Senior Yanis David’s mom and grandma watched her jump in person for the first time in the United States. They watched her extend her national No.1 ranking to 37 centimeters in the triple jump with a jump of 14.05 meters.
They also walked with Yanis as she was honored during senior day at the Florida Relays on Saturday.
“Knowing that they were there, it meant a lot,” David said. “They felt the whole spirit.”
UF welcomed David’s family with an attempt to speak their language.
“They liked it. Everybody was super nice,” David said. “They tried to speak French a little bit but it was hard.”
David was one of 12 seniors who competed. Coach Mike Holloway embraced all of them with a hug and a chomp as they were honored at Pressly Stadium Saturday.
“I’m getting emotional right now just thinking about it,” Holloway said. “They’re not just talented people, they’re good people. That’s why we recruited them here.”
Another one of those seniors was thrower AJ McFarland, who placed No. 12 in the discus for the meet, two spots behind sophomore Thomas Mardal. McFarland saw an advantage to competing at home: comfort.
“It’s just an 11 a.m. little discus throw” McFarland said. “Other than wearing the uniform it’s just like going out there and practicing.”
As for the runners, the relays were the best part of the Gators’ day Saturday. Sophomore Taylor Manson, senior Sharrika Barnett, sophomore Nikki Stephens and freshman Doneisha Anderson ran the 4x400-meter relay at 3:27.76. That is the second-best time in the country.
Junior Grant Holloway, junior Raymond Ekevwo, sophomore Hakim Sani Brown and senior Ryan Clark, ran the men’s 4x100-meter relay in 38.69 seconds. That is the third-fastest time in the nation. During the race, the first handoff between Ekevwo and Sani Brown was mishandled.
“Hakim just had a brain fart and decided not to push away hard,” Coach Holloway said. “It’s our second race of the year, now we have a chance to go back and better. We’ll see what happens in 10 weeks in the national championships.”
Follow Graham Marsh on Twitter @GrahamMarshUF and contact him at gmarsh@alligator.org.
Florida honored 12 seniors on Day 3 of the Pepsi Florida Relays. "They’re not just talented people, they’re good people. That’s why we recruited them here," coach Mike Holloway said.
