The UF men’s and women’s track and field teams showed their depth over the weekend by combining to win seven events at the UCF Black and Gold Challenge.
The meet opened the outdoor season for the Gators and gave several younger athletes a chance to compete. UF sent only a portion of the team, allowing many of the participants in last weekend’s NCAA Indoor National Championships a chance to recover.
In the men’s 800-meter race, the Gators finished first, second and third. Sean Obinwa won in 1:51:96, cutting off more than a second from his previous personal best. Ethan Philpot was next with a time of 1:52:30, and John Mitchell finished behind him in 1:54:12.
Jeremy Postin continued his strong freshman season by winning the hammer throw with a 56.90 meter toss. Fellow freshman David Triassi finished second in the event with a throw of 56.32 meters.
Florida placed three of the top four finishers in the men’s 400-meter dash. Senior Preston Wilson, who ran a leg in Florida’s 4x400 team in the indoor championships, won the event in 48.04 seconds. Senior Carlos Phillips, competing in his first meet in 2010, finished second in 48.08 while senior Jamaal Johnson finished fourth in 51.53.
Jarius Cooper added an event title for the Gators in the first competition of his junior season. He won the 110-meter hurdles with his in 14.26 with a 0.7 second deduction for wind.
The women’s 4x100 relay team won in 45.51 by just over a tenth of a second ahead of the host Knights. Senior Shara Proctor, who finished third in the long jump and triple jump at the indoor championships, ran the anchor leg behind Lanie Whittaker, Alishea Usery and Danielle Williams.
The Gator’s placed three athletes in the top four in the women’s pole vault, led by Junior Daisy Glasser’s first-place finish in 3.66 meters. Sophomore Claire Spurling finished third with a 3.51-meter jump and freshman Caitlin Schuessler finished fourth also in 3.51 meters, losing the tiebreaker to her teammate.
Freshman Alexis Muniz secured a first-place finish in the high jump with her 1.65-meter jump. It was just .05 meters better than teammate Rebecca Goldring, who finished third.
