Returning from a foot injury suffered during football season, Jeff Demps proved he still really fast.
On Friday at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet, Demps won the 60-meter dash in 6.57 seconds, qualifying for the national meet by posting the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
“Nothing Jeff does surprises us anymore,” Gators head coach Mike Holloway said.
Demps wasn’t the only winner, as Florida got off to a great start during its first day in Blacksburg, Va., winning three events and recording 10 top-five finishes.
Will Claye and Lanie Whitaker joined Demps in capturing victories for the Gators.
Whitaker, a sophomore sprinter, won the women’s 400-meter dash with a time of 54.11 seconds, her second consecutive victory in the 400-meter race at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet.
“I was very impressed with the way Lanie won her race today,” Holloway said “She was very patient. We’ve been talking with her about running a smoother race and she did a good job of that tonight.”
Claye, who qualified for the national meet in the triple jump at last weekend’s Texas A&M Challenge, won the men’s long jump with a mark of 7.45m/24-5.50 in his final jump.
In addition to UF’s three winners, weight throwers David Triassi and Jeremy Postin recorded personal-best scores.
Triassi (20.14m/66-1) and Postin (20.0m/65-7.50) finished third and fourth in the men’s weight throw, posting the second and third-best weight throw marks in school history.
The Virginia Tech Elite Meet will resume Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
