Lloydricia Cameron stood inside Texas A&M’s Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium ready for her chance to win the first SEC indoor title of her collegiate career.
Locked into position with the shot in her hand, the senior threw it, and by less than an inch, she won.
UF’s No. 2 men’s and No. 8 women’s track and field teams completed Day 1 at the 2018 Indoor SEC Championships on Saturday in College Station, Texas. The men racked up a total of 30.5 points and sit at the top of the leaderboard after the first day, and the women, with 29 points, are at third.
Cameron secured Florida’s only finals win of the day and the Gators’ first SEC shot put title since 2010 with her season-best mark of 17.65 meters. Her throw also eclipsed her personal best mark by 18 centimeters.
Cameron is now tied for fourth on UF’s All-Time Indoor Top Ten List.
Amanda Froeynes took bronze in her first SEC indoor championship meet. The freshman from Tonsberg, Norway, finished third overall in the women’s pentathlon, while fellow teammate Nikki Stephens came in seventh. The duo contributed eight points to the women’s Day 1 total.
Froeynes will also return to compete in the women’s high jump on Sunday.
Senior Darrielle McQueen tied her personal record (6.51meters) in the women’s long jump earning bronze. McQueen’s mark was also good for No. 2 on UF’s All-Time Indoor Top 10 list.
In the same event, junior Yanis David’s personal-best mark of 6.49 meters earned her a fourth-place finish.
On the men’s side, UF’s weight throwers were responsible for 15 of the Gators’ 30.5 points on Day 1.
Redshirt junior AJ McFarland’s throw of 21.72 meters was good for a third-place bronze finish.
Right behind McFarland were freshman Thomas Mardal in fourth (21.36) and sophomore Anders Eriksson in fifth (21.17, personal best).
In the men’s high jump, redshirt junior Jhonny Victor and sophomore Clayton Brown added 8.5 more points, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Both jumpers recorded season-best marks of 2.18 meters.
Sophomore Grant Holloway and Senior KeAndre Bates, both members of this season’s Bowerman Watch List, finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in the men’s long jump. Their performances added seven more points for the Gators to bring the men’s total to 30.5.
Saturday’s remaining events consisted of preliminary races in which athletes competed to qualify for day two of the SEC indoor Championships.
Some Gators who advanced to finals in their races include:
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Grant Holloway (men’s 60-meter hurdles)
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Brandee’ Johnson (women’s 60-meter hurdles)
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Michael Timpson Jr (men’s 60-meter dash)
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Jack Guyton (men’s mile)
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Elisabeth Bergh (women’s mile)
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Kunle Fasasi (men’s 400-meter dash)
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Sharrika Barnett (women’s 400-meter dash)
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Taylor Manson (women’s 400-meter dash)
Follow Alanis Thames on Twitter @alanisthames and contact her at athames@alligator.org.
Senior Lloydricia Cameron competed in Day 1 of the 2018 Indoor SEC Championships on Saturday in College Station, Texas.
