For the third consecutive year, a University of Florida weight thrower won an NCAA Indoor title as Candice Scott claimed the second such championship of her career. After the first day of competition, the Florida women's team is tied for first place with 29 points, while the Gator men's team is tied for second place with 21 points.

"This was the best first day we've had in my 12 years at Florida, so I'm very, very pleased," said UF women's head track and field coach Tom Jones. "We've got a shot to win this thing. It's going to be fun. The throwers did an outstanding job. That was the most amazing competition I've seen in any event at any meet in my entire life. I can't be any more happy than I am right now."

Candice Scott claimed the second NCAA title of her career in the weight throw Friday with a mark of 23.05m/75-7.50. That winning mark set the NCAA collegiate record, NCAA meet record and Florida school record. Kim Barrett finished just behind Scott with a personal-best mark of 22.95m/75-3.50, which improves her second-place mark in UF history and also bettered the former NCAA meet record. Jukina Dickerson finished fifth with a mark of 21.85m/71-8.25, and LaQuanda Cotten finished sixth with a mark of 21.82m/71-7.25 to round out the scoring for the Gators. Also competing in the event were Rachel Longfors, who finished 12^th (19.30m/63-4.00) and Karen Freberg, who finished 15^th (18.37m/60-3.25).

Andrea Bliss earned an All-America honor with a fifth-place finish in the 60m hurdles, clocking in at 8.15 and scoring four points for the Gators. Bliss finished second in her heat of the 60m hurdles in a personal-best time of 8.14 to advance to the finals.

Kyle Farmer finished third in the finals of the 200m dash in a time of 20. 57. Three different athletes finished the finals with that time, and after it was broken down to the nearest one-thousandth, Kenneth Baxter of Purdue ran 20.561, Farmer ran 20.563 and Arizona State's Domenik Peterson clocked in at 20.566. With his mark in the finals, he improved his personal-best by .15 seconds and improved his second-place time in school history. Farmer advanced to the finals of the 200m dash with a qualifying time of 20.79 in the preliminaries.

Josh Walker finished third in the 60m hurdles, tying his own school record in the event in 7.67, to score six points for the Gators and earn the second-All-America honor of his career in the event. Walker won his heat of the 60m hurdles in the preliminary round to advance to the finals, clocking in at 7.70. Kerron Clement finished 17^th in 7.87 and Dwight Ruff finished 18^th in 7.95 in the preliminaries but did not advance to the finals.

In the high jump, Mike Morrison earned All-America honors and scored three points for the Gators with a sixth-place mark of 2.20m/7-2.50. Morrison was down to his last attempt at 2.17m/7-1.50 and cleared it to advance, eventually missing at 2.23m/7-3.75 to finish sixth. Joe Squittieri finished 13^th with a mark of 2.09m/6-8.75. Morrison added another All-America honor to his tally when he scored four points with a fifth-place finish in the long jump. His mark of 7.81m/25-7.50 is a personal-best and is the fifth-best mark in school history.

In the final scoring event of the night, Florida's men's distance medley relay finished seventh to add two points to the team's total. The team of Shane Stroup, Sekou Clarke, Moise Joseph and Steve Zieminksi finished in 9:35.53, which is an improvement on their fourth-best time in school history.

"I think we had another great day, The guys showed up and competed hard," said Florida men's track and field head coach Mike Holloway. "When you come into a meet like this, things are going to go wrong, but for us to be sitting with 21 points and tied for second - I don't think there are very many people that thought we could do that, but we thought we could. We're just going to do the same things we've been doing all year. We're going to line up and do our very best and let that computer score the points at the end of the meet."

In qualifying events on Friday, Kamille Bratton advanced to the finals of the 800m after finishing third in her heat and qualifying seventh overall in a time of 2:07.00. Novlene Williams won her heat of the 400m dash in 51.80 and qualified third overall, while Tiandra Ponteen clocked in at 52.32 to finish second in her heat and eighth overall, advancing to the finals.

Moise Joseph won his heat of the preliminaries of the 800m in 1:48.19 to advance to Saturday's final. Rickey Harris was the Gators' top qualifier in the men's 400m dash, finishing third in his heat and sixth overall in 46.34 to advance to the finals. Clement was right behind him in seventh after clocking 46.41. Reggie Witherspoon also competed in the event, finishing in 47.98 but did not make the finals.

The attendance for day one of the NCAA Indoor meet was 5,074 - the ninth-best attendance ever at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The NCAA Indoor Championships will conclude Saturday.

Men

1. Arkansas - 23

T2. Texas - 21

3. Purdue - 13

T5. UCLA - 11

T5. LSU - 11

T1. UCLA - 29

3. Georgia - 26

4. Nebraska - 23.50

T5. LSU - 16

T5. Stanford - 16

Women (1): Candice Scott - weight throw, 23.05m/75-7.50

Men (7 with 5 honors): Kyle Farmer - 200m dash, 20.57; Mike Morrison - high jump, sixth (2.20m/7-2.50), long jump, 7.81m/25-7.50; Josh Walker - 60m hurdles, third (7.67); DMR (Shane Stroup, Sekou Clarke, Moise Joseph, Steve Zieminski), 9:35.53

Women (5 with 5 honors): Kim Barrett - weight throw, second (22.95m/75-3.50); Andrea Bliss - 60m hurdles, LaQuanda Cotten - weight throw, sixth (21.82m/71-7.25); Jukina Dickerson - weight throw, fifth (21.85m/71-8.25); Candice Scott - weight throw, first (23.05m/75-7.50)

Men (3): Kerron Clement - 400m dash, 46.41; Moise Joseph - 800m, 1:48.19; Rickey Harris - 400m dash, 46.34

Women (3): Kamille Bratton - 800m, 2:07.00; Tiandra Ponteen - 400m dash, 52.32; Novlene Williams - 400m dash, 51.80