Special to GC
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Florida’s men’s track & field team won the program’s fifth Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championship behind six SEC titles at the Mike Sanders Track and Field Complex in Starkville, Miss. UF has now won outdoor conference titles in 1953, ’56, ’87, 2010 and ’15.
The Gators finished in front of a tie for second place between Texas A&M (95) and Arkansas (95) with a total score of 130.5 points. Florida was strong in all events, capturing individual victories in the 10,000-meter run (Eddie Garcia, 29:49.92), 200-meter dash (Dedric Dukes, 19.99 (+0.6W)), shot put (Stipe Zunic, 19.95m/65-5.5), long jump (Marquis Dendy, (8.19m/26-10.5 (+2.4W)), triple jump (Marquis Dendy, (17.35m/56-11.25 (-0.0W)) and capped off the meet by winning the 4×400-meter relay (Nick Uruburu, Dedric Dukes, Gino Hall, Najee Hall) in 3:01.60.
The Gators pulled away on the last day of competition after entering the final day up only three points.
On the women’s side, the Gators ended their conference championship in fifth place with 83 points. UF’s women won two SEC championships, as Florida captured the 200-meter dash (Kyra Jefferson, 22.39 (+0.9W)) and 4×400-meter relay title (Robin Reynolds, Kyra Jefferson, Destinee Gause, Claudia Francis) in 3:27.84.
Overall, Florida won eight SEC championships, broke two school records and has multiple top marks in various events in the NCAA. Each team will now prepare for next month’s NCAA men’s and women’s championships.
HEARING OUT HOLLOWAY
On the feeling he has after this weekend:
“Fantastic. It’s been a great weekend and I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of this team with the pride and focused they showed. I challenged them all weekend long to just match the intensity of the other teams here and they did a wonderful job of that. I’m just really proud of them.”
On the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays:
“I told them that this is the last thing that everyone will see of the Gators today. So let’s make this something special that everyone can see. You know, on the men’s side you’ve got a ton of great schools that we’ve had battles with all year long. So it was great to run against those teams, as I told our guys to just engage in the fight. If we get in there and fight with them, then we’re going to be alright.”
On Marquis Dendy:
After the long jump, I asked him if he could please gives us a break in the triple jump and not foul your first two attempts. But the big thing is that we just needed Marquis to be Marquis. We just needed him to go out there and compete at a high level and he did just that. He’s a special guy who’s possibly one of the best jumpers ever at the University of Florida and I’m really proud of him for that.”
NAJEE GLASS – 2015 SEC 4×400 RELAY CHAMPION
On the final leg of the race:
“The last straightaway is always a killer on this relay because that’s the point where everyone is fighting, gritting their teeth and it’s about who has the most heart. And I just showed that I had the most heart today.”
On winning the 4×400-meter relay title:
“It’s amazing. It’s been two years since we’ve won this race at the conference meet and I am just honored to be able to anchor our 4×400 relay team today.”
KYRA JEFFERSON – 2015 SEC 4×400 RELAY & 200M DASH CHAMPION
On her leg of the 4×400-meter relay:
“Right before the race, Coach (Mike) Holloway told us that he wanted everyone to remember Florida as being a team that really did well in the 4×400. He just wanted us all to push ourselves and have ice water in our veins.”
On winning two SEC Championships today:
“It’s a great feeling, as this was my first experience at the SEC Outdoor Championships. I just feel really blessed that I could come out here and help my team and that we could do as well as we did.”
DEDRIC DUKES – 2015 SEC 4×400 RELAY & 200M DASH CHAMPION
On the 200-meter dash race:
“It was a great race. I had a long day today but it was a great race against great competition. When I was out there, I just wanted to focus on the first 30 meters that would get me off the turn, then I knew with all the work that I put in during the fall and spring would help me bring it home.”
On winning a pair of SEC Championships as a senior:
“It was great. Last year I came here and fell a little bit short, so to come here and win as a senior means a lot to me. Last one, best one.”
MARQUIS DENDY – 2015 SEC TRIPLE JUMP CHAMPION
On winning another SEC title:
“It feels good. Like I said, I had a big chip on my shoulder coming into today with all the fouls I had yesterday. So it feels great to set the SEC record and I feel really good about today.”
DAY THREE RECAP
The Gators won five conference titles on the final day of the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships.
Senior five-time national champion Marquis Dendy set the tone as he picked up his eighth SEC individual title, having won four jumps titles indoors and now three outdoor championships. The Middletown, Del. product followed his league title in the long jump yesterday by winning his second-straight triple jump championship with an personal record and SEC-record leap of 17.35 meters (56-11.25, -0.0W). Dendy is now the NCAA leader in the event this year and is tied for second all-time in UF history.
Florida has now won six straight SEC outdoor triple jump titles.
In addition to Dendy in the event, KeAndre Bates finished in eighth place with personal-best mark of 15.80m (51-10, +2.7W), which ranks him 10th all-time in Gator history. On the women’s side, Ciarra Brewer paced a trio of Gators, as she finished second with a leap of 13.42 meters (44-0.5, +2.0W).
Also in the field, Fawn Miller and Kike Oniwinde finished sixth and seventh in the women’s javelin with throws of 49.66m (163-9) and 48.78m (160-0), respectively. Oniwinde’s mark was a personal best and ranks her fifth all-time at UF.
The Gators also had Stipe Zunic place third in the men’s discus (PR – 59.09/193-10), Jhonny Victor finish tied for the seventh in the men’s high jump (2.04m/6-8.25) and Lloydricia Cameron place 10th in the women’s shot put (PR – 14.87/48-9.5).
On the track, Florida grabbed four league titles, 11 top-three finishes and 10 personal-best times.
UF swept the 200-meter dash as Dedric Dukes and Kyra Jefferson won their respective races in 19.99 (+0.6W) and 22.39 (+0.9W). Dukes became the first Gator male to win the event since Jeremy Hall accomplished the feat in 2009. Jefferson is now the first UF female to win the race since Natalie Knight did so back in 2008.
That race marked each of their first-career individual SEC crowns.
Just an hour later, they each helped the Gators win the final two events of the meet. The 4×400-meter relay.
On the men’s side, Dukes teamed up with Nick Urubru, Gino Hall, and Najee Glass as that quartet won a thrilling race in 3:01.60. UF last won this event in 2012 when Dukes, Hugh Graham, Jr., Leonardo Seymore and Tony McQuay clocked a time of 3:03.44.
In the women’s race, Jefferson ran with Robin Reynolds, Destinee Gause and Claudia Francis to win the league crown in 3:27.84. The Gator women last won this race in 2003 when Kristina Bratton, Niki Benjamin, Amber Robinson, Novlene Williams recorded a mark of 3:32.58.
Both times that UF ran today are now the fastest run in those events in the NCAA this season, respectively.
2015 GATOR SEC CHAMPIONS
Eddie Garcia: Men’s 10,000-meter run (29:49.92)
Stipe Zunic: Men’s Shot Put (19.95m/65-5.5)
Marquis Dendy: Men’s Long Jump (8.19m/26-10.5, +2.4W) | PR | Tied for No. 3 all-time at UF | NCAA leader
Marquis Dendy: Men’s Triple Jump (17.35m/56-11.25, -0.0W) | PR | SEC Record | NCAA leader | Tied for No. 2 all-time at UF
Dedric Dukes: Men’s 200M Dash (19.99, +0.6W)
Kyra Jefferson: Women’s 200M Dash (22.39, +0.9W) | PR | No. 1 all-time at UF | No. 1 in NCAA
Uruburu, Dukes, Hall, Glass: Men’s 4x400M Relay (3:01.60) | No. 1 in NCAA
Reynolds, Jefferson, Gause, Francis: Women’s 4x400M Relay (3:27.84) | No. 1 in NCAA
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Women
1. Arkansas, 127.50
2. Texas A&M, 104
3. Kentucky, 99
4. LSU, 84
5. FLORIDA, 83
6. Georgia, 64
7. Alabama, 55.50
8. Mississippi State, 51
9. Missouri, 42.67
10. Auburn, 28
11. Vanderbilt, 25.33
12. Ole Miss, 21
13. South Carolina, 19
14. Tennessee, 15
Men
1. FLORIDA, 130.50
2. Texas A&M, 95
2. Arkansas, 95
4. LSU, 92
5. Georgia, 71.50
6. Kentucky, 58
7. Ole Miss, 53
8. Mississippi State, 52
9. Alabama, 47.50
10. Auburn, 40
11. South Carolina, 36
12. Tennessee, 28.50
13. Missouri, 20
2015 SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | FRIDAY RESULTS
COMPLETE SATURDAY GATOR COMPETITORS
FIELD EVENTS
WOMEN’S JAVELIN
6. Fawn Miller (49.66m/163-9), 7. Kike Oniwinde (48.78m/160-0) | PR | No. 5 all-time at UF
WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP
2. Ciarra Brewer (13.42m/44-0.5, +2.0W), 6. Darrielle McQueen (12.92m/42-4.75, -0.0W) | PR | No. 6 all-time at UF, 7. Gissell Warner (12.90m/42-4, -0.0W) | PR | No. 7 all-time at UF
MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP
1. Marquis Dendy (17.35m/56-11.25, -0.0W) | PR | SEC Record | NCAA leader | Tied for No. 2 all-time at UF, 8. KeAndre Bates (15.80m/51-10, +2.7W) | PR | No. 10 all-time at UF
MEN’S POLE VAULT
12. Jared Watkins (4.92m/16-1.75), Henry Glasser and Anthony Amodio competed
MEN’S DISCUS
3. Stipe Zunic (59.09m/193-10) | PR | No. 4 all-time at UF | No. 17 in NCAA
WOMEN’S SHOT PUT
10. Lloydricia Cameron (14.87m/48-9.5) | PR
MEN’S HIGH JUMP
T7. Jhonny Victor (2.04m/6-8.25)
TRACK EVENTS
MEN’S 4x100M FINAL
4. Wright, Hall, Futch, Glass (39.08)
WOMEN’S 4×100 FINAL
2. Reynolds, Sanders, Gause, Jefferson (42.72) | No. 2 in NCAA
WOMEN’S 1500M FINAL
6. Taylor Tubbs (4:23.37), 10. Lauren Perry (4:31.90), 11. Macy Huskey (4:41.62)
WOMEN’S 100H FINAL
2. Bridgette Owens (12.73, +1.8) | Ties PR | No. 1 all-time at UF | No. 2 in NCAA
MEN’S 400M FINAL
3. Najee Glass (45.28), 6. Gino Hall (46.33)
WOMEN’S 400M FINAL
2. Robin Reynolds (51.93), 7. Destiny Washington (54.19)
MEN’S 100M FINAL
3. Dedric Dukes (10.18, +0.4)
MEN’S 800M FINAL
3. Andres Arroyo (1:46.49) | PR | No. 5 all-time at UF, 5. Ryan Schnulle (1:47.45)
WOMEN’S 800M FINAL
8. Claudia Francis (2:08.40)
MEN’S 400H FINAL
3. Eric Futch (49.57), 8. TJ Holmes (51.49)
MEN’S 200M FINAL
1. Dedric Dukes (19.99, +0.6W)
WOMEN’S 200M FINAL
1. Kyra Jefferson (22.39, +0.9W) | PR | No. 1 all-time at UF | No. 1 in NCAA
MEN’S 5000M FINAL
4. Mark Parrish (14:09.16) | PR, 17. Eddie Garcia (14:36.76) | PR, 28. Jimmy Clark (14:55.76) | PR, 34. Charles Chambers (15:00.87) | PR
WOMEN’S 5000M FINAL
12. Taylor Tubbs (16:51.32), 16. Lauren Perry (16:59.26) | PR, 28. Lauren Brasure (17:16.20) | PR, 33. Becky Greene (17:28.87) | PR, 36. Devin McDermott (17:40.98)
MEN’S 4x400M FINAL
1. Uruburu, Dukes, Hall, Glass (3:01.60) | No. 1 in NCAA
WOMEN’S 4x400M FINAL
1. Reynolds, Jefferson, Gause, Francis (3:27.84) | No. 1 in NCAA