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Florida Track And Field Places Third at NCAA Indoor Championships

Ethan Eibe March 12, 2023 Gators Track and Field 1,056 Views

The Florida Gators men’s and women’s track teams both finished third at the NCAA Indoor Championships held March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Florida women could not defend their 2022 Indoor title, as the Arkansas Razorbacks swept both competitions. The Gators earned two national event titles from Jasmine Moore in the long jump and triple jump.

Day 1

Sterling Lester began the day with a solid effort in the women’s pentathlon. Lester finished fourth in the event with 4,358 points, a personal best and a number two program record. Caleb Foster and Pjai Austin each set personal record in the men’s long jump while finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.

Moore stole the show by winning gold in the women’s long jump, an event she has dominated all season long. Her 7.03-meter leap set a new collegiate record and put her atop the world leaderboard.

Several Gators performed well in their sprint race semifinals to set themselves up for the second day of action. Sam Austin finished first in the men’s 800-meter semis to qualify automatically for the finals. Austin (60-meter), Ryan Willie (men’s 400-meter) and Talitha Diggs (women’s 400-meter) each placed runner up to secure bids to the finals.

Day 2

Moore once again was in the spotlight for the final day of competition. She won the national title in the women’s triple jump, accumulating 15.12-meters to cement herself as won of the best jumpers in program history.

The closest Florida came to winning any other events was Willie’s performance in the men’s 400-meter race. He crossed the line second in 44.93 seconds, ranking second on Florida’s all-time list. Three other Gators placed third in their final sprint race events.

Florida wrapped up the national indoor meet with an eighth place finish in the men’s 4×400-meter relay and a sixth place effort in the women’s competition.

What’s Next?

Florida now shifts gears to prepare for the outdoor season. The Gator men and women are the defending NCAA outdoor champions. The women won it all for the first time in 2022, while the men claimed the title for the fifth time in program history.

Florida’s outdoor season begins with the Florida State relays in Tallahassee on March 23-24.

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