Florida’s outdoor regular season came to a close on Sunday night at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
In a meet dominated by distance events, the Gators garnered a few personal bests with only seven athletes competing in four events.
Junior Stephanie Strasser had a personal best in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, finishing fourth in the event. By clocking a time of 10:19.30, Strasser easily beat her old personal record of 10:25.32 set last year at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. Strasser’s current time goes down as third all-time at UF.
Also among athletes who set personal bests on Sunday were juniors Cory McGee and Agata Strausa, each in the women’s 1500m. McGee and Strausa finished sixth and eighth in their section, respectively.
McGee’s new personal record of 4:10.55 is just over two seconds faster than her previous personal record, 4:12.61, set at last year’s Payton Jordan Invitational. McGee’s new time puts her at second all-time in school history.
Right behind McGee in Florida’s record books is Strausa, who is now third all-time in school history with a new personal best time of 4:11.27. Just like McGee, Strausa’s old personal best, 4:15.92, came at last year’s Payton Jordan Invitational.
Junior Shelby Hayes and senior Mandy Perkins were just short of setting new personal records on Sunday in the women’s 1500m.
Hayes, who finished fourth in her section, was just .17 seconds shy of tying her personal record time of 4:19.72 set at last year’s Payton Jordan Invitational. Perkins, who finished fifth, was just over a second shy over tying her personal record time of 4:21.51 set at last year’s Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in Baton Rouge, La.
Florida’s other athletes competing in Palo Alto on Sunday were junior Mark Parrish, finishing 17th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, and senior Callie Cooper, who finished 14th in the women’s 5000m.
With the regular season now officially over, the Gators now shift their attention to the upcoming championship meets.
In preparation for the Southeastern Conference Championships in Columbia, Mo., from May 9-12, Florida’s practices tend to ease up. Coach Mike Holloway’s strategy of lighter practices before championships allows his athletes to rest and recover, ensuring maximum performance in the most important meets of the season.
The Gators hope to improve on last season’s Southeastern Conference Championship performance where the men finished fourth and the women finished runners-up to LSU, the host team.
Junior runner Agata Strausa, runs in the Mountain Dew Invitational on Sept. 15 at the Mark Bostick golf course.
