Gator Track and Field Coach Mike Holloway Takes on Gator Talk
Following the start of the indoor season, the Gators and field team sat outside the top-20 rankings in Week 1, but has since climbed by the men’s team jumping to No. 12 and the women ranked No. 14 in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Coaches’ Poll.
With two meets under their belt, coach Mike Holloway made an appearance Thursday night on WRUF’s “Gator Talk,” where he said he’s looking to be impressed at this stage of the season, but would rather see effort from his roster, which has started to show in the results.
Holloway highlighted freshman shot putter Jarno van Daalen, freshman Jaden Horton-Mims and redshirt sophomore Layla Haynes for their early-season performances.
Distance events have also been a strength early in the indoor track and field season.
Kelvin Cheruiyot broke the school record in the 3,000 meters by 11 seconds earlier this season.
Asked about the key to his success, Holloway points out the bond Cheruiyot has with the distance coach Will Palmer. Cheruiyot also ran cross country, taking the title of SEC champion and finishing as a top-10 runner nationally at Knoxville in October 2025.
“He’s a very talented young man who works hard every day,” Holloway said.
A factor taken into account during the recruiting process is understanding the team and individual aspect of the sport. With a roster that includes Olympians, SEC and national champions, success can take on many different forms.
“You’re going to be one of the sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, distance runners in the country and sometimes in the world,” Holloway said, “but you’re also going to help your team win a championship.”
Holloway was hesitant to share his coaching strategy, but said he puts his athletes in the events he wants to see them perform in the SEC Indoor championship. A Gator athlete normally will not run the same event for every meet under Holloway’s coaching.
“I’m always trying to project toward the championship season,” Holloway said.
After a meet, he studies how the athletes performed to improve their results in the next competition. Focused on scoring, Holloway said he tries to have athletes across various events to have more opportunities to earn points.
The Gators will next compete in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., starting Friday.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Track and Field, Not Latest, SEC
