Of the dozens of events at the prestigious Penn Relays, only one leaves footprints.
The No. 1 men’s and No. 5 women’s UF track and field teams begin competing at the 116th Penn Relays on Thursday. UF athletes are expected to contend for first-place finishes in several jumps and relays races on the men’s side. They should also contend in jumps, throws and distance events on the women’s side, including the steeplechase.
“Its neat to tell people you run steeplechase because of their reactions,” senior Julie Northrup said. “They want to see you eat it, and its exciting to watch.”
Like the 10,000-meter run and 5,000-meter, the steeplechase involves long distances around the track. But the 3,000-meter event includes five barriers (36 inches for men, 30 for women) and a 12 foot-long slope full of water. Runners must clear 28 barriers over the course of the race and five more that require runners to plunge into nearly two feet of water.
“There’s nothing like jumping over the water barrier and grinding though it,” Northrup said. “You can pass people even if they’re faster than you in a 3K.”
The race is unique for distance runners because it is the only event that requires more than the disciplines of running. Athletes must adjust for the hurdles and the extra water-weight in their shoes.
“You have to expect everything,” Northrup said. “You can’t get upset about a mess-up because it happens eventually.”
James Uthmeier experienced that first-hand at the 2010 Florida Relays. Holding the third position midway through the race, Uthmeier crashed into a barrier and withdrew from the race two laps later.
Northrup won the steeplechase at the Florida Relays in a personal-record 10:29:22. She finished second in last year’s Penn Relays and will be a favorite to win along with teammate Genevieve LaCaze, who won the steeplechase at the 2009 Florida Relays.
Only offered in the outdoor season, the steeplechase gives the defending SEC Indoor Champions another event they can score team points in. With many of their athletes improving from the indoor season, the event could be the difference in improving the Gators’ fourth-place finish at the indoor championships in the outdoor nationals.
