The Florida Gators track and field program represents the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

in the sport of

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in Division I of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA) and the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

(SEC). The Gators host their home indoor meets in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and their home outdoor meets at Percy Beard Track, both located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The Gators track teams are currently led by head coach Mike Holloway.

History

The Florida Gators men's track and field team was organized in 1923; the Gators women's team was formed in 1973. The University of Florida joined the

(SEC) in December 1932, and the Gators track team began to compete in the SEC in the spring of 1933. Historically, the Gators have been a force in the SEC, and have won a total of 21 conference team championships. The Gators men have won four SEC outdoor championships (1953, 1956, 1987, 2010), and six indoor championships (1975, 1976, 1987, 2010). The Gators women have won five SEC outdoor championships (1992, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2009), and six indoor championships (1990, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2012). Head coach

Percy Beard Percy Morris Beard (January 26, 1908 – March 27, 1990) was an American college and international track and field athlete who specialized in the high hurdles event, and won an Olympic silver medal. Beard later became a nationally prominent ...

, a former elite hurdler and silver medalist at the 1932 Summer Olympics, led the Gators to their first national prominence in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, including their first two SEC outdoor championships. Beard's successor,

Jimmy Carnes James Jerome Carnes (November 29, 1934 – March 5, 2011) was an American track and field athlete, coach and administrator. A successful coach at the high school, college and international levels, Carnes compiled a 161–11 career dual me ...

, coached the Gators from the early 1960s until 1976, and accounted for the Gators' first two SEC indoor team championships. Carnes was chosen to be the head coach of the U.S. Olympic track and field team in 1980, and later served as the head of the U.S. Track & Field Association. In 2009, the women's team won the SEC outdoor championship. In 2010, the men's teams won both the

NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate indoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association for athletes from institutions that make up its thre ...

and the SEC men's outdoor championship. UF men's track and field wins first SEC outdoor title since 1987
" ''Gainesville Sun'' (May 16, 2010). Retrieved May 18, 2010. The 2010 women's team placed second in the SEC outdoor meet. The Gators men's team won their second consecutive NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2011, following their sixth SEC indoor championship. At the 2011 SEC outdoor track tournament, the Gators men and women's teams both placed second of twelve SEC teams in the 2011 conference track meet held in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

. In the remarkably close final standings at the 2011 NCAA outdoor track and field championships in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, the Texas A&M Aggies men finished first with fifty-five points, the Florida State Seminoles men were second with fifty-four points, and the Gators men were third with fifty-three points. The Gators men's team won their third straight NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship in March 2012, and following a string of four NCAA outdoor second-place finishes since 2004, won their first

NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for athletes from institutions that make up ...

in June 2012. They proceeded to win their second, third, and fourth outdoor championships in 2013, 2016, and 2017. In 2015,

Marquis Dendy Marquis Dendy (born November 17, 1992) is an American track and field athlete, primarily known for horizontal jumping events. He is the 2015 National Champion in the Long Jump. His winning jump, of , though wind aided at +3.7mps, his first jum ...

was named winner of

The Bowerman The Bowerman is an annual track and field award that is the highest accolade given to the year's best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field. It is named after Oregon track and field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman and is ...

, the first in Gator history to win the award.

Coaching staff

The Gators' current head coach for both the men's and women's track and field teams is Mike Holloway. Following the Gators' 2010 NCAA indoor track and field championship, Holloway was named the 2010 indoor track and field coach of the year. The associate head coach and assistant coach for throwing is Steve Lemke. The assistant coach for cross country and distance running is Chris Solinsky. The assistant coach for hurdles and sprints is Adrain Mann. The assistant coach for horizontal jumps and pole vault is Nic Petersen .GatorZone.com, Track & Field, Coaching & Support Staff

Retrieved May 15, 2011. The assistant coach for high jump, sprints, recruiting is Mellanee Welty

Olympic track and field medalists

The following Florida Gators athletes have earned medals in one or more track and field events at the Summer Olympics: *

Will Claye Will Claye (born June 13, 1991) is an American track and field athlete of Sierra Leonean descent who competes in the long jump and triple jump. He won a bronze medal in 2011 World Championships in Athletics and the gold medals at the 2012 IAAF Wo ...

, American silver and bronze medalist at 2012 London Olympics, and silver medalist at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics *

Kerron Clement Kerron Stephon Clement (born October 31, 1985) is a Trinidadian-born American track and field athlete who competes in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter sprint. He held the indoor world record in the 400-meter sprint, having broken Michael John ...

, American gold and silver medalist at 2008 Beijing, and gold medalist at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics *

Jeff Demps Jeffery Barnard Demps (born January 8, 1990) is an American track and field athlete and former American football running back. He attended the University of Florida, where he was a running back for the Florida Gators football team and a sprinte ...

, American silver medalist at 2012 London Olympics *

Michelle Freeman Michelle Freeman (born 5 May 1969) is a former Jamaican track & field athlete who was an Olympic bronze medalist. Freeman was born in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica. In 1988, she was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding a ...

, Jamaican bronze medalist at 1996 Atlanta Olympics *

Tony McQuay Tony McQuay (born April 16, 1990) is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters. He is a member of the 2012 and 2016 United States Olympic teams, winning a silver medal in the relay in 2012 and a gold in the same even ...

, American silver medalist at 2012 London Olympics, and gold medalist at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics *

Dennis Mitchell Dennis Allen Mitchell (born February 20, 1966) is an American former college and international track and field athlete, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 4 x 100 meters relay race at ...

, American gold medalist and bronze medalist at 1992 Barcelona Olympics, silver medalist at 1996 Atlanta Olympics * Christian Taylor, American gold medalist at 2012 London Olympics, and gold medalist at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics *

Bernard Williams Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams, FBA (21 September 1929 – 10 June 2003) was an English moral philosopher. His publications include ''Problems of the Self'' (1973), ''Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy'' (1985), ''Shame and Necessity'' ...

, American gold medalist at 2000 Sydney Olympics, and silver medalist at 2004 Athens Olympics *

Novlene Williams Novlene Hilaire Williams-Mills (''née'', Williams; born 26 April 1982), is a retired Jamaican track and field athlete. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 2007 World Championships. She is also a three-time Olympic silver medalli ...

, Jamaican bronze medalist at 2004 Athens Olympics, silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, and silver medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

References

External links

* {{Footer The Bowerman 1923 establishments in Florida

History

Coaching staff

Olympic track and field medalists

See also

References

External links