UF's Claire Bryant receives her framed jersey at the graduating seniors recognition during the UF Track and Field Tom Jones Invitational at the James G. Pressly Stadium on April 12. [Azhalia Pottinger/WRUF]

Gators Shine at Tom Jones Memorial Invitational

Trach Kercsmar April 17, 2024 Gators in Olympics, Gators Sports, Gators Track and Field 57 Views

Florida Gators Track and Field cleaned up at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, recording over 30 top 10 finishes, seven school top 10 marks and several personal bests.

Many Gator greats also returned to Percy Beard Track, competing professionally at their old stomping grounds.

Top Performances

All-American 100 meter hurdles runner Grace Stark improved on her own school record in the event this weekend.

Stark turned on the jets on Saturday, recording a time of 12.56 and edging out her old University of Florida record of 12.58, set in 2022. Stark’s blistering time is good for No. 1 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the world in 2024.

Sophomore stud Alida van Daalen continues to one-up herself in the women’s discus throw.

The four-time All-American broke her own school record in the event for the third consecutive week. Her newly recorded mark of 62.58 meters is also No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the country in 2024.

Senior Will Gross IV placed second in the men’s hammer throw event, with his mark of 66.35 meters.

All-American Jevaughn Powell posted a NCAA top five time in the 400 meter run. His lightning-fast time of 45.21 seconds landed him fourth place both in the meet and in the country in 2024.

Claire Bryant impressed in the women’s long jump, finishing second in the event with a mark of 6.65 meters. In her 2024 outdoor debut, the senior from Houston also came home as the top collegiate athlete in the event.

Robert Gregory and Wanya McCoy both started their outdoor season out strong. The duo brought home top 10 finishes in the men’s 200 meter dash, capturing the top two spots in their heat.

In the Record Books

The men’s 4×400 relay team of Powell, McCoy, Reheem Hayles and Jenoah McKiver brought home the gold in the event. The team finished with a time of 3:01.20.

This mark is good for No. 3 in the country this year and No. 9 on the school’s all-time list.

Numerous other Gators set personal bests across all events, including the hammer throw, triple jump, 100 meter, 200 meter, 800 meter and 1500 meter.

A number of Gator greats also made the return home for the weekend. Most notably, olympic silver medalist Grant Holloway was back in Gainesville, where he ran a 13.21 in the 110 meter hurdles.

The Gators are back in action April 17-20 at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, California.

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