One of the Florida track teams was expected to challenge for a title during the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Percy Beard Track and James G. Pressly Stadium.
But it was the other track team that actually provided the victory Sunday before a loud and supportive home crowd.
The Florida women, who entered the meet unranked in the country, completed a stunning, four-day performance, using impressive efforts on both the track and in the field events to capture their first outdoor title since the 2003 season. The Lady Gators scored 135.5 team points for a convincing victory over No. 4 Louisiana State (113 points) and No. 12 Tennessee (106).
Meanwhile, the Florida men, ranked No. 1, couldn’t overcome some unexpected injuries and finished second with 129 points to champion Arkansas (141) with Louisiana State third with 98.5 points.
“It is a wonderful feeling to win in front of our home fans, with everybody that has supported us all year long,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “It was a great team effort all the way around. I’m very proud of both teams this weekend. They lined up and got after it.”
Together, the two Florida teams won nine events over the four days of competition. The women won the steeplechase (Genevieve LaCaze), the women’s long and triple jumps (Shara Proctor), women’s javelin (Evelien Dekkers) and women’s shot put (Mariam Kevkhishvilli). The men prevailed with victories in the decathlon (Gray Horn), 200 meters (Jeremy Hall), 400 meters (Calvin Smith) and the 4×100 relay (Hall, Smith, Terrell Wilks and Jeff Demps).
Smith, a junior from Lutz, won the men’s Commissioner’s Trophy, awarded to the league’s high-points scorer. Smith totaled 22 points, winning the 400, finishing second in the 200, running a leg on the victorious 4×100 relay team and also a leg on the third-place 4×400 relay team.
“It’s a great honor for Calvin,” Holloway added. “It shows how hard he has been working.”
Junior Mariam Kevkhishvili of Tbilisi, Georgia, set a new SEC outdoor mark in the shot put with her throw of 59 feet, 2¾ inches. Not only was it a personal best for Kevkhishvili but it also is the best throw in the country. It broke the previous mark of 57-6 set by former Gator Kimberli Barrett in 2004.
“I think that a lot of athletes who have the kind of success that Mariam does tend to get complacent,” Holloway continued. “But she and coach (Steve) Lemke have done a great job of continuing to improve and get better. Mariam has some very lofty goals for herself and she’s doing a great job of working toward them.”
Freshman Keely Medeiros of Brazil was second to her teammate in the shot put with an NCAA regional-qualifying toss of 54 feet, 3¼ inches, giving the Gators 18 points in the event.
Hall, a junior from Jacksonville, won the 200 meters in 20.51 seconds, a personal best and the ninth best time in school history. Smith finished second behind his teammate in 20.72 after capturing the 400 title with a personal-best time of 44.96 seconds.
The men’s 4×100-meter relay team won the school’s first title in that event with the third-fastest time in school history. Hall, Smith, Wilks and Demps were timed in 38.74 seconds. In the 100, Hall had a personal-best time of 10.08 seconds, the fourth fastest in school history, in finishing runner-up to LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who won in 10.01 seconds. Wilks was timed at 10.15 seconds for fourth place. Demps also ran in the event but pulled up at 75 meters with an apparent hamstring injury.
Dekkers, a junior from Etten-Leur, The Netherlands, successfully defended her javelin title with an NCAA regional-qualifying toss of 173 feet, 11 inches, seen inches better than her previous best. Junior Star Sansone of Boca Raton finished fifth in the javelin with an NCAA regional-qualifying effort of 142-5. The first-fifth finishes provided 13 team points for Florida.
Junior Charlotte Browning of England and sophomore Kaitlin Shiver of Apollo Beach finished second and sixth, respectively, in the 1,500 meters. Browning ran a personal-best of 4:19.66, while Shiver was cloced at 4:26.66, giving the Gators 11 team points. Browning also finished sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:06.15.
LaCaze and Laura Garrow finished fourth and eighth, respectively, in the 5,000 meters. LaCaze was clocked in 16:42.36, while Garrow stopped the clock at 16:43.95. Natalie Moser tied for fourth in the women’s pole vault with a 13-1½ effort. Alishea Usery was third in the 400 meters in 53.27 seconds, and Madison McNary ran eighth in the 200 meters in 24.26 seconds. The 4×400 relay team was fifth, while the 4×100 relay team took sixth.
Both Florida teams now begin preparations for the 2009 NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, N.C., May 29-30.
SOUTHEASTER CONFERENCE OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday, May 17 at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium, Gainesville
MEN
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Arkansas 141
2. Florida 129
3. Louisiana State 98.5
4. South Carolina 88
T5. Auburn 72
T5. Georgia 72
7. Kentucky 55
8. Tennessee 53
9. Mississippi State 44.5
10. Alabama 33.5
11. Mississippi 32.5
EVENTS
(All events in meters; Top 8 finishers score points)
Triple jump: 1. Wale Odetunde (Mississippi) 51-8½; 2. Nkosinza Balumbu (Arkansas) 51-7¾; 3. Tarik Batchelor (Arkansas) 51-2¾; 4. Zedric Thomas (Louisiana State) 51-0¼; 5. Reggie Haslom (Louisiana State) 50-11½; 6. Akeem Hardnett (Tennessee) 50-9¼; 7. Kendrick Poullard (Mississippi State) 50-5¼; 8. David Banks (Kentucky) 49-3½.
Discus throw: 1. Rashaud Scott (Kentucky) 194-4; 2. Zach Clayton (Auburn) 182-10; 3. Chase Madison (Kentucky) 181-3; 4. Colin Boevers (Kentucky) 176-8; 5. Israel Machovec (Georgia) 173-3; 6. Nick Panezich (Tennessee) 167-9; 7. Kemal Mesic (Florida) 166-6; 8. Scott Clayman (Florida) 164-3.
4×100 relay: 1. Florida (Jeremy Hall, Calvin Smith, Terrell Wilks, Jeff Demps) 38.74; 2. Louisiana State (Armanti Hayes, Will Coppage, Gabriel Mvumvure, Trindon Holliday) 38.86; 3. South Carolina (Johnathan Hancock, Antonio Sales, Quentin Moore, OB Ngwigwa) 39.41; 4. Mississippi State (Justin Christian, Deangelo Cherry, Dwight Mullings, Emmanuel Mayers) 39.45; 5. Auburn (Stephen Fly, Jerod Wims, Michael DeHaven, Marcus Rowland) 39.50; 6. Arkansas (Cedric Zellner, Marek Nitt, Mychael Stewart, J-Mee Samules) 39.65; 7. Alabama (Brandon Spradley, David Chaplin, Ray Jadusingh, Matt Watson) 39.73; 8. Georgia (Omari Barrow, Torrin Lawrence, Michael Proctor, Phillip Adams) 39.75.
1,500: 1. Dorian Ulrey (Arkansas) 3:41.39; 2. Andy McClary (Arkansas) 3:41.96; 3. Felix Kiboiywo (Auburn) 3:44.13; 4. Michael Chinchar (Arkansas) 3:45.68; 5. Emmanuel Bor (Alabama) 3:46.37; 6. Ryley Miller (Georgia) 3:46.74; 7. Justin Taylor (Florida) 3:48.57; 8. Matthew Cameron (Mississippi State) 3:48.76.
110 hurdles: 1. Jason Richardson (South Carolina) 13.29; 2. Booker Nunley (South Carolina) 13.49; 3. William Wynne (Florida) 13.64; 4. Johnny Dutch (South Carolina) 13.68; 5. Dennis Martin (Florida) 13.83; 6. Barrett Nugent (Louisiana State) 13.88; 7. Mikel Thomas (Kentucky) 13.97; 8. Kalinka Pitt (Florida) 14.03.
400: 1. Calvin Smith (Florida) 44.96; 2. Dwight Mullings (Mississippi State) 44.98; 3. John Bailey (Mississippi State) 45.55; 4. Armanti Hayes (Louisiana State) 45.67; 5. Robert Simmons (Louisiana State) 46.08; 6. Jose Acevedo (Kentucky) 46.17; 7. R.J. Anderson (Florida) 46.46; 8. OB Ngwigwa (South Carolina) 47.20.
100: 1. Trindon Holliday (Louisiana State) 10.01; 2. Jeremy Hall (Florida) 10.08; 3. Marcus Rowland (Auburn) 10.13; 4. Terrell Wilks (Florida) 10.15; 5. J-Mee Samules (Arkansas) 10.26; 6. Deangelo Cherry (Mississippi State) 10.30; 7. Johnathan Hancock (South Carolina) 10.34; 8. Rondel Sorrillo (Kentucky) 10.36.
800: 1. Alex McClary (Arkansas) 1:47.78; 2. Joseph Franklin (Tennessee) 1:48.39; 3. Dorian Ulrey (Arkansas) 1:48.46; 4. Carlos Phillips (Florida) 1:48.48; 5. Andy McClary (Arkansas) 1:49.19; 6. Chris Bilbrew (Arkansas) 1:49.30; 7. Stephan Smith (Kentucky) 1:49.46; 8. Emerson Peacock (Tennessee) 1:49.76.
400 hurdles: 1. Johnny Dutch (South Carolina) 48.58; 2. Justin Gaymon (Georgia) 48.86; 3. William Wynne (Florida) 49.80; 4. Lee Moore (Mississippi) 50.01; 5. Emmanuel Mayers (Mississippi State) 50.84; 6. Carson Blanks (Mississippi) 51.05; 7. Patrick Lee (Louisiana State) 51.18; 8. Mikel Thomas (Kentucky) 51.41.
200: 1. Jeremy Hall (Florida) 20.51; 2. Calvin Smith (Florida) 20.72; 3. Marcus Rowland (Auburn) 20.73; 4. Antonio Sales (South Carolina) 20.78; 5. Marek Nitt (Arkansas) 20.91; 6. Gabriel Mvumvure (Louisiana State) 21.00; 7. Evander Wells (Tennessee) 21.15; 8. Rondel Sorrillo (Kentucky) 21.16.
5,000: 1. Shawn Forrest (Arkansas) 13:43.51; 2. Tyson David (Alabama) 13:55.46; 3. Girma Mecheso (Auburn) 14:00.32; 4. Scott MacPherson (Arkansas) 14:05.57; 5. Jean-Pierre Weerts (Auburn) 14:07.20; 6. Kyle Lewis (Mississippi) 14:10.00; 7. Sean Blaney (Florida) 14:12.63; 8. Emmanuel Bor (Alabama) 14:16.95.
4×400 relay: 1. South Carolina (OB Ngwigwa, Johnny Dutch, Quentin Moore, Jason Richardson) 3:04.49; 2. Louisiana State (Robert Simmons, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Jamar Howard, Armanti Hayes) 3:04.75; 3. Florida (R.J. Anderson, Calvin Smith, Carlos Phillips, Lamarr Davis) 3:04.85; 4. Kentucky (Kwasi Obeng, Stephan Smith, Brandon Austin, Jose Acevedo) 3:07.45; 5. Georgia (Justin Gaymon, Michael Proctor, Phillip Adams, Baron Brown) 3:08.79; 6. Mississippi (Michael Coleman, Matt Daniels, Christopher Bush, Lee Moore) 3:09.23; 7. Arkansas (Ben Skidmore, Chris Bilbrew, Marek Nitt, Mychael Stewart) 3:10.05; 8. Tennessee (Samdi Fraser, Nathan Grace, Joseph Franklin, Alan Bachman) 3:10.86.
WOMEN
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Florida 135.5
2. Louisiana State 113
3. Tennessee 106
4. Arkansas 96.5
5. Auburn 76
6. Kentucky 56
7. Alabama 52.5
8. South Carolina 51
9. Georgia 45.5
10. Mississippi 44
10. Mississippi State 42
EVENTS
(All events in meters; Top 8 finishers score points)
Javelin throw: 1. Evelien Dekkers (Florida) 173-11; 2. Michelle Thompson (Georgia) 171-5; 3. Anna Lyons (Louisiana State) 168-11; 4. Emily Sanders (Georgia) 145-6; 5. 5. Marlee Kevech (Mississippi) 143-11; 6. Star Sansone (Florida) 142-5; 7. Brieanna Kennedy (Louisiana State) 137-6; 8. Meghan Austin (Alabama) 136-3.
Triple jump: 1. Shara Proctor (Florida) 44-0¾; 2. Celriece Law (Tennessee) 42-2; 3. Madara Apine (Florida) 42-0; 4. Michelle Jenije (Florida) 40-9¾; 5. Ke’Undra Bishop (Kentucky) 40-9¾; 6. Wendy Copeland (Mississippi State) 40-7; 7. Melissa Ogbourne (Louisiana State) 40-6; 8. Aria Gaines (Mississippi) 40-2¼.
Pole vault: 1. Katie Stripling (Arkansas) 14-5¼; 2. Rachel Laurent (Louisiana State) and Alicia Essex (Tennessee) 13-5¼; 4. Natalie Moser (Florida) and Tara Diebold (Arkansas) 13-1½; 6. Katelyn Rodrigue (Louisiana State) 13-1½; 7. Sallie Gurganus (South Carolina) 13-1½; 8. Sarah Landau (Arkansas) 13-1½.
High jump: 1. Raevan Harris (Auburn) 5-11½; 2. Brittani Carter (Louisiana State) 5-11½; 3. Chealsea Taylor (Alabama) 5-8¾; 4. Krystle Schade (Alabama) 5-8¾; 5. Carin Walker (Georgia) 5-7; 6. Shaquita Young (Georgia) and Corey Bowen (South Carolina) 5-5; 8. Rachel Robbs (Alabama) and Staley Foster (South Carolina) 5-5.
Shot put: 1. Mariam Kevkhishvilli (Florida) 59-2¾; 2. Keely Medeiros (Florida) 54-3¼; 3. Annie Alexander (Tennessee) 53-5¾; 4. Ashley Muffet (Kentucky) 52-3¾; 5. Davina Orieukwu (Mississippi) 51-3¾; 6. Angelica Howard (Alabama) 50-2½; 7. Mary Angell (Kentucky) 48-8; 8. Stacee Roberts (South Carolina) 47-7¼.
4×100 relay: 1. Auburn (Shaqela Williams, Joanna Atkins, Cache Armbrister, Lakeshia Williams) 44.11; 2. South Carolina (Lakya Brookins, Shayla Mahan, Gabrielle Glenn, Breehana Jacobs) 44.37; 3. Tennessee (Celriece Law, Brittany Jones, Ashley Harris, Lynne Layne) 44.70; 4. Mississippi (Kadeshia Fortune, LaJada Baldwin, Jasmine Dacus, Kristin Bridges) 45.46; 5. Alabama (Audra Frimpong, Talaya Owens, Toni Graham, Heather Matherson) 45.51; 6. Florida (Madison McNary, Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ije Iheoma) 45.62; 7. Mississippi State (Laquinta Aaron, Wendy Copeland, Bridgett Rose, Priscilla Gaines) 45.69; 8. Kentucky (Jazmyn Shorter, Precious Nwokey, Ashley Trimble, Danielle Sampley) 45.87.
1,500: 1. Sarah Bowman (Tennessee) 4:15.03; 2. Charlotte Browning (Florida) 4:19.66; 3. Jillian Rosen (Arkansas) 4:21.58; 4. Kristie Krueger (Georgia) 4:24.55; 5. McKayla Plank (Georgia) 4:26.24; 6. Kaitlin Shiver (Florida) 4:26.66; 7. Rolanda Bell (Tennessee) 4:28.18; 8. Samantha Learch (Arkansas) 4:29.51.
100 hurdles: 1. Celriece Law (Tennessee) 13.22; 2. Marrissa Harris (Mississippi State) 13.35; 3. Tenaya Jones (Louisiana State) 13.47; 4. Danielle Gilchrist (Auburn) 13.49; 5. Janica Austin (South Carolina) 13.55; 6. Bridgett Rose (Mississippi State) 13.65; 7. Audra Frimpong (Alabama) 13.85.
400: 1. LaJada Baldwin (Mississippi) 51.95; 2. Shelise Williams (Arkansas) 52.41; 3. Alishea Usery (Florida) 53.27; 4. Lakeshia Williams (Auburn) 54.33; 5. Crystal Wilson (Mississippi State) 54.61; 6. Odeika Bent (Georgia) 55.59; 7. Kim House (Georgia) 55.61; 8. Karen Thomas (Arkansas) 55.75.
100: 1. Kenyanna Wilson (Louisiana State) 11.32; 2. Samantha Henry (Louisiana State) 11.34; 3. Lakya Brookins (South Carolina) 11.36; 4. Joanna Atkins (Auburn) 11.42; 5. Shayla Mahan (South Carolina) 11.55; 6. Lynne Layne (Tennessee) 11.56; 7. Gabrielle Glenn (South Carolina) 11.58; 8. Georgina Nembhard (Georgia) 11.73.
800: 1. Phoebe Wright (Tennessee) 2:02.15; 2. LaTavia Thomas (Louisiana State) 2:02.77; 3. Chanelle Price (Tennessee) 2:03.30; 4. Kayann Thompson (Louisiana State) 2:03.64; 5. Sarah Bowman (Tennessee) 2:03.64; 6. Brittany Hall (Louisiana State) 2:03.68; 7. Charlotte Browning (Florida) 2:06.15; 8. Britney Barnard (Mississippi) 2:07.65.
400 hurdles: 1. Danielle Gilchrist (Auburn) 57.83; 2. Sofie Persson (Mississippi) 57.96; 3. Janica Austin (South Carolina) 58.06; 4. Talaya Owens (Alabama) 58.20; 5. Ellen Wortham (Tennessee) 59.08; 6. Latoya Parkinson (Auburn) 59.18; 7. Ashley Trimble (Kentucky) 59.53; 8. Jasmine Dacus (Mississippi) 59.60.
200: 1. Samantha Henry (Louisiana State) 23.36; 2. Kenyanna Wilson (Louisiana State) 23.44; 3. Joanna Atkins (Auburn) 23.48; 4. Cache Armbrister (Auburn) 23.64; 5. Lynne Layne (Tennessee) 23.70; 6. Liann Kellman (Louisiana State) 24.15; 7. Georgina Nembhard (Georgia) 24.16; 8. Madison McNary (Florida) 24.26.
5,000: 1. Catherine White (Arkansas) 16:29.72; 2. Jackie Areson (Tennessee) 16:32.72; 3. Denise Bargiachi (Arkansas) 16:36.27; 4. Genevieve LaCaze (Florida) 16:42.36; 5. Christine Kalmer (Arkansas) 16:46.69; 6. Kelsey Johnson (Alabama) 16:47.82; 7. Katie Van Horn (Tennessee) 16:52.73; 8. Laura Garrow (Florida) 16:53.95.
4×400 relay: 1. Louisiana State (Cassandra Tate, Kayann Thompson, Brittany Hall, LaTavia Thomas) 3:34.11; 2. Auburn (Danielle Gilchrist, Joanna Atkins, Cache Armbrister, Lakeshia Williams) 3:34.40; 3. South Carolina (Porche Byrd, Janica Austin, Breehana Jacobs, Gabrielle Glenn) 3:37.79; 4. Tennessee (Chanelle Price, Kimarra McDonald, Phoebe Wright, Ellen Wortham) 3:38.41; 5. Florida (Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ije Iheoma, Ashley Usery) 3:42.68; 6. Kentucky (Ashley Trimble, Jazmyn Shorter, Brittany Cabbler, Precious Nwokey) 3:43.27; 7. Mississippi (Jasmine Dacus, Sofie Persson, Britney Barnard, LaJada Baldwin) 3:44.56; 8. Alabama (Talaya Owens, Heather Matherson, Rachel Robbs, Chealsea Taylor) 3:52.67.