Leikel Cabrera Gay and Habiba Harris made waves in their NCAA debuts, while All-American Alida van Daalen picked up where she left off in 2024.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gators Track and Field opened their 2025 outdoor slate with a flourish, as ten athletes set new personal bests and four authored additions to the program’s all-time top-ten lists.
The season opener concluded with an NCAA-leading performance in the 4x400m relay by the Gators, capping an impressive first weekend for the Orange and Blue.
Compiled Results<https://live.pttiming.com/?mid=7766>
Highlights
Throws
Four Gators made their debut in the Javelin Throw, and each posted a new personal best to mark the occasion. Three freshmen – Aiden Broussard, Elaina Perkins and Evelyn van Zweiten – made their collegiate debuts count, posting impressive marks to kick off their NCAA careers.
Leikel Cabrera Gay, making his NCAA debut after an accomplished career in the junior college ranks, looked the part as he leapt to the No. 4 spot on the NCAA leaderboards for the 2025 season. The hulking sophomore from Havana, Cuba launched a 73.97m throw on his third attempt, surpassing second-place Broussard by nearly 40 feet, announcing his presence to the NCAA world.
In the Hammer Throw, Imani Washington recorded a personal best and program all-time No. 6 mark at 61.81m. Considering her efforts in the weight throw during this past indoor season, Washington has now recorded a new personal best in an event at five-consecutive meets, with her latest earning her a spot in Florida’s record books for the first time in her career.
In the Discus, 2024 NCAA Discus Throw Bronze Medalist and Olympian Alida van Daalen made a triumphant return to action after missing the 2025 Indoor season. In her first competition since the summer games in Paris, van Daalen recorded an exceptional 63.36m fourth attempt to win the event and claim the No. 2 spot on this season’s NCAA leaderboard, as well as the European lead. She is the only female athlete in school history to have eclipsed 60 meters in the discus, and she has now done so seven times in NCAA competition.
Another 2024 USTFCCCA All-American, Jacob Lemmon, made his second addition to Florida’s record books with his 58.80m launch in the Discus. He now holds the No. 8 Discus Throw mark in program history to complement his No. 4 ranking in the Weight Throw, recorded during the 2025 indoor season.
Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman Habiba Harris, who joined the Gators on campus in January after a successful juniors career in Jamaica, quickly made her presence felt by recording a blazing 13.05-second 100m Hurdles performance in her first collegiate race. The time is the second-fastest of the 2025 NCAA season thus far, and No. 6 in program history.
Jaden Wiley stood out in the men’s 200m, recording a 20.86-second time, the only sub-21 second time in the field.
Relays
The Gators’ new-look 4x400m relay squad looked as strong as ever in the Outdoor season opener, combining for a 3:04.30 collegiate-leading time to start the season at the top.
Reheem Hayles, a 2024 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-American in both the 400m and 4x400m relay, appeared in midseason form on Friday despite missing the Gators’ Indoor slate.
Justin Braun took the stick from Hayles, marking the start of his career for the Gators. The Junior out of Columbus, Ohio was among the most tantalizing prep prospects in the nation in 2022, but he struggled to stay healthy through the first two seasons of his collegiate career at USC. Now competing with Florida, he appears primed to contribute to the Gators outdoor efforts, evident from his sub-45.5 second leg.
Garrett Fox and Nicholas Spikes brought it home for Florida, crossing the line over six seconds ahead of second-place Florida State. Florida’s NCAA-leading squad shares no athletes with the Gators’ 4x400m relay team showcased earlier this month at the NCAA Indoor championships, highlighting the exceptional depth of talent that the Gators boast in the 400m distance.
FSU Relays Results – Florida Gators Entrants
Thursday, March 27
Event
Athlete
Notes
W Hammer Throw
Imani Washington – 61.81m [226′ 8″]//2nd
PB, UF All-Time No. 6
W Long Jump
Alyssa Banales – 6.20m [20′ 4.25″]//1st
Kendall Brown – 5.83m [19′ 1.5″]//4th
W Shot Put
Gracelyn Leiseth – 16.81m [55′ 2″]//1st
M 400m Hurdles
Jarrell Jimenez – 53.32//3rd
Friday, March 28
Event
Athlete – Time or Mark//Place in Heat (Overall)
Notes
W Javelin
Elaina Perkins – 45.73m [150′ 0″]//2nd
Evelyn van Zwieten – 44.80m [147′ 0″]//3rd
PB
PB
M Javelin
Leikel Cabrera Gay – 73.97m [242′ 8″]//1st
Aidan Broussard – 62.65m [205′ 6′]//2nd
PB, UF All-Time No. 6, 2025 NCAA No. 4
PB
M Shot Put
Logan Montgomery – 17.21m [56′ 5.75″]//1st
W Discus
Alida van Daalen – 63.36m [207′ 10″]//1st
Akari Isaac – 53.02m [173′ 11″]//2nd
Gracelyn Leiseth – 52.39m [171′ 10″]//3rd
Da’Moni Kelly – 49.12m [161′ 2″]//5th
NCAA 2025 No. 2
PB
W 100m Hurdles
Habbiba Harris – 13.05//1st
Thalia Waters – 13.48//3rd
UF All-Time No. 6, NCAA 2025 No. 2
M 110m Hurdles
Demaris Waters – 13.88//2nd (2nd)
Joey Stravato – 14.44//2nd (6th)
Regan Lawrence – 14.67//3rd (7th)
PB
M 100m
Ryan McCloskey – 10.56//1st (4th)
Toby Makoyawo – 10.69//2nd (9th)
PB
W 800m
Ava Wyant – 2:13.38
Lindsey Kiehl – 2:16.14//5th (5th)
M Discus
Jacob Lemmon – 58.80m [192′ 11″]//1st
UF All-Time No. 8
M 800m
Johnathan Pitchford – 1:54.65//5th (9th)
Eoin McNally – 1:55.09//6th (10th)
M Triple Jump
Jaden Lippett – 15.61m [51′ 2.75″]
W 200m
Quincy Penn – 23.88//3rd (3rd)
M 200m
Jaden Wiley – 20.86//1st (1st)
Garrett Fox – 21.33//2nd (4th)
Nicholas Spikes – 21.35//1st (5th)
Markevus Jackson – 21.40//4th (7th)
Trenton Howard – 21.88//4th (12th)
W 1500m
Ashley Fitzgerald – 4:31.76//5th (5th)
Kate Drummond – 4:34.03//7th (7th)
Annie Loehle – 4:51.44//7th (17th)
Allison Drummond – 5:02.77//10th (21st)
PB
M 1500m
Alejandro Pena – 3:52.11//2nd (2nd)
Alec Miller – 3:52.34//3rd (3rd)
Aiden Villasuso – 3:53.38//4th (4th)
Orlando Cicilioni – 4:00.03//4th (13th)
PB
M 4x400m Relay
Reheem Hayles, Justin Braun, Garrett Fox, Nicholas Spikes – 3:04.30//1st (1st)
2025 NCAA No. 1
2025 Pepsi Florida Relays
Tickets are now on sale for the first of Florida’s two Track and Field home meets, the 2025 Pepsi Florida Relays on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5. Tickets can be purchased in advance here<https://am.ticketmaster.com/gators/en/buy/pepsiflrelays25>, or purchased at the Ticket Office on the days of the event. All tickets are general admission.
