The Gators finish the conference championship meet with eight combined medals between the men’s and women’s teams.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Florida Gators concluded competition at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, ultimately claiming five medals on the meet’s final day. The Gator women claimed third place in the team standings while the men finished at No. 12.
Highlights
Sprints/Hurdles
One of the most stunning breakouts of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field season has been the emergence of freshman hurdler Habiba Harris. The native of Santa Cruz, Jamaica joined the Gators on campus in January, and redshirted her first indoor season as she quickly transitioned into the NCAA level and an SEC training regimen.
Making her debut this outdoor season, she set the collegiate lead in the 100m Hurdles at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville in just her second collegiate meet. Her wind-aided 12.69 stood as the Nation’s top mark until Friday, when Harris reset her own season best at a wind-legal 12.62. Her preliminary mark set a new No. 2 time in program history and made her the favorite heading into Saturday’s championship race.
The freshman added to her legend on the meet’s final day, running a 12.75 time and claiming the SEC 100m Hurdles crown in her first championship race at the collegiate level. Now, already boasting a gold medal pedigree as a first-year, she looks to be among the favorites for the national title.
Anthaya Charlton, just a day removed from an SEC Long Jump title, claimed bronze in the 100m sprint. She ran an 11.14 to claim third and six more team points for the Gators.
She and Harris combined with Gabrielle Matthews and Quincy Penn to run a 43.46-second 4x100m relay, which was good for sixth place and three more points.
On the men’s side, the Gators’ 4x400m relay squad combined for a 3:03.27 time, good for the SEC Bronze medal. The race featured particularly promising third and anchor legs from Reheem Hayles and Jenoah McKiver.
Throws
The Gators made impressive strides in the Discus throw on Saturday, including season and personal bests by Alida van Daalen and Jacob Lemmon to claim Gold and Bronze respectively.
Alida van Daalen, a 2024 USTFCCCA All-American in the Discus and Olympian for the Netherlands, entered Saturday as the reigning SEC Women’s Discus champion. She easily defended her crown, posting a season-best 65.24m [214′ 0″], a full 26 feet further than the silver-medal mark. She led the field from her first attempt, and her fourth throw held as her best.
Gracelyn Leiseth also scored in the Women’s Discus, taking seventh with her 54.07m throw.
Jacob Lemmon claimed bronze in the Men’s Discus, courtesy of a substantial personal best of 61.80m [202′ 9″] on his fifth attempt. The 2024 USTFCCCA All-American in the Discus with Virginia, now holds the No. 2 Discus throw mark in Florida’s program history, and his mark stands as the No. 12 Throw in the nation for the 2025 season.
Mid-distance
The Gators saw two fifth-place finishes in the men’s and women’s 800m events on Saturday. Jess Edwards, a Senior at her final SEC Championship meet, delivered a 2:04.72 in the championship race, crossing the line fifth. She has previously been an All-SEC Selection at the SEC Indoor Championships as a member of Florida’s DMR team, but this was her first SEC Final as an individual, and she managed four team points in her open 800m Final debut.
Miguel Pantojas and Gavin Nelson each scored in the men’s open 800m, finishing fifth and eighth respectively. Both recorded personal bests in the final, and Pantojas’s 1:46.76 time stands as the No. 9 time in program history, tying teammate Ryan Maseman at the No. 9 spot on the list.
Distance
On Saturday, Hilda Olemomoi, Tia Wilson and Beth Morley all qualified for the Women’s 1500m final, and all three scored in Saturday’s final. Olemomoi and Wilson crossed the line in tandem, taking fourth and fifth respectively, and Morley followed closely behind in eighth. There was just over 0.5 seconds between the three finishes.
Wilson would return to the track later that day, ultimately claiming a seventh-place finish and an additional two points for Florida.
Team Standings and Results
Complete Results and final team standings can be found here<https://live.pttiming.com/?mid=7942>.
Looking Ahead
The Gators will now turn their focus to the NCAA Championship meets, starting with the NCAA East Region Preliminaries. The East Prelims will be hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, beginning on May 28 and lasting through May 31.
SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Florida Gators Participants
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Event
Athlete – Time or Mark//Finish
Notes
W Discus FINAL
Alida van Daalen – 65.24 [214′ 0″]//1st
Gracelyn Leiseth – 54.07m [177′ 4″]//7th
Akari Isaac – 51.10m [167′ 8″]//10th
SEC Champion, 10 team points
2 team points
W Triple Jump FINAL
Asia Phillips – 13.33m [43′ 8.75″]//6th
PB, 3 team points
M Discus FINAL
Jacob Lemmon – 61.80m [202′ 9″]//3rd
PB, SEC Bronze, 6 team points, UF All-Time No. 2
M 4x100m FINAL
Quincy Penn, Anthaya Charlton, Gabrielle Matthews, Habiba Harris – 43.46//6th
3 team points, UF All-Time No. 9
M 4x100m FINAL
Rios Prude Jr., Garrett Fox, Malique Smith-Band, Jaden Wiley – 39.29//8th
1 team point
W 1500m FINAL
Hilda Olemomoi – 4:22.34//4th
Tia Wilson – 4:22.35//5th
Bethan Morley – 4:22.88//8th
5 team points
4 team points
1 team point
M Triple Jump FINAL
Jaden Lippett – 15.83m [51′ 11.25]//6th
3 team points
W 100mH FINAL
Habiba Harris – 12.75//1st
SEC Champion, 10 team points
M 110mH FINAL
Demaris Waters – 13.39//4th
5 team points
W 100m FINAL
Anthaya Charlton – 11.14//3rd
SEC Bronze, 6 team points
W 800m FINAL
Jessica Edwards – 2:04.72//5th
4 team points
M 800m FINAL
Miguel Pantojas – 1:46.76//5th
Gavin Nelson – 1:47.27//8th
PB, 4 team points, UF All-time No. 9
PB, 1 team point
W 5000m FINAL
Tia Wilson – 15:52.13//7th
PB, 3 team points, UF All-Time No. 5
M 4x400m FINAL
Ashton Schwartzman, Rios Prude, Reheem Hayles, Jenoah McKiver – 3:03.27//3rd
SEC Bronze, 6 team points
