Gators Tracks at NCAA

Wednesday marks the first day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The meet will occur over four days: The men will compete Wednesday and Friday while the women will compete Thursday and Saturday. This meet will take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The Gators men come into the NCAA Outdoor Championships ranked No. 6 while the women enter as No. 2. Florida has 16 entries on the women’s side which is a program record.

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Gators Men at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

The last time Florida brought home a first-place prize for the men’s outdoor nationals was in 2017. The men look to bring home the outdoor championship title this weekend.

Joseph Fahnbulleh took first place in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the NCAA East Prelims. Fahnbulleh anchors Florida’s 4×100 team as well.

Last year at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Fahnbulleh took home the first place title in the 200 meter. He has the opportunity to do so again this weekend.

Dedrick Vanover runs the 100 meter and is the leadoff for the 4 x 100 team. Vanover was the SEC Indoor Champion in the 60 meters and took second place in the 100 meters.

Florida’s other two 4×100 team members are Tyler Davis and PJ Austin.

Running in the 400 meters for the gator men will be, Ryan Willie, Jacory Patterson and Champion Allison.

Willie, Patterson and Allison will also run the 4×400. The third leg has not been set in stone yet. It is between Jacob Miley, Collin Sieffert and Kemuel Santana.

Florida broke the collegiate record in the event in 2:58.53 at the Tom Jones Memorial in April. This team consisted of of Patterson, Willie, Miley and Allison.

For the third time in his career, Mark Porter has qualified to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the Javelin.

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Gators Women at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

The Gators women are on a roll this season. In March, they secured the win at the NCAA Indoor Championship as well as the SEC Championship title in May.

The women look to bring home the outdoor championship title this weekend. The Gators could make history this weekend as this could possibly be the first Outdoor Championship win for the Florida women. It could also be the first time they win both titles in one season.

Anna Hall will be competing in the Heptathlon, the 400 meter hurdles and the 4×400

Sterling Lester was the Heptathlon SEC Outdoor Champion and will be competing in that event alongside Hall.

Jasmine Moore has the chance to go 8-for-8 in the horizontal jump this year (four conference, four national). This has never happened before in the history of the NCAA for women.

This will be Alissa Braxton‘s (Triple Jump) first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Natricia Hooper (Triple Jump) and Claire Bryant (Long Jump) were First Team All-Americans during the indoor season.

Vanessa Watson will run in the 400-meter hurdles. This will be Watson’s second straight year at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Talitha Diggs and Taylor Manson will run in the 400-meter for Florida.

Diggs has a good chance of becoming the NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 400 meters. Diggs took the NCAA Indoor Champion title this year in the 400 meters.

The Women’s 4×400 relay will include Diggs, Manson, Hall and Lester.

Gabrielle Wilkinson and Imogen Barrett will run in the 800 meter this weekend. The two have had a great season so far. At the SEC Outdoor Championships Wilkinson brought home the bronze and Barrett took gold.

During last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships, Wilkinson got third place in the 800 meters.

Thea Jensen will compete in the shotput for Florida.

Parker Valby took second place in 5000 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championship. Valby has the second-fastest qualifying time (15:29.07) to Eugene