UF T&F: Charlton Shatters Sprint Record on Day Two of NCAA East Preliminaries

Three Gators punched tickets to the NCAA title meet on the first day of women’s events.

JACKSONVILLE – Florida Gators Track and Field competed in day two of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminaries on Thursday, ultimately qualifying three athletes for the NCAA Championship meet in Eugene, Ore. and witnessing one vaunted program record fall.

Highlights
Jumps
In the Women’s Long Jump, the Gators’ two entrants both qualified by delivering the third and fifth-best marks in the field. Anthaya Charlton, the SEC Champion of the Long Jump, delivered a 6.52m [21′ 4.75″] mark that easily situated her inside the top-12 for qualification.

Freshman Alyssa Banales also punched her ticket, courtesy of an all-conditions personal-best of 6.41m [21′ 0.25″]. Banales was one of only two athletes to advance from the second flight, widely outperforming her initial seeding to punch her ticket to the title bout.

All three of Florida’s long jumpers advanced to the national meet, including Malcolm Clemons, who earned a spot in the men’s field on Wednesday.

Sprints/Hurdles
The aforementioned Charlton, less than an hour removed from her qualifying effort in the Long Jump, took to the track for the first round of the 100m dash.

Her 11.05-second performance, a new all-time personal best, not only earned her first place in her heat and a spot in Saturday’s Quarterfinal round, but the honor of being the fastest woman to ever wear the Gator kit.

The program record in the signature sprint event adds to the growing legend of Charlton’s 2025 season. She joins the likes of UF Athletic Hall of Famers Michelle Freeman and Anita Howard as one-time holders of the Gator women’s speed crown.

Her time – 11.05 seconds – shattered the previous record of 11.13, putting twice the margin between her record and its predecessor as exists between the No. 2 and No. 5 marks on Florida’s all-time performance list.

In the 100m Hurdles, Habiba Harris maintained the dominant form she showed at the SEC Championships, leading the field with a 12.80-second performance and automatically qualifying for Saturday’s Quarterfinal.

Gabrielle Matthews also advanced, posting a season-best 23.16 time to take second place in heat one of the 200m first round.

Distance
Hilda Olemomoi, the SEC Silver Medalist in the 10,000m, advanced past the Semifinal round of the 10,000m on Thursday night. Her 32:45.45 time earned her third place in the field, and moved her up to No. 3 in Gator history in the event. She will compete in Saturday’s 5000m semifinal, looking yet again to qualify for the event final in Eugene.

Mid-distance
Sophomore Layla Haynes delivered an impressive all-conditions personal best of 2:03.81 to qualify by time in the 800m first round. Her mark improved on her previous career-best pace by nearly a full second, and propeled her into the No. 10 spot on Florida’s all-time performance list.

Live Results and Streaming
Live Results from the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminaries can be found here<https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Outdoor/2025/FirstRounds/East/index.htm>.

ESPN+ will broadcast Friday’s events here.<https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=f1251b3a-40bb-471a-870e-e5c87927c1d7>

Schedule Updates
Due to yet another weather delay on Thursday, the Women’s Shot Put competition has been pushed to Friday at 10:00 a.m. ET.

NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminaries – Florida Gators Results
Thursday, May 29
Event

Participant – Time or mark//place in heat (overall)

Notes

W Hammer Throw*

Imani Washington – 61.43m [201’6″]//14th

W Javelin *

Evelyn Vanzwieten – 44.40m [145’8″]//31st
Elaina Perkins – 44.33m [145’5″]//32nd

M Shot Put *

Logan Montgomery – NM

W Long Jump *