22 tracksters head to championships

The second-largest group in the history of Gators’ track and field will be competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday in Nampa, Idaho.

The NCAA announced late Monday evening that the Gators qualified for 22 spots, (12 men, 10 women) the most since 2004, which saw 29 Gators compete.

The Gator men head into the championships as the two-time defending champions (2010, 2011). The Gator women recently captured the 2012 SEC Indoor Championship, which was their seventh conference title in school history.

This is the complete list of the declarations:

Women:

• Ciarra Brewer (triple jump – 12.99m)

• Taylor Burke (high jump – 1.82m)

• Ebony Eutsey (400m – 53.06)

• Brittany Harrell (pentathlon – 4050)

• Cory McGee (mile – 4:34.06)

• Keely Medeiros (shot put – 16.98m)

• Agata Strausa (mile – 4:36.39)

• Lanie Whittaker (400m – 52.91)

• Women’s 4×400 meter relay (3:33.66)

• Women’s distance medley relay (10:58.77)

Men:

• Dwight Barbiasz (high jump – 2.23m)

• Omar Craddock (triple jump – 16.44m)

• Jeff Demps (60m – 6.54)

• Marquis Dendy (long jump – 8.06m)

• Hugh Graham, Jr. (400m – 46.18)

• Frankie Hammond, Jr. (high jump – 2.22m)

• Gray Horn (heptathlon – 5971)

• Eddie Lovett (60mH – 7.72)

• Tony McQuay (400m – 46.11)

• Kemal Mesic (shot put – 20.31m)

• Sean Obinwa (800m – 1:47.22)

• Jeremy Postin (weight throw – 21.60m)

Tune into ESPN3 for a live streaming on March 9 from 7:30-11:45 p.m. ET and March 10 from 8-11:15 p.m. ET. A tape delay of the championship will air Sunday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. NCAA.com and broncosports.com will stream what ESPN3 is not covering on Friday (Noon-7:30 p.m. ET) and Saturday (12:30-8 p.m. ET).

Gator Country reporter Chris Kirschner can be reached at his Twitter @C_KirschnerGC.