Florida earned ten gold, six silver, and nine bronze finishes at the Pepsi Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla.. – The first home meet of the season for the Florida Gators is now complete as the 2023 Pepsi Florida Relays ends after two days of competition among some of the top teams in the nation. Florida ends the weekend with ten gold, six silver, and nine bronze finishes. The Gators ended the meet with 52 top-10 results.
On Saturday, Florida added four more event titles to their weekend haul. Alida Van Daalen began the day by throwing the fourth-best mark in school history (17.94m/58’10.25″) to win the shot put invitational event title. The second event title of the day came from the women’s 4x100m where Talitha Diggs, Grace Stark, Jayla Hollis, and Kynnedy Flannel secured the fifth fastest time in the world this year (43.37). This accomplishment came a day after running the fastest time in the world. The final two individual event titles came when Pjai Austin and Talitha Diggs swept the men’s and women’s 100m races. Austin’s time of 10.10 was the ninth fastest time in school history and he is the world leader in the event. Diggs ran an impressive time of 10.92, but due to the wind being over the legal limit, her race did not qualify for any records. In the last event of the meet, the men’s 4×400 team earned the Gators its tenth gold of the weekend by running the fastest time in the world this year (3:02.01). The relay team was comprised Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley, and Emmanuel Bamidele.
Recapping Friday, Sean Dixon-Bodie won the men’s long jump invite (8.00m/26’3″), Claire Bryant triumphed in the women’s long jump invite (6.56m/21’6.25″), Robert Gregory sped past all other competitors in the men’s 200m (20.31), Talitha Diggs, won the women’s 200m (22.61), and the 4×800 relay team captured gold (7:23.80).
Florida leaves the Pepsi Florida Relays with 20 new outdoor or overall personal bests. Sixteen of these career performances came on the track, and four were in field events.
Next up for the Gators is the Tom Jones Memorial on April 14 and 15, where they once again serve as hosts to some of the top teams in the nation. This is Florida’s last home meet of the 2023 season.
PEPSI FLORIDA RELAYS MEET
Saturday’s Finals Recap
High Jump Invite
Women- Claire Bryant took flight in the women’s high jump, finishing fourth (1.75m/5’8.75).
Triple Jump
Men- A week after competing at the FSU Relays and recording a personal best in the long jump, Jordan McCants competed in the triple jump at the Pepsi Florida Relays, finishing tenth (14.27m/46.10″).
Women- In her season debut, Alissa Braxton earned bronze and a new personal best in the women’s triple jump (13.29m/43’7.25″).
Discus Open
Men- Calvin Bostic finished ninth in the men’s discus open competition (45.38m/148’10”).
Women-In the women’s discus open, Akari Isaac (45.70m/149’11”) finished eighth in her second collegiate discus competition. Senior Thea Jensen (44.20m/145′) and Da’Moni Kelly (44.01m/144’4″) finished back to back in the tenth and eleventh spots.
Shot Put Open
Men-In his second field event of the day, Calvin Bostic finished seventh in the men’s shot put open (15.92m/52’2.75″).
Women- Da’Moni Kelly (14.46m/47’5.25″) finished twelfth, and Imani Washington (14.05m/46’2.5″) finished fifteenth in the women’s shot put open.
Shot Put Invite
Women- A day after setting the women’s outdoor discus school record on her first throw, Alida Van Daalen threw (17.94m/58’10.25″) to secure the women’s shot put invite title. Her throw was the fourth farthest in school history, the best in the country, and the fifth best in the world this year. Thea Jensen finished eighth (15.30m/50’2.5″).
100m
Men- Pjai Austin sped past the field, winning gold in the men’s 100m (10.10). Austin’s time was 0.16 seconds faster than the runner up DeMarkes Stradford from Charlotte. Austin ran the ninth fastest time in school history and the fastest time in the world this year. Jalen Chance (10.58) finished twenty fourth.
Women- Talitha Diggs blazed to gold in the women’s 100m. Her time of 10.92 had a wind of 4.1 meters per second. If a tail wind exceeds 2 metres per second the result cannot be counted as a record. Diggs run would have been the fastest time in the world this year and the school record in the women’s outdoor 100m if the wind had been legal. Kynnedy Flannel finished with bronze (11.10) but also ran in the first heat, thus being impacted by the wind. If wind had not been a factor, Flannel’s time would have been the fifth fastest in the world this year and the second fastest time in school history. Tymiah Montgomery finished thirty second (12.20).
100m Hurdles Prelims
Women- Grace Stark (13.07) and Jayla Hollis (13.19) secured second and third respectively in prelims, automatically qualified for the finals. Imani Carothers (13.68) finished fifteenth.
100m Hurdles
Women- In her first outdoor competition of the season, Grace Stark captured silver (12.83) in the women’s 100m hurdles. Stark’s time is the second fastest time in the world this year and the third fastest time in the country this year. Jayla Hollis, the other Gator finalist, finished sixth with a time of 13.27.
110m Hurdles Prelims
Men- Caleb Foster (14.12) finished twelfth in men’s 110m hurdles qualifying.
400m
Women- Ramiah Elliott (53.38) and Kayla Davis (55.03) finished tenth and twenty third respectively. Davis’ race was the first of her collegiate career.
800m
Men- 10 Gators competed in the men’s 800m, with Ryan Maseman leading the way. Maseman ran a personal best (1:49.12) to secure a ninth-place finish. Joe Wester, who also ran a personal best, finished tenth (1:49.20). After running the final leg of the first place 4×800 team yesterday, Sam Austin finished fourteenth in the 800m (1:49.79). Adrian Bichara was the third Gator to run a personal best, securing sixteenth (1:50.28). Deshay Fernandes (1:50.74), Caden Monk (1:50.82), and Matt Mule’ (1:50.86) , all separated by less than 0.6 seconds, finished twenty-third, twenty-sixth, and twenty-seventh, respectively. Mule’ was the final runner to secure a new personal best in the men’s 800m. Hugh Brittenham (1:53.01) finished thirty-eighth, Michael Fiore (1:53.18) finished fortieth, and Chase Ruskin (1:54.26) finished forty-third. Four of the ten runners earned new personal bests in the event.
Women- The mid-distance duo of Imogen Barrett (2:04.28) and Gabrielle Wilkinson (2:04.63) both earned top-10 finishes, crossing the finish line fifth and seventh, respectively. The 400m specialist Vanessa Watson made her 800m debut, finishing fifteenth (2:06.92). Kathryn Nohilly recorded a new personal best in the 800m (2:10.71), finishing twenty-seventh. Ashley Klingenberg (2:13.14) and Emily Culley (2:15.84) finished thirty-fifth and forty-first, respectively.
4×100
Women- The 4×100 relay team of Talitha Diggs, Grace Stark, Jayla Hollis, Kynnedy Flannel earned gold (43.37). They ran the eighth-fastest relay in school history, the third-fastest time in the country this year, and the fourth-fastest time in the world this year.
4×400
Men- In the final race of the weekend, Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley, and Emmanuel Bamidele ran a world leading time of 3:02.01 in the men’s 4×400 relay securing gold in the event.
Pepsi Florida Relays Results (All events are finals unless otherwise noted)
Event
Place, Gators (Time/Distance), Notes
High Jump Invite (W)
4. Claire Bryant (1.75m/5’8.75)
Triple Jump (M)
10. Jordan McCants (14.27m/46.10″)
Triple Jump (W)
3. Alissa Braxton (13.29m/43’7.25″) Season Debut, Personal Best
Discus Open (M)
9. Calvin Bostic (45.38m/148’10”)
Discus Open (W)
8. Akari Isaac (45.70m/149’11”)
10. Thea Jensen (44.20m/145′)
11. Da’Moni Kelly (44.01m/144’4″)
Shot Put Open (M)
7. Calvin Bostic (15.92m/52’2.75″)
Shot Put Open (W)
12. Da’Moni Kelly (14.46m/47’5.25″)
15. Imani Washington (14.05m/46’2.5″)
Shot Put Invite (W)
1. Alida Van Daalen (17.94m/58’10.25″) Outdoor Event Debut. 4th All-Time in School History, 5th Best Mark in the World this Year, Best Mark in the Country this Year
8. Thea Jensen (15.30m/50’2.5″)
100m (M)
1. Pjai Austin (10.10) 9th All-Time in School History, Fastest Time in the World this Year, Fastest Time in the Country this Year, Personal Best
24. Jalen Chance (10.58) Personal Best
100m (W)
1. Talitha Diggs (10.92)
3. Kynnedy Flannel (11.10)
32. Tymiah Montgomery (12.20)
100m Hurdles Prelims (W)
2. Grace Stark (13.07) Automatically Qualified for the Finals
3. Jayla Hollis (13.19) Automatically Qualified for the Finals
15. Imani Carothers (13.68)
100m Hurdles (W)
2. Grace Stark (12.83) 2nd Fastest Time in the World this Year, 3rd Fastest Time in the Country this Year
6. Jayla Hollis (13.27)
110m Hurdles Prelims (W)
12. Caleb Foster (14.12)
400m (W)
10. Ramiah Elliott (53.38) Outdoor Debut
23. Kayla Davis (55.03) Collegiate Debut
800m (M)
9. Ryan Maseman (1:49.12) Personal Best
10. Joe Wester (1:49.20) Personal Best
14. Sam Austin (1:49.79)
16. Adrian Bichara (1:50.28) Personal Best
23. Deshay Fernandes (1:50.74)
26. Caden Monk (1:50.82)
27. Matt Mule’ (1:50.86) Personal Best
38. Hugh Brittenham (1:53.01)
40. Michael Fiore (1:53.18)
43. Chase Ruskin (1:54.26)
800m (W)
5. Imogen Barrett (2:04.28)
7. Gabrielle Wilkinson (2:04.63)
15. Vanessa Watson (2:06.92) Event Debut
27. Kathryn Nohilly (2:10.71) Personal Best
35. Ashley Klingenberg (2:13.14)
41. Emily Culley (2:15.84)
4×100 (W)
1. Talitha Diggs, Grace Stark, Jayla Hollis, Kynnedy Flannel (43.37) 8th All-Time in School History, 3rd Fastest in the Country this Year, 5th Fastest Time in the World this Year
4×400 (M)
1. Jacory Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacob Miley, Emmanuel Bamidele (3:02.01) Fastest Time in the World this Year, Fastest Time in the Country this Year
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