Kyren Hollis curled his fingers around his black baton as his arms pumped faster and faster. Kentucky’s sprinter was on his heels threatening to snatch the lead from the junior as the two approached the finish line almost simultaneously.
Hollis forced his head in front of the rest of his body as his opponent did the same, and the momentum from the lean caused Hollis to tumble forward, where he laid on the ground with his limbs stretched out.
The dive made the difference in the men’s sprint medley relay race where UF’s team of Hollis, juniors Ryan Clark and Michael Timpson Jr. and freshman Benjamin Lobo Vedel bested Kentucky’s grouping by one one-thousandth of a second.
The race closed out Day 1 of Florida track and field’s last meet before the start of championship season.
The Gators traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to join 19 other ranked track programs at the National Relay Championships with several of UF’s athletes either chasing or hoping to improve on their NCAA East Preliminary qualifying times and marks.
Three of Florida’s women competed in the 400-meter on Friday, and they all finished in the top ten.
Junior Sharrika Barnett, who is the No. 2-ranked quarter-miler in the country, won her heat in 51.50 to take first place overall in the event. Sophomore Taylor Manson (ranked No. 12) crossed the line not too far behind Barnett, finishing third in 52.26. Manson’s time was a personal best, and it moved her up to 11th in the nation. Senior Taylor Sharpe rounded at the trio with a 53.76 time, good enough for ninth place.
On the men’s side, three more UF quarter-milers recorded top-ten finishes. Junior Kunle Fasasi (No. 13) placed the highest out of the Gators’ men with his time of 46.31, good for fifth place. Vedel (No. 22) and freshman Chantz Sawyers (tied for No.11) finished seventh and ninth, respectively.
Another freshman, Hakim Sani Brown, won the men’s 200-meter with a time of 20.64, which ties the No. 24 time in the NCAA.
Clark and Timpson Jr. took third and fifth, respectively, in the men’s 100. Clark finished in 10.30, and Timpson Jr. finished just after in 10.33.
Sophomore Justin Pacifico competed in the men’s 800 meter and took third in the event with a personal-record time of 1:49.39.
Sophomore Brandee’ Johnson returned to the women’s 400-meter hurdles -- where she finished in second place two weeks ago at the Tom Jones Memorial -- with a fifth-place time of 58.73.
And for the men, freshman Cory Poole finished fourth (50.68) in a 400-meter hurdles race that saw former Gator Eric Futch, who is the No. 10-ranked 400-meter hurdler in collegiate history, take second place with a time of 50.22.
In the field events, a couple of UF’s jumpers recorded season-best marks.
Reigning outdoor national champion KeAndre Bates finished second in the men’s long jump invitational at 7.87 meters, topping his best mark of the season by 9 centimeters. The senior’s mark was also good enough for 14th best in the country. Sophomore Grant Holloway finished in sixth place in the same event.
Senior Darrielle McQueen recorded two season bests in the long jump invitational on Friday. McQueen’s top mark came on her sixth attempt, where she jumped for 6.54 meters to earn a second place finish in the event. Junior Yanis David, who is the third-ranked long jumper in the NCAA this season, finished third with a top mark of 6.33 meters.
Day 2 of the National Relay Championships will feature UF’s throwers Anders Eriksson, Thomas Mardal and AJ McFarland as well as the Gators’ top-ranked 4x400 relay team of Fasasi, Holloway, Sawyers and Vedel.
You can follow Alanis Thames on Twitter @alanisthames or contact her at athames@alligator.org.
The Florida men's sprint medley relay team of juniors Kyren Hollis, Ryan Clark, Michael Timpson Jr. and freshman Benjamin Lobo Vedel took first at the National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
