The Florida Relays, established in 1939, is one of two events the Gators will host on the Percy Beard Track at Pressly Stadium during the outdoor season. But the venue doesn’t matter too much to UF track and field coach Mike Holloway.
“If we put our spikes on and put our uniforms on and there’s a gun, we’re going to be excited about it,” Holloway said. “Being in the Florida Relays is fun because we’re at home, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re competing.”
When the Gators suit up for the Florida Relays today, much of the No. 1 men’s team will be competing for the first time since it captured its second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship.
“This is where it starts for all of us,” junior Will Claye said. “The team wants to win another title, so we’ve got to get some work done this weekend.”
Claye, whose efforts in the triple jump and long jump earned Florida 18 points at the national indoor meet, is hoping the team’s success can translate to the outdoor season.
“Obviously, our indoor season was successful, but we want our outdoor season to be even more successful,” Claye said. “If we stay humble and healthy, everything will take care of itself.”
Considering how the Gators’ last two national championship runs turned out, even the smallest contribution from Claye will prove to be valuable.
The men have placed second at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for two consecutive seasons, losing by a combined three points.
“We don’t have any plans of trying to pick up another silver trophy,” Holloway said. “We’ve done enough of that around here.”
UF missed out on taking home the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championship by one point, finishing behind Texas A&M, but was in position to win thanks partly to the efforts of jumper Christian Taylor.
Taylor, the defending outdoor national triple-jump champion, placed second to Claye at the national indoor meet this season.
“We’ve got to feed off of (back-to-back second-place finishes),” Taylor said. “Nobody wants to be No. 2 — that’s the first loser. We have a championship on our mind.”
One of the athletes the Gators will look to for a boost this outdoor season will be thrower Jeremy Postin, who set a school record in the hammer throw at the UCF Invitational last weekend.
While Postin’s throw (64.70m/212-3) was a UF record, it may not have been his best.
Postin said he “warmed up a little better” than he competed, and Holloway believes the senior is capable of performing at a higher level.
“All of the hard work that he put in indoors and leading up to outdoors showed immediate results,” throws coach Steve Lemke said. “We are expecting big things from him this season.”
