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SHAREWomen'sT&F Performs Well at Carolina Fast Times
The University of Florida women’s track and field team scored a 1-2-3 collegiate sweep in the weight throw invitational, and Erin Gilreath notched an NCAA automatic qualifying mark with her personal best throw of 68-03.00 in the event, which is third-best in school history, at the Carolina Fast Times meet hosted by the University of North Carolina Saturday. Several other Gators finished in the top five in the weight throw, shot put and pole vault.
Gilreath’s throw was a personal best by more than two feet, and she finished second overall to world-record holder Dawn Ellerbee.
“Overall I was really pleased,” said UF Associate Head Coach Larry Judge. “We had basically the top six throwers in the NCAA today, and I was really pleased with our collegiate sweep. All the athletes had solid performances, especially in this type of competition."
In the weight throw invitational, Erin Gilreath set a personal record and automatically qualified with a mark of 68-03.00, which is third best in school history. Jukina Dickerson finished fourth with a mark of 66- 09.25, and Kim Barrett followed with a fifth-place finish with a mark of 65-07.00, as both also automatically qualified. LaQuanda Cotten (62-03.25) and Merilyn Brown (61-09.50) were provisional qualifiers and rounded out Florida’s performances with their seventh and eighth place finishes, respectively. The Lady gators completed the 1-2-3 collegiate sweep of the invitational, as the first and third-place finishers competed unattached.
Senior Dore DeBartolo won the open weight throw with a personal-best mark of 60-00.50, followed by Rachel Longfors, who finished second with a mark of 58-07.50. Scarlett Ekeroma finished fourth (54-06.00), while Karen Freberg finished ninth (52-00.50).
In the shot put, Freberg finished second with her personal-best mark of 53-00.00, and the Lady Gators accounted for seven of the top 10 finishes in the event. Overall, Florida had eight of the top 12 finishers.
Andrea Salzano was the Gators’ top finisher in the pole vault with a height of 12-05.50, which is a personal record, while Chandra Lacombe and Stephanie Hood both tied for seventh place with a height of 11-11.75. Dara Altman (10th, 11-11.75), Jennifer LaPorte (12th, 11-05.75) and Amy Carr (20th, 10-06.00) rounded out the top 20 in the event.
The Gators return home for the Gator Invitational Sunday, Feb. 9, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
UF Wins: (1)
Dore DeBartolo- weight throw, 60-00.50
UF Automatic Qualifiers: (3)
Erin Gilreath – weight throw, 68-03.00; Jukina Dickerson – weight throw, 66-09.25; Kim Barrett – weight throw, 65-07.00
