Gator Country

Sophomore Jeff Demps, who ran a 10.11 100 meters at the Pepsi Florida Relays earlier this month, is one of several track and field athletes who will be on display for the No. 1 men's team Saturday at the Tom Jones Memorial. / Gator Country file photo by Tim Casey

The Florida men’s and women’s track teams remember former coach Tom Jones when they play host to the third annual Tom Jones Memorial Classic Saturday at James G. Pressly Stadium/Percy Beard Track. The meet begins at 1 p.m. and admission is free.

“The Tom Jones Memorial Classic is in memory of our former women’s head coach Tom Jones,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “Tom holds a very special place in my heart and in the hearts of anybody who was involved with the track and field programs while he was here. We definitely want to make sure we put on a good show and have a great meet in Tom’s memory.”

Participating teams include Florida, Brown, Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville, Kentucky, Princeton, South Florida, UCF and UCLA (women). It marks Florida’s final home meet of the 2010 campaign.

Florida enters the meet with each of its programs ranked in the top-five nationally, according to the latest poll from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Gator men, the 2010 NCAA Indoor Champion, are ranked No. 1 in the country for the third consecutive week, while the Florida women check in at No. 5 nationally for the second week in a row.

The Gators had a week off from competition since concluding one of the most successful Pepsi Florida Relays April 3.

Florida turned in three nation-leading marks in the men’s relay events at the Florida Relays and the Gators enter the meet with nation-leading times in the men’s 4x100m relay (38.93) and 4x400m relay (3:00.31). Sophomore Jeff Demps ran the fastest 100 meters in the world with his 10.11-second winning time. Senior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili holds a nation-leading mark in the women’s shot put at 58 feet, 10¼ inches.

TOM JONES MEMORIAL CLASSIC
At James G. Pressly Stadium/Percy Beard Track, Gainesville
All running events in meters

FLORIDA ENTRANTS
MEN
Hammer (1 p.m.): Jeremy Postin, David Triassi; Javelin (3 p.m.): Mario Ariet, Doug Nelson; Pole vault (4 p.m.): Eric Foran, Max Lang; 4x100 relay (5 p.m.): A (Jeremy Rankin, Jeremy Hall, Terrell Wilks, Jeff Demps), B (Chris Rainey, Calvin Smith, Jovon Toppin, Tony McQuay); Steeplechase (5:10 p.m.): Michael Anderson; Long jump (5:15 p.m.): Omar Craddock, Christian Taylor; Shot put (5:30 p.m.): Kemal Mesic; 110 hurdles prelims (5:40 p.m.): Jarius Cooper, William Wynne; 100 prelims (6 p.m.): Jeff Demps, Jeremy Hall, Chris Rainey, Jeremy Rankin, Terrell Wilks; High jump (6 p.m.): Frankie Hammond, Bryan Turner; 1,500 (6:20 p.m.): Geoffrey Anderson, Jeremy Criscione, Josh Izewski, Anthony Morales, Tim O’Loughlin, James Uthmeier; 110 hurdles finals (6:40 p.m.): Jarius Cooper, William Wynne; 400 (7 p.m.): R.J. Anderson, Tony McQuay, Calvin Smith, Jovon Toppin; 100 finals (7:10 p.m.): Jeff Demps, Jeremy Hall, Chris Rainey, Jeremy Rankin, Terrell Wilks; 800 (7:20 p.m.): John Mitchell, Sean Obinwa, Carlos Phillips, Ethan Philpot, Justin Taylor, Derek Wehunt; Discus (7:30 p.m.): Kemal Mesic; Triple jump (7:30 p.m.): Omar Craddock; 400 hurdles finals (7:35 p.m.): Jamaal Johnson; 200 (7:50 p.m.): Jeff Demps, Jeremy Hall, Tony McQuay, Jeremy Rankin, Calvin Smith, Christian Taylor, Jovon Toppin; 3,000: Jeremy Criscione, Matt Hensley, Josh Izewski, Tim O’Loughlin; 4x400 relay (8:35 p.m.): A (R.J. Anderson, Tony McQuay, Christian Taylor, Calvin Smith).

WOMEN
Javelin (3 p.m.): Evelien Dekkers; 4x100 relay (5:05 p.m.): A (Madison McNary, Alishea Usery, Amani Bryant, Ugonna Ndu); Long jump (5:15 p.m.): Jenicia McFadden); Discus (5:30 p.m.): Kaitlin Davis, Keely Medeiros, Ashley Miller; 100 hurdles prelims (5:50 p.m.): Ugonna Ndu; High jump (6 p.m.): Rebecca Goldring, Alexis Muniz; 100 prelims (6:10 p.m.): Madison McNary, Alishea Usery; 1,500 (6:30 p.m.): Julie Northrup, Kaitlin Shiver; 100 hurdles finals (6:50 p.m.): Ugonna Ndu; Pole vault (7 p.m.): Daisy Glasser, Claire Spurling; 400 (7:05 p.m.): Ije Iheoma, Michelle Stegall, Lanie Whittaker; 100 finals (7:15 p.m.): Madison McNary, Alishea Usery; 800 (7:25 p.m.): Stacey Johnson; Shot put (7:30 p.m.): Fidela James; Mariam Kevkhishvili, Keely Medeiros; 400 hurdles finals (7:40 p.m.): Paige Morton, Ugonna Ndu, Ashley Usery; 200 (7:55 p.m.): Madison McNary, Alishea Usery, Lanie Whittaker, Danielle Williams; 3,000 (8:15 p.m.): Sydney Devore, Callie Cooper, Ali Crabb; 4x400 relay (8:45 p.m.): A (Michelle Stegall, Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ugonna Ndu, Ije Iheoma).

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
RANKINGS
April 13, 2010
U.S. TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY COACHES ASSOCIATION
1. Florida; 2. Texas A&M; 3. Oregon; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Florida State; 6. Arizona State; 7. Southern California; 8. Louisiana State; 9. Auburn; 10. Oklahoma;
11. Mississippi State; 12. South Carolina; 13. Nebraska; 14. Louisville; 15. Mississippi; 16. Baylor; 17. Arkansas; 18. Virginia Tech; 19. California; 20. Brigham Young;
21. Minnesota; 22. Kansas State; 23. Tennessee; 24. Washington State; 25. Wisconsin

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
RANKINGS
April 13, 2010
U.S. TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY COACHES ASSOCIATION
1. Texas A&M; 2. Oregon; 3. Louisiana State; 4. Florida State; 5. Florida; 6. Oklahoma; 7. Penn State; 8. Baylor; 9. Southern California; 10. UTEP;
11. Virginia Tech; 12. Brigham Young; 13. Miami, Fla.; 14. Auburn; 15. Washington; 16. Nebraska; 17. Texas; 18. Stanford; 19. Arkansas; 20. Arizona;
21. South Carolina; 22. Louisville; 23. UCLA; 24. Illinois; 25. Tennessee

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