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Florida Women Will Try to Make History - NCAA D1 Indoor Championships 2015

Published by
DyeStatCOLLEGE.com   Mar 11th 2015, 4:34pm
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Florida Women Will Try to Make History 

Published by Adam Schneider on March 11, 2015

Last year the familiar refrain that permeated the Gator women’s track team had been that it is time for them to win a NCAA team title (Florida’s only women’s NCAA title was indoors in 1992). They were third indoors last year with 40.5 points and fourth outdoors with 55 points. Florida head coach Mike Holloway has guided the men to NCAA titles but the women have just missed on winning an NCAA team title the last two years.

The Gator women will have thirteen entries for the NCAA indoor meet. The team is led by sprinters and jumpers and they will battle Oregon, Arkansas, and Texas in those events for crucial team points.    

Detroit native Kyra Jefferson has become one of the fastest collegiate 400 meter (52.00) runners this year in addition to her specialty, the 200 meters (22.81 to win the Tyson Invitational). The junior is a three-time all-American (1 in the 200 meters and 2 for relays) and she has not lost a 200 final this indoor season. She will run the 200 meters and 4x400 meters Relay this year at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Ciarra Brewer was second at the 2014 US Outdoor Championships after finishing 3rd at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. This year she has improved her consistency and she was runner-up at the SEC Indoor Championships to the only jumper she has lost to all year, Georgia freshman Keturah Orji. The four-time all-American senior has not jumped less than 44-5 1/4 and has a season best 45-2 1/2 this year. She was in the lead at the SEC Indoor Championships until the fifth round when Orji passed her.

Senior Bridgette Owens has continued her improvement in her second year with Florida after transferring from Clemson. She was third at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor meet in the 100 meter Hurdles (12.62 wind-aided). This year she did not lose a final until the SEC Indoor Championships final to national leader and former Clemson senior teammate Kendra Harrison (SEC Indoor champion with a 7.92 season best time), now competing for Kentucky.  

Sophomore Shayla Sanders is already a four time all-American (one each in 60m, 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay). This year she is ranked sixth in the 60 meters with a best of 7.21 seconds.  

Robin Reynolds has a run a season best 52.27 and she is ranked tenth this year in Division 1. The junior ran a collegiate best 200 meters at the Tyson Invitational (23.16) but only ran the 4x400 meter relay at the SEC Indoor Championships. The seven time all-American (two in the 400 meters and five in the relays) is entered in the 400 meters and 4x400 meters Relay.  

Junior Destinee Gause is the sixth seed in the 200 meters with a best time of 23.22,  Last year she finished fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships and she will try to get her second individual  event all-American award to go with her five relay all-American awards.    

Transfer Claudia Francis has helped Florida with 4x400 relay and 800 performances. At one time the junior led the collegiate ranks for 800 meters and now she is ranked 10th (2:04.39) going into the NCAA meet. Claudia anchors the second ranked 4x400 meter relay, 3:29.58, team composed of Reynolds, Gause, Jefferson and Francis).

Senior Brittany Harrell was third at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the Heptathlon. She is near her personal record in the pentathlon (4289 points) with her best this year of 4208 points and she is ninth ranked going into the NCAA D1 Indoor Championship. She is a two-time all-American in the pentathlon after scoring her personal record for third at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships.  

Florida has a trio of seniors who could score. Taylor Burke is ranked 12th in the High Jump with a season best jump of 6-0 1/2 and scored at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships (seventh). She has competed at two other NCAA indoor meets and one outdoor championship meet. Jayla Bostic threw 68-5 1/4 in the Weight Throw competition at the SEC Indoor Championships to barely qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships with the 16th best performance in D1. Last year was her only appearance at an NCAA meet and she finished ninth. Gissell Warner is ranked 14th in the Triple Jump coming into the NCAA Indoor Championships with a season best of 42-6 3/4 and she will be competing in her first NCAA Championship. Freshman Darrielle McQueen is the second ranked Long Jumper among freshman and she is ranked 16th among D1 collegians based on her season-best jump of 20-8 at the SEC Indoor championships.

Florida has a strong chance to get their first NCAA women's team title in 23 years.  There is definitely a chance for the Gators to earn a team sweep. Florida has plenty of experience on the Tyson track in Fayetteville, Arkansas and this will be their best opportunity to win a team title since their last title.  

 

 

 



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