UF T&F: Gators Set For NCAA Outdoor Championships

Florida heads to Eugene with 18 entries, with the men boasting 10 while the women have eight.

EUGENE, Ore. – The Gators track and field teams will close the 2021 outdoors season at this year’s NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Florida enters this week’s championships meet with a combined 18 entries, 10 on the men’s side and eight on the women’s team. Competition is set to take place Wednesday through Saturday at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.

Senior thrower Thomas Mardal, who has produced a record-breaking season, will lead off the Gators Wednesday with the hammer throw.

A four-time combined SEC champion, Mardal clinched his first national title earlier this year at NCAA Indoors and will look to earn his first outdoors crown this week. The Gloppen, Norway native leads the NCAA and holds the school record in both the weight and hammer throws.

Redshirt freshman Joseph Fahnbulleh will headline the 100 and 200 meters for the Gators.

Fahnbulleh, who ranks third nationally and sixth in the world in the 200, earned a silver medal at SEC Outdoors last month after posting a time of 20.05 [+1.7] seconds that ranks fourth on UF’s All-Time Outdoor Top 10 list.

In addition to his 200 meters rankings, Fahnbulleh ranks 11th in the 100 meters with a time of 10.08 [+3.6] seconds, which he ran during Florida’s outdoors opening meet at FSU.

Senior Clayton Brown will represent the Gators in the jumps with entries for both the high and the triple jumps. Brown ranks sixth nationally in the triple jump and 10th in the high jump.

On the women’s side, redshirt senior Natricia Hooper and freshman Claire Bryant will headline the jumps for Florida.

Bryant, who ranks seventh on this year’s NCAA Division I Outdoor Qualifying List and tied for third in school history (6.68 meters / 21 feet, 11 inches), will compete in the long jump. Meanwhile No. 5-seeded Hooper, who posted the second-best mark in program history at last month’s SEC championship meet (13.92 meters / 45 feet, 8 inches), will appear in the triple jump.

Both Bryant and Hooper earned bronze medals at SEC Outdoors.

On the track, redshirt freshman Grace Stark will represent the Gators in the 100-meter hurdles. Stark, who ranks fourth in the nation, finished second at SECs with a time of 12.74 [+3.6] seconds.

SEC Champion (1,500m) Gabrielle Wilkinson will run the 800 meters. The redshirt sophomore ranks seventh nationally and second in UF history with a time of 2:01.45.

The Gators will also be represented by their 4×400-meter relays teams.

On the women’s side, Florida’s 4×400 squad will make its 10th consecutive appearance at nationals, while the men will make their 14th consecutive trip to NCAAs.

For a complete list of Gators competing this week, and schedule, see below.

This week’s championship meet will be broadcast via the ESPN family of networks, see below for info. Additionally, a detailed broadcast and streaming schedule outlined by day and event is available here<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ncaa.com_championships_trackfield-2Doutdoor_d1_broadcast-2Dinfo&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=E8Z8kXyPmRhw4BFHwvdveowlrvPsnf91XO9_QlDfnkQ&s=PAxz1wb8NjMJpsNIIfTWzkjXMDBSqdSUJcVJUyK-fmc&e= >.

NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION (all times Eastern)