Taylor Burke reached new heights on Saturday.
The sophomore jumper broke Florida’s 21-year-old record in the women’s high jump at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. Clearing a height of 1.86m, Burke surpassed Maria Galloni’s record of 1.85m set at the 1992 Southeastern Conference Championships.
“Taylor was really fun to watch today,” coach Mike Holloway said. “She’s really getting into a rhythm, and I think she’s been working well with coach (Mellanee) Welty to get ready for performances like this.”
At both the Virginia Tech Elite Meet and Husky Classic in Seattle on Friday and Saturday, the Gators placed in nearly every event they competed in and notched 12 victories.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone,” Holloway said. “Lately, I feel like we’ve been too focused on running fast, jumping far (and) throwing far. We challenged our athletes to be focused and really think about executing.”
Sophomore jumper Marquis Dendy posted a NCAA best for 2013 in the men’s long jump with a distance of 7.99m on Friday. Along with Dendy, sprinters Eddie Lovett and Kyra Jefferson each set personal records on Friday, winning the men’s 60m hurdles and women’s 60m dash, respectively.
“I’m incredibly pleased with Marquis, Eddie and Kyra tonight,” Holloway said. “Eddie and Kyra [set personal records], and Marquis jumped the best he’s jumped all year. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The Gators will compete in the 2013 SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on Feb. 22-24. Despite Florida’s 12 wins during the weekend, Holloway stressed to his team the importance of moving on.
“We need to refocus and not rest on what we did tonight,” Holloway said. “We need to focus on execution and competing with the emphasis on technicality. We’re looking to go out there, compete and truly get better as we head into the championship portion of our season.”
In last season’s SEC Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky., the women won the title, and the men finished second.
“The season starts now,” Holloway said. “We have to go back to Gainesville and keep working hard, stay healthy and focused and make sure we taper and rest. We’ll do everything possible to be at our best in Fayetteville.”
