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Six Events to Watch at SEC Outdoor Championships – Florida Gators

Six Events to Watch at SEC Outdoor Championships - Florida Gators
OXFORD, Miss. – The SEC Outdoor Championships is the premier collegiate conference meet in the nation. Some of the best talent in NCAA has convened on the campus of Ole Miss to contest 21 events on both the men’s and women’s sides to crown the team champion of the SEC.
 
Florida enters the weekend No. 3 in the nation in both the men’s and women’s rankings and figures to be near the top of the leaderboard as the weekend progresses.
 
Here are six events this weekend that are bound to feature big performances from the Gators and have a profound impact on Florida’s team title chances.
 
Women’s Triple Jump | Saturday: 2:30 p.m. CST (Finals Only)

Preview: The women’s triple jump has been dominated by the Gators this year and is one of the program’s staple events. Jasmine Moore and Natricia Hooper went 1-2 at both the SEC Indoor Championships and NCAA Indoor Championships.

During the outdoor season, the pair of teammates has continued to dominate, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation heading into the weekend.

Moore is the defending SEC Outdoor Champion in the Triple Jump. This event will kickstart a run on points for the Gators on Saturday, a day featuring finals for almost every running event as well.

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                1. Natricia Hooper: 14.18m/46-6.25

                2. Jasmine Moore: 14.07m/46-2

                7. Alissa Braxton: 13.16m/43-2.25

The Competition: Florida has been a stalwart in this event this season but Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah and Tennessee’s Charisma Taylor have had strong performances in the past and will bring strong talent to the runway.

The Team Race: Florida will contest 16 of the 21 events at the SEC Outdoor Championships. 12 of those events will have finals on Saturday afternoon, meaning the Gators will be in line for a big run on points when action starts on the May 14th. The Triple Jump will be a catalyst for that with each of Florida’s three athletes projected to score.

This event could go a long way as a momentum booster for the rest of Florida’s day on Saturday and be a big event as Florida goes for the team title.

Men’s 400 Meters | Friday: 7:45 p.m. CT (Prelims); Saturday: 6:15 p.m. CT (Finals)

Preview:  The men’s 400 meters has been among the best events on Florida’s team this season. Behind a trio of All-Americans, the Gators scored 23 points in the event at the SEC Indoor Championships and nine points at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

All four of the athletes that comprised Florida’s collegiate-record breaking 4×400 team are all currently scheduled to run the event.

The 400 meters has been an event the Gators have had great success in over the years. Florida has won the SEC Outdoor Title in the 400 meters eight different times.

After not having a finalist in the event a season ago, the Gators look to bounce back with a bevy of talented quarter-milers set to line up for Friday’s prelims.

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                1. Champion Allison (45.16)

                1. Ryan Willie (45.16)

                16. Jacob Miley (46.15)

                23. Anthony Brodie (46.52)

                NT. Jacory Patterson (N/A)

The Competition: The SEC has no shortage of talent when it comes to the 400 meters. 10 different athletes have run under 46 seconds this season with Willie and Allison entering the weekend as conference co-leaders (45.16). Texas A&M features a trio of talented runners while Georgia’s Elija Godwin and Kentucky’s Dwight St. Hillaire bring talent and experience.

The finals of this event are bound to be one of the fastest races we see all weekend. It will also be a very competitive final to break into.

The Team Race: Florida scored more points in this event (23) than any other event, men or women, at the SEC Indoor Championships. The finals of this competition will be run right after the 800 meters and 100 meters, providing a big run on points for Florida.

The team race on the men’s side is expected to be congested, meaning Florida will count on big points here to move up the leaderboard.

Women’s Long Jump | Friday: 7:30 p.m. CST (Finals Only)

Preview: Much like the Triple Jump, the Long Jump has been an event of great success for Florida’s women this season. The Gators head into the weekend with three of the top six marks nationally and three of the top four marks in the SEC.

Florida’s All-American duo of Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant will be joined by All-American Heptathlete Anna Hall, who will contest the Long Jump and 400-meter hurdles this weekend.

The Gators got 16 points in the Long Jump during the SEC Indoor Championships and 12 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                2. Jasmine Moore: 6.82m/22-4.5

                3. Anna Hall: 6.74m/22-1.5

                4. Claire Bryant: 6.73m/22-1

The Competition: The Long Jump tends to be closely contested competition and this weekend should be no different. Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah continues to lead the conference after a jump of 6.89m/22-7.25 in early April.

Shayla Broughton (Mississippi State), Morgan Smalls (LSU) and Titiana Marsh (Georgia) have all gone over 6.35m this season.

Florida’s trip of Long Jumpers are currently 2-3-4 in the conference heading into the weekend.

The Team Race: The Long Jump will represent Florida’s first big scoring chance on the women’s side this weekend. If the Gators can place all three athletes, Florida will be in a good spot heading into Saturday’s competition.

This event, along with the Triple Jump, will boost Florida’s team title chances this weekend.

Men’s 100 Meters | Friday: 8:35 p.m. CT (Prelims), Saturday: 6:35 p.m. CT (Finals)

Preview: The 100 Meters is always must-watch television in the SEC and this year is no different. Florida will line up six athletes in the prelims against the fastest collegians in the nation. The Gators have won this event nine different times.

During the indoor season, Dedrick Vanover was the co-gold medalist in the 60 meters when he finished in a dead tie for first with Georgia’s Matthew Boling.

Florida put two in the finals of last year’s SEC Outdoor Championships (Vanover and Joseph Fahnbulleh).

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                5. Dedrick Vanover (10.10)

                11. Joseph Fahnbulleh (10.15)

                14. PJ Austin (10.17)          

                14. Tyler Davis (10.17)

                28. Kemuel Santana (10.48)

                30. Cameron Mahorn (10.50)

The Competition: The field will be stacked in Oxford this weekend. 14 different runners have all-conditions marks under 10.20 this season including four different Gators.

Favour Ashe of Tennessee is the conference leader with a wind-aided mark of 9.79. Matthew Boling of Georgia (9.98), Da’Marcus Fleming of LSU (10.02w) and Lance Lang of Kentucky (10.02w) have all dipped under 10.05 seconds.

This could be anyone’s race. The goal is to get into Saturday night’s final and everything is on the line from there.

The Team Race: Any team will benefit from points scored in this race. Many of Florida’s 100 meters athletes will also be on the 4×100 team earlier in the evening, offering a big chance for the Gators to score points on Saturday night.

Women’s 800 Meters | Thursday: 6:30 p.m. CST (Prelims), Saturday: 6:45 p.m. CST (Final)

Preview: The 800 meters has been among the best event groups for Florida’s women this season. Imogen Barrett has been outstanding throughout the regular season after her third-place finish at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Joining her this weekend are Gabrielle Wilkinson and Ashley Klingenberg in what is expected to be a competitive event for Florida.

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                3. Imogen Barrett: 2:01.65

                8. Gabrielle Wilkinson: 2:03.93

                49. Ashley Klingenberg: 2:12.76

The Competition: Imogen Barrett and Gabrielle Wilkinson will be among the top candidates to make the finals and score for Florida this weekend. Barrett brings the second-best mark in the conference upon racers entered in the 800 meters.

Wilkinson’s mark is sixth-best among entered competitors.

LSU’s Katy-Ann McDonald (2:00.98) and Michaela Rose (2:02.74) pose strong competition for Florida’s trio of runners. Texas A&M’s Avi’Tal Wilson Perteete and Mississippi State’s Sydney Steely are among the others to break under 2:04 during the regular season.

The top runner in each of the four heats along with the next five best times will meet in the final. All three of Florida’s runners are in separate heats.

The Team Race: The Gators could benefit from big points especially as the team race gets hotly contested down the stretch on Saturday night.

Florida got seven points from the event during the indoor season but with a more wide-open field, could see some more points come its way on Saturday.

Men’s 4×400 Relay | Saturday: 8:40 p.m. CT (Final)

Preview: The 4×400 relay is among the most entertaining events of every postseason meet. This year should be no exception, especially with a team title potentially on the line.

The Gators enter among the favorites, with a full lineup, after breaking the collegiate record in 2:58.53 at the Tom Jones Memorial.

The team of Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley and Champion Allison is the projected team to lineup for Florida but Anthony Brodie and Kemuel Santana will be among the pool of candidates to run as well.

Florida Athletes (SEC Rankings):

                1. Florida: 2:58.53

The Competition: Only 12 of the 13 men’s programs are fielding a relay team with Vanderbilt not having a men’s program and the host Rebels without an entry.

Florida will be in the fast heat alongside Georgia, LSU, Kentucky and Texas A&M. The Gators have the best time on paper with Texas A&M breaking 3:02.00 as well this year.

This will be the final event of the competition. Georgia beat Florida by .02 seconds during the SEC Indoor Championships.

A lot of this will come down to the health and availability of each team’s top runners. Many competitors will have run multiple races by that point.

The meet record set by LSU in 2016 (3:00.48) could be in serious jeopardy if teams line up their best squads on Saturday evening.

The Team Race: The impact of this race will depend on what the standings look like following 20 events. If the leader is ahead by more than 10 points, this race will be for pride.

But if the leader is within striking distance, this race could decide the SEC Outdoor Champion.

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Anna Hall Leads Heptathlon at USATF Combined Events Championships Through Four Events – Florida Gators

Anna Hall Leads Heptathlon at USATF Combined Events Championships Through Four Events - Florida Gators
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Florida heptathlete Anna Hall put up a pair of personal bests in the 100-meter hurdles (13.21) and the 200 meters (23.14) to take the lead through four events at the USATF Combined Events Championships on Friday evening.
 
The 3781 points that Hall scored on the first day of action is 21 more than she scored on the first day of the Texas Relays back in March, putting her on pace for a new personal record.
 
Hall got things started on Friday afternoon by laying down a big-time personal best of 13.21 (+1.8) in the 100-meter hurdles.
 
Her mark moves her into No. 9 all-time in Florida history in the 100-meter hurdles.
 
The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native cleared 1.76m/5-9.25 in the High Jump and threw 12.51/41-0.5 in the Shot Put to put her into fifth heading into the 200 meters, the final event of the day.
 
Hall kicked it into high gear to close out Friday’s action, running 23.14 in the 200 meters to take first, score 1065 points and move all the way into the lead after the conclusion of four events.
 
That mark of 23.14 is just one-hundredth of a second off the all-time collegiate best set in a Heptathlon 200 meters (23.13).
 
Hall’s outstanding performances in the hurdles and 200 meters ensured a first-day lead against the rest of the field.
 
She returns to action tomorrow to close out the competition with the Long Jump and the Javelin before ending with one of her premier events, the 800 meters.
 
Hall needs to finish in the Top 3, or in fourth with Kendell Williams in the top 3, to secure her spot on Team USA for this summer’s World Championships.
 
If she makes the American team, Hall will also need to secure the World Championships qualifying standard (6420) during this weekend or at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
 
Action in Fayetteville picks back up at 4:00 p.m. EST with the Long Jump and will run through the 800 meters at 6:15 p.m. EST tomorrow evening.
 
Heptathlon Standings (Through Four Events)
1. Anna Hall (3781)
2. Chari Hawkins (3750)
3. Michelle Atherley (3673)
4. Taliyah Brooks (3662)
5. Kendell Williams (3659)
                                                                                                                                                           
A complete list of results for the Gators is below.
 









Friday, May 6th: USATF Combined Events Championships
Event Place, Gators – Time / Mark | Notes
Heptathlon: 100mH    5. Anna Hall: 13.21 (+1.8) (1093) | Personal Best
Heptathlon: High Jump  4. Anna Hall: 1.76m/5-9.25 (928)
Heptathlon: Shot Put  6. Anna Hall: 12.51m/41-0.5 (695)
Heptathlon: 200m   1. Anna Hall: 23.14 (+1.2) (1065) | Personal Best

 
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