Sophomore Taylor Burke hopes to continue her torrid pace heading into the 2013 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark.
Two weeks ago, Burke broke a 21 year-old school record in the high jump at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. Clearing a height of 1.86m, Burke surpassed Maria Galloni’s mark of 1.85m set at the 1992 Southeastern Conference Championships.
“Confidence-wise, that was definitely a big boost for me,” Burke said of her record- breaking performance. “It was good to have the week before SEC’s.”
Burke and the rest of the women hope for a repeat performance of last year’s Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships when they won the league crown in Lexington, Ky.
The men, on the other hand, were runners up to Arkansas, the host of this year’s Southeastern Conference and NCAA Indoor Championships.
Underclassmen have keyed both the men's and women's teams this season. One youngster leading the way for the Gators is sophomore jumper Marquis Dendy.
“We’ve got Marquis Dendy who’s coming around and realizing the talent we saw in him as a high-schooler,” coach Mike Holloway said.
Upperclassmen junior hurdler Eddie Lovett and seniors Omar Craddock (jumps) and Jeremy Postin (weight throw) have also been significant contributors for Florida.
“We’ve got guys like Omar Craddock and Jeremy Postin, who’ve really stepped up their game the last couple of years,” Holloway said. “Eddie Lovett is Eddie Lovett. He’s been doing a great job.”
In preparation for championship meets like this weekend's at Arkansas, practices are generally lighter for Florida.
“We train hard through the heart of the season,” Holloway said. “I’m a firm believer that we’ve got to learn to compete hard when we’re tired. When we freshen up, we’ll have a bigger performance.”
The primary goal in having lighter practices leading up to championship meets is to have the athletes completely fresh and full of vim and vigor.
“Our practices are a little lighter and a little less demanding (heading into the championships),” Burke said. “It’s just more relaxed. We need to do whatever we need to do to feel good whenever we get there.”
Earlier this season, the Gators competed at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., — the same venue for the upcoming SEC Indoor Championships. There, the Gators women earned a title and the men finished as runners-up to the hosting Razorbacks.
Florida plans to use its experience at the Randal Tyson Track Center to its advantage.
“I know a lot of the SEC schools try to go to wherever SEC's or NCAA's are going to be,” Burke said. “It definitely helps us that we’ve been there before.”
Holloway has a slightly different perspective.
“Arkansas practices there everyday,” he said. “If anybody has a leg up, it’s them.”
The No. 2 ranked men’s team faces a bevy of ranked opponents including, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 1 Arkansas.
The sixth- ranked women, too, have stiff competition waiting in Fayetteville including the likes of No. 3 Arkansas and No. 1 LSU.
“Anybody that’s on this roster, anybody of the 27 men and 27 women we take to the meet, gets high expectations,” Holloway said. “We expect great things. We don’t breed mediocrity around here.”
Throwers coach Steve Lemke (left) and coach Mike Holloway walk across the field at Percy Beard Track at Pressly Stadium during the 2012 Florida Relays. Seventeen Gators qualified Sunday for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which are set to begin June 5.
