If history is any indication, the Gators men’s track and field team should definitely capture an NCAA Outdoor Championship next season.
A year after finishing in second place, two points behind the eventual champions, the Gators came that much closer to immortality, finishing second, just one point behind the NCAA Outdoor Champions Texas A&M.
While the UF men just fell short, the women’s team used a remarkable final day to also finish in the top-three of the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Florida’s men placed second overall with 54 team points, while the women’s team, behind just seven athletes, finished in third place with 40 team points.
“I am extremely proud of our team today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said.
“For both our programs to finish in the top three is a great accomplishment. I have to give credit to my staff for their hard work and diligence. For our women to come in here with seven athletes and place third is a great accomplishment. On the men’s side, obviously we’re disappointed. We want to be national champions, but the bottom line is, we can’t allow it to come down to the last event. We were within two points last year and one point this year, so we’re getting closer. Now, we have 365 days from this point to get ready to come back and fight for the NCAA title.”
While Texas A&M claimed both the men and women’s national titles, several Gators still put on a show.
Charlotte Browning won the women’s 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:15.84, and Evelien Dekkers won the women’s javelin with a school-record toss of 59 meters. Dekkers shattered her own personal-record throw and became the first women’s javelin champion in school history.
The men’s 4x100-meter relay team successfully defended its NCAA title, winning the race behind a strong quartet, anchored by 100-meter champion Jeff Demps. The 4x100-meter relay team won the race with a time of 39.04.
In all, the Gators concluded the 2010 NCAA Championships winning six individual titles.
