Gator Country

Shara Proctor of Florida defended her title in the women's long jump Thursday at the 117th Penn Relays in Philadelphia. / Gator Country file photo by Casey Brooke Lawson

PHILADELPHIA – Senior Florida thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili and senior jumper Shara Proctor each had a top-10 performance in the history of the Penn Relays Carnival as the prestigious three-day meet opened for the 117th time Thursday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Kevkhishvili, a four-time NCAA Champion, claimed the women’s shot put event with a winning throw of 59 feet, 7½ inches. Kevkhishvili’s throw was the third-best in the history of the Penn Relays Carnival and the best throw in the women’s shot put at the meet since the 2003 campaign.

Proctor turned in the ninth-best women’s long jump in the history of the Penn Relays with a leap of 21 feet, 2½ inches to defend her 2009 title. Her long jump also was the best mark in that event at the Penn Relays since the 2003 campaign. With Thursday’s title by Proctor, Florida tied George Mason for the most titles (four) in the women’s long jump in the history of the Penn Relays.

Senior distance runner Julie Northrup ran the second-fastest time in school history in the women’s steeplechase, placing third overall in a personal-record time of 10:25.79. That broke Northrup’s previous personal-best of 10:29.22, set earlier this month at the 66th Pepsi Florida Relays. Teammate Genevieve LaCaze was sixth in 10:35.83.

Senior distance runner Justin Taylor ran the third-fastest time in school history in the men’s 5,000 meters, clocking 14:02.10 to place third. Taylor bested his previous personal-record time of 14:10.97, achieved at last season’s Penn Relays.

The Florida women’s 4x400-meter relay team finished 17th in a time of 3:41.22 and will advance to the women’s college section finals to be contested Saturday. The quartet consisted of Alishea Usery, Ugonna Ndu, Ije Iheoma and Lanie Whittaker.

PENN RELAYS CARNIVAL
At Franklin Field, Philadelphia
Florida women’s results Thursday
Long jump: 1. Shara Proctor, 21 feet, 2½ inches. Shot put (open): 1. Mariam Kevkhishvili, 59 feet, 7½ inches; 6. Keely Medeiros, 51-7. Shot put (college): 2. Fidela James 49-11.25. 4x100 relay prelims: 32. Florida (M. McNary, Al. Usery, A. Bryant, L. Smith) 46.59 seconds. 4x400 relay prelims: 17. Florida (Al. Usery, U. Ndu, I. Iheoma, L. Whittaker) 3:41.22. Steeplechase: 3. Julie Northrup, 10:25.79; 6. Genevieve LaCaze, 10:35.83. 5,000 meters: 14. Stacey Johnson, 16:44.02.
Florida men’s results Thursday
5,000 meters: 3. Justin Taylor, 14:02.10; 12. Jeremy Criscione, 14:16.82; 23. Josh Izewski, 14:32.74. 10,000 meters: 14. James Uthmeier, 30:29.39.

More Other Sports | RSS