Eric Futch and TJ Holmes are nearly interchangeable in the 400-meter hurdles. The duo regularly places in the top five for the event, in no particular order.
As if having Futch and Holmes wasn’t enough, throwing former Gator Kerron Clement into the mix created a three-headed monster in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals yesterday at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Clement, who ran track for Florida from 2004-2005, took first place with a time of 48.61 seconds, followed by Futch (48.63 seconds) at second and Holmes (48.98 seconds) at seventh.
Continuing its hot streak in the 400-meter hurdles, Florida also saw freshman Brandee’ Johnson win first place in the women’s 400-meter hurdles for the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships.
Three other Gator alumni competed as well. Tony McQuay, a student-athlete from 2010-2012, finished fifth in the men’s 400-meter finals behind a 44.51-second time.
Bridgett Owens (women’s 100-meter hurdles) and Claudia Francis (women’s 400-meter hurdles) both failed to advance past Saturday’s semifinals.
Freshman Grant Holloway (men’s 110-meter hurdles) and redshirt-senior Kyra Jefferson (women’s 200-meter) both qualified for today’s semifinal round. If they can make the cut in the semis, Holloway and Jefferson will compete in the finals later in the day.
Sophomore Darrielle McQueen took 10th place in the women’s long jump finals with a mark of 6.29 meters.
Johnson was joined by three other members of the 2017 roster in the Junior Championships.
Freshman Hannah Brookover took fourth place in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase finals with a time of 10:45.26.
Freshmen Juan Pacifico (fifth, 800-meter) and Marshall Dillon (eighth, 3000-meter steeplechase) were both top-10 in their finals yesterday.
Cory Poole, a member of the Gators’ class of 2017, was runner up in the Junior Championships 400-meter hurdles. The incoming freshman ran a time of 49.88 seconds.
Poole and Brandee’ Johnson both qualified in the 400-meter hurdles for July’s Pan American Junior Championships in Lima, Peru.
Day four kicks off at 3:10 p.m. for the Gators. Junior KeAndre Bates and former Gators Will Claye and Marquis Dendy are all long jump finalists.
Jefferson’s 200-meter semis at begin 3:20 p.m. while Holloway’s 110-meter hurdle semis are set for 4:04 p.m.
The 400-meter hurdles finals with Futch, Holmes and Clement begin at 4:56 p.m.
Should Jefferson and Holloway advance, the 200-meter finals start at 5:43 p.m. and the 110-meter hurdles finals start 10 minutes later.
Contact Andrew Huang at ahuang@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @AndrewJHuang.
UF hurdler Eric Futch races during the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 10, 2016, in Eugene, Oregon.
