Kevkhishvili, Smith lead UF in SEC track

The University of Florida track and field teams prepare to host the 2009 Southeastern Conference Track and Field Championships this Thursday-Sunday at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium.

“I’m very excited about hosting the SEC Championships,” UF head coach Mike Holloway said. “There’s nothing like it. Anybody who wants to see the best in track and field in all aspects should come to the SEC Championship meet.”

The Gators also played host to the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1960, 1970, 1974, 1981, 1989 and 1998.

Junior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) leads the nation in the women’s shot put this season with a throw of 59 feet, 2.25 inches. She enters the meet as the two-time NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champion in the women’s shot put. 

Junior sprinter Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.) of the No. 1-ranked men’s team ranks third in the nation in the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 45.32. He is also a leg of the Gators’ third-ranked men’s 4x400m relay squad.

Also competing for Florida are football speedsters Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

The meet begins at 2:30 p.m. EST Thursday with the first four events of the women’s heptathlon (100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m run) and then at 3:30 p.m. the first five events of the decathlon (100m, long jump, high jump, shot put, 400m run). Florida is represented by freshman Gray Horn in the decathlon.

SEC OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Here’s the schedule of events, with the Florida participants in parentheses, for the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Percy Beard Track in James G. Pressly Stadium.

THURSDAY, MAY 14

Women’s Heptathlon, 2:30 p.m. (none)

Men’s Decathlon, 3:30 p.m. (Gray Horn)

FRIDAY, MAY 15

Men’s Decathlon, 12:30 p.m. (Gray Horn)

Women’s Heptathlon, 1:30 p.m. (none)

Men’s Hammer Throw, 2 p.m. (none)

Women’s Hammer Throw, 5 p.m. (Fidela James 156-9.5)

Men’s 800m prelims, 6 p.m. (Lamarr Davis 1:51.96, Carlos Phillips 1:49.86, Ethan Philpot 1:52.49)

Women’s 800m prelims, 6:15 p.m. (Charlotte Browning 2:06.93)

Men’s 200m prelims, 6:35 p.m. (Jeremy Hall 20.82, Calvin Smith 20.68, Terrell Wilks 20.70)

Women’s 200m prelims, 6:50 p.m. (Ije Iheoma 24.69, Madison McNary 23.88, Danielle Williams 24.46)

Men’s 400m hurdles prelims, 7:20 p.m. (William Wynne 49.67)

Women’s 400m hurdles prelims, 7:35 p.m. (Ashley Usery 1:03.16)

Men’s 10,000m final, 7:40 p.m. (none)

Women’s 10,000m final, 8:30 p.m. (Laura Garrow NT, Jacy Kruzel NT, Sara Petrick NT)

SATURDAY, MAY 16

Men’s Javelin final, 12 p.m. (Mario Ariet 223-5.1, Ben Davies 226.4,1, Doug Nelson 217-3)

Men’s Long Jump final, 2 p.m. (Christian Taylor 25-3.9)

Women’s Discus final, 3:30 p.m. (Keely Medeiros 160-4.0)

Women’s Long Jump final, 4 p.m. (Shara Proctor 20-7.25)

Men’s Pole Vault final, 4 p.m. (Eric Foran 16-6.8, Justin Semeyn 16-6.8)

Men’s High Jump final, 6 p.m. (Frankie Hammond, 6-8.7)

Men’s 1,500m run prelims, 6 p.m. (Justin Taylor 3:45.31)

Women’s 1,500m run prelims, 6:15 p.m. (Charlotte Browning 4:20.22, Kaitlin Shiver 4:26.56)

Men’s Shot Put finals, 6:30 p.m. (Beau Burroughs 58-5.5, Kemal Mesic 64-0.5)

Men’s 110m hurdles prelims, 6:30 p.m. (Jarius Cooper 14.15, Dennis Martin 13.77, Kallinka Pitt 13.89, William Wynne 13.73)

Women’s 100m hurdles prelims, 6:45 p.m. (none)

Men’s 400m run prelims, 7 p.m. (R.J. Anderson 46.66, Calvin Smith 45.32, Preston Wilson 47.58)

Women’s 400m run prelims, 7:20 p.m. (Ije Iheoma 55.33, Alishea Usery 53.96, Danielle Williams 56.26)

Men’s 100m dash prelims, 7:40 p.m. (Jeff Demps 10.41, Jeremy Hall 10.19, Chris Rainey NT, Terrell Wilks 10.33)

Women’s 100m dash prelims, 7:55 p.m. (Madison McNary 11.69)

Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase final, 8:10 p.m. (Michael Anderson 9:30.05, Sean Blaney 9:04.32, James Uthmeier NT)

Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase Final, 8:30 p.m. (Genevieve LaCaze 10:30.79, Julie Northrup 10:32.68)

SUNDAY, MAY 17

Women’s Javelin final, 12 p.m. (Evelien Dekkers 160-4.8, Star Sansone 146-3.1)

Women’s Triple Jump final, 1 p.m. (Madara Apine 40-7.8, Michelle Jenije 39-9.9, Shara Proctor 42-1.1)

Women’s Pole Vault final, 3 p.m. (Alex Black 12-2, Daisy Glasser 13-3, Lauren Menke 12-8, Natalie Moser 13-5, Claire Spurling 11-7.7)

Men’s Triple Jump final, 3 p.m. (Christian Taylor 53-4,9)

Men’s Discus final, 3:30 p.m. (Beau Burroughs 170-6.8, Scott Clayman 162-1.2, Kemal Mesic 186-7.3)

Men’s 4×100 final, 5 p.m. (Jeremy Hall, Calvin Smith, Terrell Wilks, Jeff Demps 39.22)

Women’s High Jump final, 5 p.m. (none)

Women’s 4×100 final, 5:10 p.m. (Madison McNary, Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ije Iheoma 45.30)

Men’s 1,500m run final, 5:20 p.m. (Justin Taylor 3:45.31)

Women’s 1,500m run final, 5:30 p.m. (Charlotte Browning 4:20.22, Kaitlin Shiver 4:26.56)

Men’s 110m hurdle final, 5:40 p.m. (Jarius Cooper, Dennis Martin, Kallinka Pitt, William Wynne)

Men’s 400m run final, 6 p.m. (R.J. Anderson 46.66, Calvin Smith 45.32, Preston Wilson 47.58)

Women’s 400m run final, 6:10 p.m. (Ije Iheoma 53:33, Alishea Usery 53.96, Danielle Williams 56.26)

Men’s 100m dash final, 6:20 p.m. (Jeff Demps 10:41, Jeremy Hall 10.19, Chris Rainey NT, Terrell Wilks 10.33)

Women’s 100m dash final, 6:30 p.m. (Madison McNary 11.69)

Women’s Shot Put final, 6:30 p.m. (Fidela James 15.09m, Mariam Kevkhishvili 18.04m, Keely Medeiros 16.57m)

Men’s 800m run final, 6:40 p.m. (Lamarr Davis 1:51.96, Carlos Phillips 1:49.86, Ethan Philpot 1:52.49)

Women’s 800m run final, 6:50 p.m. (Charlotte Browning 2:06.93)

Men’s 400m hurdles final, 7:05 p.m. (Jamaal Johnson, William Wynne 49.67)

Women’s 400m hurdles final, 7:15 p.m. (Ashley Usery 1:03.61)

Men’s 200m dash final, 7:25 p.m. (Jeremy Hall 20.82, Calvin Smith 20.68, Terrell Wilks 20.70)

Women’s 200m dash final, 7:35 p.m. (Ije Iheoma 24.69, Madison McNary 23.88, Danielle Williams 24.46)

Men’s 5,000m final, 7:45 p.m. (Sean Blaney NT, Anthony Morales 14:50.49, Justin Taylor 14:10.97)

Women’s 5,000m final, 8:05 p.m. (Laura Garrow 16:51.10, Jacy Kruzel 17:16.17, Genevieve LaCaze 16:13.61, Sara Petrick 16:42.53)

Men’s 4x400m relay 8:35 p.m. (R.J. Anderson, Calvin Smith, William Wynne, Christian Taylor 3:02.84)

Women’s 4x400m relay, 8:50 p.m. (Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ije Iheoma, Ashley Usery 3:43.43)