Even though Florida’s track and field athletes only needed to crack the top 12 in each event to advance from the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, UF coach Mike Holloway didn’t let the Gators run on cruise control.
With 26 slots filled for the NCAA finals held in 10 days, Florida not only secured a throng of potential scorers to send to Des Moines, Iowa, it also sent a message with how it qualified.
“You can’t coast, you get yourself in trouble trying to be cute this time of year,” he said.
Over the three days in Bloomington, Ind., the Gators had seven top qualifying marks.
“We preach being ready at this time of year, the championship time of year, and so that’s what we’re doing now,” Holloway said.
“It’s not a surprise to anyone in this program or anybody associated with the program or knows us well. This is the time of the year that we look to excel.”
The No. 2 men’s team goes into the outdoor championships with 16 scoring opportunities — four more than it did in 2010 when it lost by one point to No. 1 Texas A&M.
Athletes like senior sprinter Terrell Wilks and jumpers Will Claye and Christian Taylor will be competing in multiple events.
UF’s heavy-hitters will have to balance the team’s goals with individual glory.
“The main idea I have is winning as much as I can,” Taylor said.
“But in the big scheme of things, it’s scoring as many points as I can towards that team title. So if I could get into many events, I can contribute. We’re all going for the national title.”
The top NCAA qualifier in the triple jump, Taylor will also bounce between competing in the long jump and running the second leg of the men’s 4x100 relay team.
With fellow jumper Omar Craddock failing to reach the finals after battling through a bruised heel, Taylor said it’s going to be difficult moving forward without the third piece of Florida’s heralded jumping trio.
“We’re a strong group and whether we’re winning or losing, we’re sticking together,” Taylor said. “And it’s important for him, and for us, to realize that this isn’t the end. We still have USAs and Omar is still going to be practicing with us.”
Holloway said the emphasis over the next week is to get the team rested up and mentally recharged to compete again for the fourth time in just over a month.
The No. 23 women’s squad also overcame a missed qualifier to close the weekend strong with eight slots filled for the finals.
In the final turn of the 400m run, freshman Ebony Eutsey made a rookie mistake, running outside her lane.
She was immediately disqualified after advancing to the semifinals.
As Holloway coached Eutsey through the learning experience, fellow underclassman Cory McGee immediately picked up the slack with a runner-up finish of 4:26.53 in the 1,500m.
“I think that some of the freshmen who came in this year, you look at Ebony, Darshay [Davis], Brittany [Harrell] and a few of us, we all just have attitudes where we get after it every day. … We’re definitely bringing something else to the table,” McGee said.
Florida had three freshmen athletes qualify along with junior Genevieve LaCaze, who tore through 3,000 meters of track, hurdles and water obstacles in the quickest time in UF history Friday for a fourth-place finish in the steeplechase.
