Marquis Dendy continues to prove why he was named to The Bowerman Trophy Preseason Watch List.
At the Razorback Invitational, the senior jumper led the No. 2 Gators’ men’s track and field team to a second-place overall finish in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after winning both of his individual events.
Following an NCAA top-five effort in his triple jump victory at last week’s Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational, Dendy rode the momentum into the Randal Tyson Track Center to claim another triple jump title at the Razorback Invite, scoring a 15.78-meter jump.
In the long jump, Dendy put on a performance that made him the NCAA leader in the event with an 8.02-meter leap — the only jump to eclipse eight meters in 2015.
On the women’s side, the top-ranked Gators came out of the gates flying, as senior Brittany Harrell finished Florida’s first event — the pentathlon — in second place.
Harrell’s performance earned her squad eight team-points en route to a runner-up overall finish for the UF women.
Her effort included a second-place finish in the 800-meter run, in which she set a personal record with a 2:12.87 finish.
With Dendy’s and Harrell’s wins included, the Gators notched seven event victories — including two that set the best marks in the country — and 11 personal records.
Junior sprinter Kyra Jefferson set the nation’s fastest time in the 200-meter run (23.06), while junior sprinter Najee Glass marked a world’s best time in 400-meter run (45.34).
Senior jumper Ciarra Brewer, junior sprinter Shayla Sanders and junior mid-distance runner Ryan Schnulle took the women’s triple jump, women’s 60-meter dash and men’s 800 run, respectively.
Coach Mike Holloway praised his teams for their performance, considering the type of competition they faced.
The field consisted of 17 ranked teams, including host and winner of both the men’s and women’s meet No. 3/5 Arkansas.
"I’m very proud of the team as a whole this weekend. I thought we did a great job of stepping up and matching the intensity of the other schools in the building," Holloway said.
The Gators will go back on the road on Friday when they go to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Virginia Tech Elite.
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
Marquis Dendy competes at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 23, 2013, in Fayetteville, Ark.
