Tag: Mike Holloway

Florida’s track stars out on Friday night at Holloway Pro Classic

The event featured many of the top athletes in the world who reside and train in Gainesville — including a handful of current and former Gators.

The Holloway Pro Classic, named for Florida’s legendary head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag], took place at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressley Stadium on Friday night. The event featured many of the top athletes in the world who reside and train in Gainesville — including a handful of current and former Gators.

Stars of the Gators’ 2024 season Grace Stark, Jevaughn Powell, Wanya McCoy, Malcom Clemons and Robert Gregory were among the top finishers in their respective events, with Powell claiming a personal best in the last event of the season at Percy Beard Track.

The night concluded with one final jump for the Gator legend, Christian Taylor. The two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time Worlds gold medalist, two-time NCAA Outdoor Triple Jump champion, and the holder of the second-best triple jump mark in history sealed his awe-inspiring career where it began, with Coach Holloway the first to greet him at the pit.

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Florida track and field program brings Holland Sherrer back to coaching staff

A familiar name will be assisting the Florida Gators track and field team next season.

The Florida track and field program announced on Tuesday the addition of former Gators coach [autotag]Holland Sherrer[/autotag] to lead sprints and hurdles events. He brings a Southeastern Conference pedigree as both a coach and athlete, as well as a history of developing some of the top athletes in the sport’s recent history.

“We are very excited to welcome Holland Sherrer back to the Gator Track and Field family,” head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag] offered.

“Holland comes to us after some impressive seasons at the University of Mississippi. I am excited for Holland to work here again after he served us as a Volunteer Assistant a few years ago. He understands the standard that we fight to uphold in this program every day.”

Sherrer had previously assisted the Gators during the men’s 2017 outdoor and 2018 indoor national championships. Most recently, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach with his alma mater, the Ole Miss Rebels, coaching sprints and hurdles.

The returning Gators coach is a 2016 graduate of Ole Miss with a bachelor’s in social work, where he was a three-year letterwinner and competed his final season under Connie Price-Smith in her first at the helm.

In his time as a Rebel, he was a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and three-time NCAA East Region qualifier, earning Second-Team All-American status outdoors in 2016 (12th place) and an honorable mention nod in 2015 (24th).

His 800-meter personal record of 1:47.34 earned him a trip to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he finished 27th in the nation. Sherrer was also a 2015 qualifier for the USATF Outdoor Championships.

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Florida’s track program collects multiple academic accolades

Florida is the only school to boast both a Scholar Team of the Year and a Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient.

The Gators collected multiple U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors on Monday. Florida is the only school to boast both a Scholar Team of the Year and a Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient.

The men’s outdoor team earned the NCAA Outdoor Team Championship for a third straight year and has now collected the USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year Award for the second straight season. The program maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.23, bringing home its fifth Scholar Team of the Year award in program history — all of which were earned under head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag].

Parker Valby was named the DI Women’s Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year, making her the first Gators track athlete to take home the award. She joins Jasmine Moore (Indoor Field SAOY, ’22) as the only Gators to take home one of USTFCCCA’s individual academic honors.

Valby, who maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5, won 3000-meter and 5000-meter events at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships en route to being named SEC Female Athlete of the Year.

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Three Gators named to 2024 Florida Sports Hall of Fame class

The Florida Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2024 class on Friday, and three Florida Gators made will see their names enshrined.

Mike Holloway, the head coach of Florida’s men’s and women’s track and field and cross country team, headlines a three-man list of Gators headed to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame this year.

Former Florida football player Scott Hutchinson and former athletic trainer Chris Patrick join Holloway on that list. The non-UF inductees include William Floyd, Linda Gooch, Ashley Harris, Tracy McGrady, and Jan Stephenson.

“We are excited to be able to recognize such a talented and accomplished class of figures who have all contributed tremendously to their respective sports,” said Ginger Kane, President and Chair of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame board. “Their contributions to their sports, their communities and impacts they’ve had on a worldwide stage make this a remarkable class. We are honored to welcome them as the newest members of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.”

Holloway has coached the track and field team for more than two decades and received 14 Outdoor Coach of the Year nods. He has turned the program into one of the country’s premier, leading the Gators to three-straight men’s outdoor championships.

Hutchinson played defensive line for Doug Dickey’s Gators in the 70s. He was the team captain and a first-team All-SEC selection in 1977. The Buffalo Bills drafted him with the 38th overall pick in 1978. He spent three seasons with the Bills before signing with Tampa Bay for a year.

Patrick spent 40 years working on Florida’s athletic health staff. The athletic training facility at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is named after him, and the SEC named an award after him.

“He hired the first female Athletic Trainer and helped develop the women’s athletic training support/program and facilities. Known as CP, Patrick is a legendary figure at UF, outlasting many Athletic Directors (4), Head Football Coaches (6), and numerous others in a variety of sports.”

The induction ceremony will be held at the Kia Center in Orlando on Oct. 16.

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Two Gators earn national titles as Florida finishes 2nd in NCAA Championships

The team was a runner-up for the third time under head coach Mike Holloway while Grace Stark and Parker Valby took home individual titles.

Florida’s women’s track and field program finished second in the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year this weekend, with a pair of Gators taking home individual national titles: [autotag]Grace Stark[/autotag] and [autotag]Parker Valby[/autotag].

The team was a runner-up for the third time under head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag] — twice in outdoor competition and once in indoor — all of which have occurred in the past two seasons.

Stark had an outstanding 2024 outdoor season and clinched the campaign with a final race to remember. She captured her second NCAA Individual Championship and first outdoor individual title in the 100m H with a 12.47 time — tying her for the third fastest in NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships history

It was also the tenth-fastest time in collegiate history and a new University of Florida school record. Additionally, Stark became the first Gator to earn the 100m H championship crown since 1992.

Valby claimed her sixth NCAA Individual Championship in her signature event — the 5000m — for the fifth of the 2023-2024 academic year and the second of the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The previous collegiate record stood at 15:03.12 before she wrapped up Saturday’s race at 14:52.18, making it Valby’s third collegiate record captured during the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons (indoor 5000m, outdoor 5000m, outdoor 10,000m).

Possibly the most impressive feat is that Valby is the first female distance runner in NCAA history to win five NCAA Individual Titles in a single academic year.

Final Scoreboard

Place Team Points
1 Arkansas 63
2 Florida 59
3 Texas 41
4 Oregon 40.5
5 Ole Miss 38

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Florida men’s track & field earns 3rd-straight NCAA Outdoor Championship title

All 12 of the men’s titles have come under head coach Mike Holloway.

The Florida men’s track and field team won its third-straight NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship on Friday. The Gators defeated the Auburn Tigers by one point to claim the national title.

This marks the 12th championship earned by the men and 15th overall for the combined Gators track program. All 12 of the men’s titles have come under head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag]’s direction.

Last year, the Orange and Blue entered the championships ranked fourth in the nation following a sixth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference, overcoming significant odds to earn the title. This year’s team followed a similar narrative, claiming the title despite entering the season finale ranked No. 3 in the nation and placing fourth at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

The team title came down to one event: the 4x400m relay. Florida held the second-place position in the standings, trailing the Tigers by five points (35 to 40) beforehand. The quartet of Reheem Hayles, Jevaughn Powell, Rios Prude Jr. and Jenoah McKiver proceeded to finish third with a time of 2:58.98 securing the six points necessary to clinch the national title.

Coach Mike Holloway reacts

“It was a tough day, we had some things not go our way,” he begins.

“We built this program with a lot of pride and a lot of passion. When we talk about a standard that we fight to, that’s what you saw today. Every time something went wrong, somebody stepped up and got it done. Very proud of everybody to put the uniform on today.”

As for what made this particular title unique, Holloway offered the following.

“I think the unique thing about it is like I just talked about like we have some adversity throughout the year people get nicked up,” he noted.

“I want to give a shout-out to my strength and conditioning coach Matt DeLancey, Yolanda Lawrence in the training room and our wonderful staff. Them piecing people back together when they got a little dinged up and then my coaching staff has just been phenomenal.

“Again, we’re a team, we’re family. We talk about a standard and we fight to win every single day and that’s what you saw this week.”

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Gators sending 21 athletes to NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

A gaggle of Gators will be on hand in Eugene for this year’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The No. 3 men’s and No. 5 women’s Florida track and field teams travel to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week. The national championship spans four days from Wednesday, June 5, to Saturday, June 8.

The Gators have earned a total of 14 national championships (seven indoor/seven outdoor) throughout the program’s history, 13 of which have come under the guidance of head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag]. Additionally, the men’s program has totaled 49 individual event titles during the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships across the program’s history.

The women’s program has earned one NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship which occurred in 2022 when they swept both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships. They boast 27 individual event titles in the program’s history, 15 of which have come under Coach Holloway’s guidance.

Men’s Qualifiers:

Wanya McCoy (100m, 200m, 4x100m)
Robert Gregory (200m)
Jevaughn Powell (400m, 4x400m)
Reheem Hayles (400m, 4x400m)
Jenoah McKiver (4x400m)
Rios Prude (4x400m)
Parvej Khan (1500m)
Malcolm Clemons (Long Jump)
Sean Dixon-Bodie (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Kai Chang (Discus Throw)
Will Gross IV (Hammer Throw)
Abraham Sargent (Javelin Throw)

Women’s Qualifiers:

Grace Stark (100m H)
Flomena Asekol (1500m, 5000m)
Elise Thorner (3000m S)
Parker Valby (5000m, 10000m)
Claire Bryant (Long Jump, High Jump)
Anthaya Charlton (Long Jump)
Alida van Daalen (Shot Put, Discus Throw)
Gracelyn Leiseth (Shot Put)

In addition to being well regarded as the hub of track and field in the United States, Eugene is a place that is quite familiar to the Gators’ success. The last time the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships were held at Hayward Field, 2022, the Gators took home both the men’s and women’s titles. They were the first team to accomplish this feat since Oregon in 2015.

All four days of the competition will be nationally televised on ESPN.

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Florida’s track and field venue to get $4.1 million renovation

The most successful athletic program on Florida’s campus is getting a bit of love.

Last Wednesday, the University of Florida Athletic Association announced a plan to renovate James G. Pressly Stadium and Percy Beard Track. The facelift for the men’s and women’s outdoor 2022 defending national champions’ venue carries a price tag of $4.1 million dollars, according to the official press release.

The bill will be footed in full by private gifts, with construction beginning in late April of 2023 and finalizing in early February of 2024 — if all goes well. The project aims to erect an officials’ building on the south end of the stands adjacent to the finish line along with a permanent shade structure over the starting block to help update the current competitive field.

Renovations of public areas such as the restrooms and concessions are also planned as well as waterproofing the grandstand structure.

“I am very excited for the renovation of our facilities and the opportunities it will present for both the fan and athlete experience at James G. Pressly Stadium and Percy Beard Track,” Gator track and field coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag] told FloridaGators.com.

Florida’s track and field program is possibly the most successful in the University of Florida’s athletic portfolio, producing 54 Olympians while earning a total of 13 national titles along with 29 SEC Championships. The Gators earned 12 of those national titles under coach Holloway, including three titles last year.

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Dooley’s Dozen: 12 things that will happen in 2023 in Florida Gators sports

Pat Dooley dishes out an early Christmas gift with his dozen predictions for Florida Gators sports in 2023.

If only I could see into the future, I could have made a fortune this football season.

Yeah, I’ll take South Carolina and the points against Tennessee. Sure, I’ll take Vanderbilt and the points against Florida. Of course, I will wager my pension on Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Alas, I cannot see the future and until Stewie from Family Guy perfects his time machine, I’m guessing just like the rest of you.

But that’s a part of sports, isn’t it? Trying to figure out what will happen next pays a lot of salaries for radio and TV hosts, the city of Las Vegas and Andy Cohen.

Still, we press on with a little bit of knowledge mixed with past history and total guesses.

On the latest 12 things, let’s take a look at the alleged future with a dozen predictions about Gator sports during 2023.

Former Gators tennis champ to serve as honorary Mr. Two Bits vs. USF

Ben Shelton may have moved on from UF to pursue his professional tennis career, but the former national champion will be back in Gainesville for the USF game.

Before Florida hits the road to face Tennessee in Week 4, the Gators have a third-straight home game in the Swamp on Saturday. Another home contest means that another honorary [autotag]Mr. Two Bits[/autotag] needs to be designated, and the UAA has announced that former Gator tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] will take over the role in Week 3.

Shelton is just 19 years old, but he turned pro after accomplishing nearly all there is to offer in the collegiate world. He was a key member of the 2021 national championship team and claimed the singles championship in 2022.

He made his professional debut at the U.S. Open, falling in five sets during the opening round, but he’ll play in at least six more tournaments before the end of the year.

Over the first two weeks of the season, Florida went with some vets in the Two-Bits role. Legendary wide receiver [autotag]Anthony Reidel[/autotag] and track and field coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag] served in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, but Shelton is a change of pace.

As young as he is, Shelton never got to actually see Mr. George E. Edmondson Jr. do his thing, but the UAA says that he’s been brought up to speed on things. It’s also believed that Shelton is the youngest person to serve in the role since the tradition started in 2013.

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