor Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year. March 11-12 NCAA Indoor Championships M: 7th/W: T-14th Elite Stable of Quarter-Milers OUTDOOR • Florida is just the third Division I women’s team since 2002 (Florida, 2015; March 18-19 UCF Invitational Orlando, Fla. Texas, 2014) boasting four 400 meters runners--Sharrika Barnett, Claudia Francis, Kyra Jefferson, Robin Reynolds--with times March 25-26 Raleigh Relays Raleigh, N.C. faster than 52.55 seconds prior to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Trojan Invitational Los Angeles • Those four Gators already ran 3:26.28, the 12th-fastest 4x400 relay time in March 31-April 2 Pepsi Florida Relays GAINESVILLE collegiate history, earlier this year at the Pepsi Florida Relays (April 2). April 22 Tom Jones Memorial GAINESVILLE • Even without Jefferson, the trio of Barnett, Francis, and Reynolds combined April 28-30 Penn Relays Philadelphia with Taylor Sharpe to win the 4x400 relay title at this year’s SEC Outdoor April 30 LSU Invitational Baton Rouge, La. Championships and advance to Euguene via the NCAA East Preliminary. May 12-14 SEC Outdoor Championships M: 6th/W: 7th • Last year’s UF team featured four such runners and won both the SEC and May 26-28 NCAA East Preliminary Jacksonville, Fla. NCAA titles in the 4x400 relay. June 8-11 NCAA Outdoor Championships Eugene, Ore. • Texas’ 2014 group saw three of its four sub-52.30 runners race for its July 1-10 United States Olympic Trials Eugene, Ore. NCAA title-winning 4x400 relay team, which ran the second-fastest time in collegiate history (3:24.21). • Florida is just the fourth team since 2002 featuring three men--Kunle Fasasi, Najee Glass, Arman Hall--with 400 meters times under 45.50 prior to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. • UF’s 2014 team also featured three such runners, with Arman Hall (45.19), Hugh Graham Jr. (45.29), and Najee Glass (45.40) all posting sub-45.50 times. FOLLOW THE GATORS Twitter .......................................................................@GatorsTF Facebook .........Florida Gators Track & Field and Cross Country YouTube .........................................www.YouTube.com/c/uftrack Official Website .............................................. FloridaGators.com MEET & BROADCAST INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS Wednesday (Men) ............................................ 7:30-11 PM ET (ESPN2) Track & Field Contact .............................................. Zach Dirlam Thursday (Women) ..7:30-8:30 PM ET (ESPNU); 8:30-11 PM ET (ESPN) Cell Phone Number ............................................ (517) 262-5109 Friday (Men) ....................................................... 8:30-11 PM ET (ESPN) Office Phone Number ........................ (352) 375-4683, ext. 6175 Saturday (Women) ............................................... 6:30-9 PM ET (ESPN) E-Mail .......................................................zachd@gators.ufl.edu Live Results .................................................................FlashResults.com NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | June 8-11 | Eugene, Ore. | Historic Hayward Field 2016 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY QUALIFIERS RECAP MEN Athlete Event Finish NEWS & NOTES KeAndre Bates Long Jump 12th (7.50m/24-7.25) Triple Jump 5th (16.17m/53-0.75) Ryan Clark 100m t-4th (10.30) School Record-Breaking Conversion 4x100 Relay 5th (39.33) • Claudia Francis, transitioned from the 800 meters to the 400-meter hurdles this season, running the 400 meters the entire indoor season and once outdoors to aid the conversion. Anders Eriksson Hammer Throw 6th (67.69m/222-1) • In what was her seventh collegiate 400-meter hurdles race, Francis broke UF’s school Kunle Fasasi 400m 11th (46.09) record and ran 55.55 seconds to take sixth place at the NCAA East Preliminary. 4x400 Relay 2nd (3:02.44) • Since 2002, Francis and Bulgaria’s Vania Stambolova are the only two women in the world to run faster than 2:03.00 (800 meters), 51.60 (400 meters), and 56.15 (400-meter Eric Futch 400mH 1st (49.38) hurdles) at any point in their careers. Najee Glass 400m 6th (45.87) • Among collegians, Francis is one of two women this year (Jaide Stepter, USC) and only the 4x400 Relay 2nd (3:02.44) third Division I woman since 2002 to break 55.60 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles and 51.60 seconds in the 400 meters during the same outdoor campaign. Hugh Graham Jr. 4x100 Relay 5th (39.33) 4x400 Relay 2nd (3:02.44) Historic Triple Jump Title Run • Florida has won each of the last six men’s outdoor triple jump national titles, which is tied Arman Hall 400m 4th (45.65) 4x400 Relay 2nd (3:02.44) for the longest streak in any event at either NCAA Championship, regardless of gender. • The only streaks equal to UF’s run of triple jump national titles are: Yanick Hart 110mH 4th (13.58) ◊ UCLA, men’s outdoor 4x400 relay (1969-74) TJ Holmes 400mH 3rd (49.72) ◊ UTEP, men’s indoor mile (1977-82) Michael Timpson Jr. 4x100 Relay 5th (39.33) ◊ UTEP, men’s outdoor 10,000 meters (1978-83) ◊ Villanova, women’s outdoor 3,000 meters (1987-92) Antwan Wright 4x100 Relay 5th (39.33) ◊ LSU, women’s outdoor 4x100 relay (1992-97) Rare Pair WOMEN • Eric Futch and TJ Holmes are just the seventh pair of Division I teammates since Athlete Event Finish 2002 to run the 400-meter hurdles in less than 49.75 seconds prior to NCAA Outdoors. Sharrika Barnett 4x400 Relay 3rd (3:28.73) • Futch and Holmes are the only UF duo to accomplish the feat during that span. Jayla Bostic Hammer Throw 9th (59.43m/195-0) • Futch and Holmes are one of two pairs of teammates at this year’s NCAA Championships, and are the first UF tandem since 2004 and fifth UF duo since 1998 to qualify. Lloydricia Cameron Shot Put 4th (16.93m/55-6.5) • Futch and Holmes could become the third UF duo since 1983 and just the 15th pair of Yanis David Long Jump 9th (6.24m/20-5.75) teammates since 1983 to advance to the NCAA Championships 400-meter hurdles final. Triple Jump 9th (13.33m/43-9) Always Be Qualifying Jontavia Dykes Discus Throw 6th (54.53m/178-11) • Florida’s men boast three individual 400 meters qualifiers at the NCAA Championships for the fourth year since 2000, tied with LSU for the most times during that span: Claudia Francis 400mH 6th (55.55) ◊ Florida (4) - 2016, 2014, 2013, 2005 4x400 Relay 3rd (3:28.73) ◊ LSU (4) - 2016, 2012, 2006, 2001 Kyra Jefferson 4x100 Relay Scratched ◊ Texas A&M (3) - 2014, 2011, 2010 4x400 Relay Scratched ◊ Arizona State / Baylor / Mississippi State / USC (1) - 2003 / 2007 / 2010 / 2012 Darrielle McQueen Long Jump 10th (6.20m/20-4.25) ALL The Throws • Florida’s women are just the eighth team since 2002 to have at least one NCAA Outdoor Robin Reynolds 400m 5th (52.13) Championships qualifier in each of the four throwing events, with Oregon (2014) being the 4x100 Relay 5th (44.10) 4x400 Relay 3rd (3:28.73) only other team since 2007 to accomplish the feat. • Prior to this year, UF’s women hadn’t qualified for multiple throwing events since 2011, and Skylar Ross-Ransom 4x100 Relay 5th (44.10) hadn’t qualified for three different throwing events since 2004. Kimani Rushing 4x100 Relay 5th (44.10) That Relay Combo Though... • The Gators are looking to join Texas (1998-99) and Florida State (1983-84) as the only Shayla Sanders 100m 7th (11.40) groups to sweep both sprint relays at consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships. 4x100 Relay 5th (44.10) • At last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships, Florida became the first team since Texas Taylor Sharpe 4x400 Relay 3rd (3:28.73) (2005) to sweep both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay national titles. Taylor Tubbs 5,000m 4th (16:10.45) • Florida has never won consecutive national titles in the women’s 4x100 or 4x400 relays, as last year was its first and second title, respectively, in those events. Marija Vucenovic Javelin Throw 1st (52.90m/173-7) • Florida’s women are the fifth Division I team since 2002 to break 43 seconds in the 4x100 relay and 3:28.00 in the 4x400 relay prior to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Note: Only athletes who qualified for 2016 NCAA Outdoor • Of the four other teams to do it, only the 2004 LSU Tigers and 2015 Gators swept both Championships are listed relays at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.