GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida women’s track and field team (No. 5) and men’s track and field team (No. 11) earned spots in the top-15 of the first edition of the outdoor ratings index as announced by the USTFCCCA on Monday afternoon.
Florida opened up the 2022 Outdoor season last weekend with split groups at both the Texas Relays 2022 and Raleigh Relays 2022.
The women got a big-time performance from Anna Hall in the Heptathlon, putting up the fourth-highest score (6412) in collegiate history.
Her mark broke the school record by almost 600 points and was a personal best of over 200 points. She set personal records in five of the seven events contested and serves as the national and world leader in the event.
In the final event of the Heptathlon, Hall ran a blistering 2:04.61 in the 800 meters. That mark broke a collegiate and American record for an 800 meters in a Heptathlon.
The Gators also got impressive efforts from Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant in the Long Jump. In a very competitive field, Moore (6.75m/22-1.75) and Bryant (6.73m/22-1) put up the second and third-best performances in school history.
The duo sits fourth and fifth nationally in the event after both earning All-American status during the indoor season.
Natricia Hooper opened her outdoor campaign with a near-personal best of 13.91m/45-7.75. Her wind-legal jump puts her third in the world this year and gives her the early-NCAA lead this season.
On the men’s side, the Gators came back from Texas with two of the fastest 4×100 and 4×400 relay times in the nation and the world this season.
Florida ran 38.47 in the finals of the 4×100 relay behind the team of Dedrick Vanover, Tyler Davis, PJ Austin and Joseph Fahnbulleh. That time gives the Gators the NCAA and World lead and puts the quartet fourth in school history in the event.
To follow that up, the team of Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley and Fahnbulleh clocked 3:02.20 in the 4×400 relay to close out the weekend.
That mark is second in the NCAA and fourth in the world this season.
Caleb Foster (8.00m/26-3) and Malcolm Clemons (7.99/26-2.75) turned in the third and fourth-best marks in the NCAA this season in the Long Jump.
The Gators return to the track this weekend, March 31st– April 2nd for the 2022 Pepsi Florida Relays.
A large portion of Florida’s roster is expected to compete in the first home meet of the season.
Collegiate action will open up on Thursday evening with the men’s hammer throw and men’s javelin.
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By Jared Rigdon – Communications Assistant (Track and Field)
University of Florida Athletic Association – Cell: 317-847-3953 Email: JaredR@gators.ufl.edu
