The University of Florida track and field team posted six event victories on Saturday and finished the 65th-Annual Pepsi Florida Relays with nearly 40 NCAA regional-qualifying marks over the two-day period at James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.

 

The Gators turned in 19 NCAA regional-qualifying marks on Saturday to give them a total of 39 for the weekend. Florida recorded numerous personal-best marks and times in nearly every event during the meet.

 

“I thought we were phenomenal this weekend,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “We had almost 40 regional-qualifiers and that’s just unbelievable. I thought our team showed a lot of maturity this weekend – they just came out and did their jobs. I think this weekend did a lot for our confidence in terms of them being able to see how good they actually are. What you saw out here today in the meet is just a result of the things we are doing everyday in practice.”

 

The Florida men’s 4x400-meter relay team of R.J. Anderson (Big Pine Key, Fla.), Calvin Smith (Lutz, Fla.), Carlos Phillips (Winter Park, Fla.) and Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) capped off the evening with the sixth-fastest time in school history of 3:02.84, an NCAA regional-qualifying time.

 

The men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Jeremy Hall (Jacksonville, Fla.), Smith, Terrell Wilks (New Haven, Conn.) and Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.) finished first in a regional-qualifying time of 39.22 in its first outing of the 2009 campaign.

 

“That’s really no surprise to us,” Holloway said. “We have a lot of talented athletes and we expect to win those relays every time out. We’re pleased with our time today, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

 

Each of Florida’s three competitors in the men’s javelin recorded NCAA regional-qualifying marks, led by freshman Ben Davies (Franklin, Tenn.), who shattered the Gators’ freshman record in that event with a throw of 226-4/68.98. Davies, competing in his first collegiate meet, recorded the fourth-best javelin toss in school history and broke Will Mizell’s freshman school record of 193-2/58.89m, set on May 28, 1998.

 

Mario Ariet (Gainesville, Fla.) turned in a personal-best and regional-qualifying throw of 223-5/68.11m in the men’s javelin, while Doug Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) also had a personal-best and regional-qualifying toss of 217-3/66.22m.

 

Sophomore thrower Kemal Mesic (Sarajevo, Bosnia) registered the second-best men’s shot put throw in school history with a regional-qualifying mark of 63-9/19.43m en route to winning the event. Fellow thrower Beau Burroughs (Tampa, Fla.) finished sixth in the event, also with an NCAA regional-qualifying mark of 157-8/48.05.

 

Junior Evelien Dekkers (Etten-Leur, Netherlands) captured the women’s javelin at the Pepsi Florida Relays for the second consecutive year. Dekkers recorded a regional-qualifying mark of 157-8/48.05.

 

Smith captured the men’s 200-meter dash in a time of 20.68 (+1.2), followed by Wilks, who was second in the event in a provisional-qualifying time of 20.72 (+1.2). Smith was the recipient of the William W. “Billy” Richardson Memorial Track Scholarship, given to the most outstanding junior track and field member as determined by the head coach.

 

Junior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) recorded a personal-best throw of 59-2.25/18.04m to finish as the top collegian in the women’s shot put. It marked the first time in her career that she has thrown better than 18 meters. Each of the three Gators that participated in the event recorded personal bests and NCAA regional-qualifying marks, as Keely Medeiros (Luziana, Brazil) was fifth with a throw of 52-3.75/15.94m, while freshman Fidela James (Jacksonville, Fla.) was sixth with a toss of 49-6.25/15.09m.

 

Junior jumper Shara Proctor (The Valley, Anguilla), who posted an NCAA provisional-qualifying time in the women’s long jump on Friday, also qualified regionally in the triple jump with a leap of 42-1.25/12.83m, to finish second in the event.

 

Freshmen sprinters Madison McNary (Clearwater, Fla.) and Alishea Usery (St. Louis, Mo.) each notched NCAA regional-qualifying times in the women’s 200m. McNary finished in 23.88, while Usery was 10^th in 23.96.

 

McNary and Usery joined Danielle Williams (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.) for the women’s 4x100m relay, which was sixth overall in a time of 45.30.

 

Florida returns to action on April 18, when it travels to Auburn, Ala., to participate in the one-day Auburn Invitational.

 

The University of Florida is home of the 2009 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. For all of the latest information on Gator Track and Field, log on to www.GatorZone.com.

 

PEPSI FLORIDA RELAYS – APRIL 3-4, 2009 (GAINESVILLE, FLA.)

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009

 

Men’s Javelin – 11:30 a.m. EST (RQS: 61.60m)

1. Ben Davies – 226-4/68.98m R

2. Mario Ariet – 223-5/68.11m R

4. Doug Nelson – 217-3/66.22m R

 

Men’s Shuttle Hurdle Relay – 12:15 p.m. EST

2. Florida – 55.33

          -Kallinka Pitt, Dennis Martin, William Wynne, Jarius Cooper

 

Women’s Javelin – 1:30 p.m. EST (RQS: 43.45m)

1. Evelien Dekkers – 157-8/48.05 R

 

Women’s Triple Jump – 1:30 p.m. EST (RQS: 12.32m)

2. Shara Proctor – 42-1.25/12.83m (-0.4) R

11. Michelle Jenije – 38-10.25/11.84m (NWI)

 

Men’s Pole Vault – 2:30 p.m. EST (RQS: 5.05m)

T4. Justin Semeyn – 16-6.75/5.05m R

T4. Eric Foran – 16-6.75/5.05m R

17. Ryan Troy – 14-9/4.50m

 

Women’s 4x100m Relay – 3:10 p.m. EST (RQS: 45.70)

6. Florida – 45.30 R

-Madison McNary, Alishea Usery, Danielle Williams, Ije Iheoma

 

Men’s 4x100m Relay – 3:25 p.m. EST (RQS: 40.66)

1. Florida – 39.22 R

          -Jeremy Hall, Calvin Smith, Terrell Wilks, Jeff Demps

 

Women’s Discus – 3:30 p.m. EST (RQS: 47.30m)

3. Keely Medeiros – 151-5/46.15m

 

Women’s 200m – 4:10 p.m. EST (RQS: 23.96)

7. Madison McNary – 23.88 (+1.7) R

10. Alishea Usery – 23.96 (NWI) R

19. Danielle Williams – 24.80 (+1.7)

 

Men’s 200m – 4:20 p.m. EST (RQS: 21.35)

1. Calvin Smith – 20.68 (+1.2) R

2. Terrell Wilks – 20.70 (+1.2) R

 

Women’s 5,000m – 4:30 p.m. EST (RQS: 16:52.00)

12. Ali Crabb – 18:22.12

 

Men’s 5,000m – 4:55 p.m. EST (RQS: 14:12.00)

4. Aaron Kindt – 14:56.72

5. Alex Schanen – 14:58.95

8. Matt Hensley – 15:03.81

9. Michael Anderson – 15:04.27

Women’s Shot Put – 5:45 p.m. EST (RQS: 14.30m)

2. Mariam Kevkhishvili – 59-2.25/18.04m R

5. Keely Medeiros – 52-3.75/15.94m R

6. Fidela James – 49-6.25/15.09m R

 

Men’s Shot Put – 5:45 p.m. EST (RQS: 16.80m)

1. Kemal Mesic – 63-9/19.43m R

6. Beau Burroughs – 57-0/17.37m R

 

Men’s 4x400m Relay – 6:55 p.m. EST (RQS: 3:10.00)

1. Florida “A” – 3:02.84 R

-R.J. Anderson, Calvin Smith, Carlos Phillips, Christian Taylor

12. Florida “B” – 3:12.26

-Preston Wilson, Lamarr Davis, Ethan Philpot, Jamaal Johnson

 

NCAA REGIONAL-QUALIFYING MARKS (19)

• Mario Ariet – Men’s Javelin – 223-5/68.11m R
• Beau Burroughs – Men’s Shot Put - 57-0/17.37m R
• Ben Davies – Men’s Javelin – 226-4/68.98m R
• Evelien Dekkers – Women’s Javelin – 157-8/48.05 R
• Eric Foran – Men’s Pole Vault – 16-6.75/5.50 R
• Fidela James – Women’s Shot Put – 49-6.25/15.09m R
• Mariam Kevkhishvili – Women’s Shot Put – 59-2.25/18.04m R
• Madison McNary – Women’s 200m – 23.88 (+1.7) R
• Keely Medeiros – Women’s Shot Put – 52-3.75/15.94m R
• Kemal Mesic – Men’s Shot Put - 63-9/19.43m R
• Doug Nelson – Men’s Javelin – 217-3/66.22m R
• Shara Proctor – Women’s Triple Jump – 42-1.25/12.8m (-0.4) R
• Justin Semeyn – Men’s Pole Vault – 16-6.75/5.50m R
• Calvin Smith – Men’s 200m – 20.68 (+1.2) R
• Alishea Usery – Women’s 200m - 23.96 (NWI) R
• Terrell Wilks – Men’s 200m – 20.70 (+1.2) R
• Men’s 4x100m Relay – 39.22 R (Hall, Smith, Wilks, Demps)
• Women’s 4x100m Relay – 45.30 R (McNary, Al. Usery, Williams, Iheoma)
• Men’s 4x400m Relay – 3:02.84 R (R. Anderson, Smith, Phillips, Taylor)

 

FLORIDA EVENT VICTORIES (6)

• Ben Davies – Men’s Javelin – 226-4/68.98m R

• Evelien Dekkers – Women’s Javelin – 157-8/48.05 R
• Kemal Mesic – Men’s Shot Put - 63-9/19.43m R
• Calvin Smith – Men’s 200m – 20.68 (+1.2) R
• Men’s 4x100m Relay – 39.22 R (Hall, Smith, Wilks, Demps)
• Men’s 4x400m Relay – 3:02.84 R (R. Anderson, Smith, Phillips, Taylor)

 

END OF REPORT