PHILADELPHIA – Junior thrower Kemal Mesic won the men’s shot put and Florida advanced its men’s 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relay teams to the Championship of America finals at the 117th Penn Relays Carnival Friday at Franklin Field.
Mesic’s second throw of 62 feet, 1 inch captured the men’s shot put title, the first time a Florida athlete has won the event.
Florida’s top-ranked 4×100-meter relay team finished second in its heat in 39.88 seconds to advance to the final Saturday at 1:25 p.m. The quartet consisted of Chris Rainey, Jeremy Hall, Terrell Wilks and Jeff Demps. Joining the Gators in the final will be teams from Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Kentucky and Louisiana State.
Florida’s world-leading 4×200 team was second in its heat in 1:22.39 and will run for the championship Saturday at 2:40 p.m. That team consisted of Tony McQuay, Hall, Wilks and Calvin Smith, who is a 16-time All-American during his four-year career in Gainesville. The Gators’ competition will come from Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
“We had a good day today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “We had some bumps in the road, but those are going to happen. We’d rather them happen now thanlater on at championship time. We’re going to get after it tomorrow and we’re looking forward to seeing how our team responds to a little bit of adversity.”
Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor placed ninth in the men’s long jump with a season-best leap of 24 feet, 2¼ inches. Frankie Hammond and Bryan Turner each had season-best leaps of 6 feet, 9¾ inches in the high jump.
The men’s 4×400-meter relay team finished 11th overall in the prelims in 3:09.54 following a bobbled final handoff. That quartet will compete in the college championship final at 5:40 p.m. Saturday.
PENN RELAYS CARNIVAL
At Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pa.
Florida’s results
MEN
Shot put: 1. Kemal Mesic 62 feet, 1 inch; High jump: 9. Frankie Hammond 6 feet, 9 ¾ inches, 10. Bryan Turner 6 feet, 9¾ inches; Long jump: 9. Christian Taylor 24 feet, 2¼ inches; 4×100 relay prelims: 2. Florida (Rainey, Hall, Wilks, Demps) 39.88; 4×200 relay: 2. Florida (McQuay, Hall, Wilks, Smith) 1:22.39; 4×400 relay: 11. Florida (Anderson, McQuay, Wilson, Smith) 3:09.54.
WOMEN
Discus: 10. Keely Medeiros, 148 feet, 1 inch;