Gators’ national championship streak continues thanks to track and field

By Adam Silverstein
June 12, 2016
Gators’ national championship streak continues thanks to track and field
Other

Image Credit: SEC Network

It’s been a disappointing athletic season for the Florida Gators as a whole, at least when you consider the high standards Florida has set for itself over the last decade.

On Saturday, men’s track and field ensured that the Gators would end the season on at least one high note, fighting back from sixth place on Friday to win the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championship.

The victory marked the seventh straight year that Florida’s athletic program has brought back a national title, a streak that dates back to 2009-10. It is also the third men’s outdoor title and 36th overall championship in school history.

Gators head coach Mike Holloway, who joined the Gators in 2003, has now won five national titles at Florida (three indoor, three outdoor) — all in the last seven years. Holloway extended his lead as the UF coach with the most championships and has brought the men’s track and field program into a tie with women’s tennis as Gators teams with the most titles (six).

How did he do it? The Gators, which appeared left for dead in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, blasted their way into first place by scoring 62 points over the last two days of competition — 51 on Saturday alone — and grabbing two individual national titles on the final day.

Senior Arman Hall (44.82 seconds) won the 400 meters title, while redshirt junior Eric Futch (48.91) captured the 400-meter hurdles crown. Florida also had three athletes finish second in their respective events (including a one-two finish in the 400-meter hurdles).

One Comment

Join The
Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux