There was not anyone coach Mike Holloway wanted to blame for the sub-par National Indoor Championships performance other than himself.
The Gators entered the championships as the top-ranked teams in the nation and could have become the first program to sweep the men’s and women’s titles since 2008, but they fell well short of that.
Instead, UF had to settle for two third-place finishes.
“As the head coach of the program, I have to put this one on my shoulders,” Holloway said.
“I have to get back to Gainesville, figure some things out and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Florida dodged a penalty at the Southeastern Conference Championships in the women’s 4x400-relay, which gave UF the title. But the UF men couldn’t avoid a mishap at nationals, costing them a chance to finish runner-up.
Florida sprinter Dedric Dukes and Texas A&M’s Gregory Coleman collided on the final turn of their 400-meter leg, causing Dukes to fall to the outer lanes and Coleman to drop the baton.
UF (impeded penalty) and TAMU (unsportsmanlike penalty) were both disqualified, leaving the Gators no chance at gaining points during the men’s last event.
The women shared a similar fate.
Because point-leader Georgia did not have anyone competing in the 4x4, Florida had a chance to wrap up a women’s title in the final event.
Florida finished last, allowing Oregon and Texas to jump above them in team standings.
After owning what seemed to be the entire indoor season, the Gators fell to a nadir they are not used to and concluded the indoor campaign on a stale note.
Most teams would be satisfied with a podium finish and leaving the heat of competition with some hardware, but Holloway and his program aren’t used to getting third place.
They expect better.
“I suppose a lot of people would be happy or satisfied with two top-three teams in the country,” Holloway said. “But that’s not what we’re about.
“We’re going to get back to work and get higher on that podium next time.”
Luckily for Florida, the Gators have a natural shot at redemption — the outdoor season, which begins Friday.
“At the end of the day, we have to find a way to make sure we flip that switch so our passion and intensity and pride will be better,” Holloway said.
“We can’t go backward. We have to move forward.”
Follow Lawrence Laguna on Twitter @LagunaLawrence
