Track - The Independent Florida Alligator

Will and Samantha Palmer pose with their son Liam during the Gators' National Championship meet Friday, June 9, 2023 at Mike Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Sports

‘A testament to the athletes that have believed’: How Will Palmer has helped revamp Florida distance running

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | May 12

As Will Palmer now sits just over a month away from concluding his fourth track season at the helm of the Gators’ distance squad, he has fueled an overhaul of the program’s storied all-time lists that is nearly complete. Athletes coached by Palmer now own 15 of the 16 aforementioned records, with the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase proving to be the sole elusive mark.

Oussama Allaoui holds his medal during the 2026 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at RA "Murrary" Fasken '38 Indoor Track & Field at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas / UAA Communications photo by Dylan Cannella

Sports

Fasting while getting fast: How a 3:57 miler trains during Ramadan

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Mar. 23

When the sun set on March 19, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ended. For Florida freshman distance runner Oussama Allaoui, it symbolized not just the fulfillment of the fourth pillar of Islam, called “sawm,” but also a return to a normal training regimen after just over four weeks of daily fasting.

Florida distance runner Claire Stegall runs in the women’s 1000 during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

Florida women complete bounce-back indoor season with fifth-place finish at NCAA Championships

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Mar. 14

A resurgent season for the Florida women’s track and field team reached its conclusion Saturday night in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Florida Relays at the University of Florida on Saturday, April 5th, 2025.

Sports

Gators sprinters shine as men finish third in NCAA Indoor Championships

By Logan McBride | Mar. 14

Behind blistering runs from Justin Braun and Wanya McCoy, Florida’s sprint squad delivered one of its strongest showings of the season.

Florida sprinter Jayden Horten-Mims competes in the men’s 300 meter dash during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

The Gators’ path to glory: Event-by-event preview of Florida’s 19 entries for the NCAA Indoor Championships

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Mar. 12

The 2026 indoor season for Florida track and field has already gone significantly better than last year. If 10-spot improvements for the men’s and women’s teams at the SEC Indoor Championships – resulting in the ninth indoor title in program history for the women – weren’t evidence enough, the startlists for the NCAA Indoor Championships tell the story of a resurgent program.

Florida sprinter Sydney Sutton competes in the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

Sydney Sutton targets big day at Nationals after breakout SEC Championships performance

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Mar. 10

She placed fourth in the 400-meter final, covering two laps of the track in 51.46 seconds and earning five points towards Florida’s eventual conference title. Sutton’s performance marked the first time she had broken the 52-second barrier indoors and shaved nearly a full second off her day-old personal best of 52.27.

Sports

From 11th to first: Florida women complete turnaround, claim 2026 SEC Indoor Championship

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 28

Saturday night, when the Gators walk out the doors of the Fasken Indoor Track and Field Facility at Texas A&M, they’ll do so with their heads held high, only weighed down by a trophy in their arms and an abundance of medals around their necks.

Florida distance runner Miguel Pantojas runs in the men’s 1000 during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

Distance podiums lead Florida men to fourth at SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships

By Logan McBride | Feb. 28

Multiple podium finishes in the distance events kept Florida competitive at the men’s SEC Indoor Championships, but the Gators’ efforts were only enough for fourth in the final team standings.

Sports

SEC Indoor Championships Preview: How the Gators stack up with one weekend left to qualify for Nationals

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 25

For the first of four occasions in 2026, the Florida track and field teams will be toeing the line with championships up for grabs this weekend at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships. With one weekend left for the national lists to solidify themselves, here’s how the Gators stack up and what that means for Florida’s SEC Championship pursuits in College Station.

Sports

Florida freshman Claire Stegall readies historic kick for postseason racing

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 24

Racing the mile at the BU Valentine Invitational, Claire Stegall covered just over eight laps of the notoriously bouncy track in 4:25.91.

Jade Brown is a junior sprinter from Coral Springs, Florida. She spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Arizona before transferring to Florida for the 2025-26 season.

Sports

How coming home has propelled Jade Brown to success on the track

By Logan McBride | Feb. 23

Junior sprinter Jade Brown transferred to Florida during the 2025 summer portal window, a decision that centered around more than just the school. For Brown, Florida offered a chance to compete for a prestigious program and return home to the state she grew up in.

Florida jumper Luke Stradley competes in the men’s long jump during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

How Temoso Masikane, Luke Stradley and Nicolas Crosswhite are keeping Florida’s long jump pedigree thriving

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 20

Through the first three meets of 2026, the freshman trio of Temoso Masikane, Luke Stradley and Nicolas Crosswhite have proven that Florida’s prowess on the runway isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Kelvin Cheruiyot runs during the Gans Creek Classic cross country meet on Friday, September 26, 2025 at Missouri in Columbia, Miz. / UAA Communications photo by Dylan Cannella

Sports

Gators runners rewrite record books across the nation

By Logan McBride | Feb. 14

The Florida Gators stretched their success across three time zones this weekend, posting historic marks in three different states. While the bulk of the squad returned to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Tyson Invitational, other Florida runners clocked in performances out west in Seattle and up north in Boston on Feb. 13–14.

Florida thrower Imani Washington competes in the women’s weight throw during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

Florida throwers go 3-for-3 on season’s bests at Celebration Pointe

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 6

Imani Washington, John Luke Witte and Alida van Daalen all came away with impressive season’s bests at the small-scale Visit Gainesville Indoor Classic on Friday.

Florida distance runner Riley Smith (left) races in the men’s 1000 during the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Sports

Riley Smith’s journey to a sub-four-minute mile

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Feb. 5

Six months ago, Riley Smith underwent two abdominal surgeries to remove his gallbladder and repair an umbilical hernia. On Saturday, the Gainesville native became the third Gator to ever break the four-minute barrier in the mile.

Sports

Gators distance runners shine in Arkansas Invitational

By Logan McBride | Jan. 31

The Gators opened their 2026 indoor track road slate in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Florida’s distance runners turned in a standout weekend.

Sports

How Florida track and field’s newcomers are helping to restore a program’s pride

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Jan. 29

In 2025, Mike Holloway said Florida track and field “lost our pride.” Through the first two meets of 2026, a large and talented class of newcomers is helping to restore it.

Sports

Florida track and field busts the rust with 13 wins in season opener

By Logan McBride and Paul Hof-Mahoney | Jan. 16

Florida track and field locked up 13 event wins in its indoor season opener in Gainesville. The Gators dominated distance races and field events, led by Claire Stegall’s historic kilometer.

The Gators celebrate a victory during the NCAA Regionals cross country meet on Friday, November 14, 2025 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. / UAA Communications photo by Dylan Cannella

Sports

Florida cross country takes penultimate step in historic season with wins at NCAA South Regionals

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Nov. 14

Everything went according to plan for the Florida cross country teams at the NCAA South Regional on Nov. 14, as the women’s team and freshman men’s standout Kelvin Cheruiyot qualified for nationals.

During the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Regionals on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / UAA Communications photo by Jordan Perez

Sports

Dropping down to level up: Inside Gabby Matthews’ successful switch to the 200 meters

By Paul Hof-Mahoney | Nov. 14

For many children living in track and field-obsessed Jamaica, wearing the nation’s iconic green, black and gold kit on the global stage is their dream from the first time they lace up a pair of spikes.