Tag: Mike Holloway

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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PHOTOS: Florida women’s track and field team earns 1st outdoor national title

The Gators women’s track and field team matched their male counterparts with a national championship of their own this weekend.

The hardware keeps rolling in as Florida’s women’s track and field team matched its male counterparts by sweeping the NCAA Outdoor National Championships for the program’s first-ever title. It gets even better — the triumph is the second for the squad this season after collecting the indoor trophy in March while also representing the third title this year for head coach [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag] and the 12th of his storied career.

Florida’s women also laid claim to all 11 individual titles this year.

Among the notable names who propelled the Orange and Blue into the history books was Jasmine Moore, whose efforts resulted in the first woman in NCAA history to go sweep all four conference and national titles in the horizontal jump events during the same calendar year. Anna Hall also added a title in the heptathlon and Talitha Diggs took home the 400-meter brass.

Below are a few shots from Saturday’s epic championship win for Florida women’s track and field.

PHOTOS: Florida men’s track and field team earns 5th outdoor national title

The Gators added some more hardware to its illustrious athletic program’s trophy case this weekend.

The Florida men’s track and field team won its fifth outdoor national championship on Saturday thanks to a standout effort by sprinter [autotag]Joseph Fahnbulleh[/autotag], who earned an individual title in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. The Gators finished at the top of the competition for the third time in five years to claim their tenth overall title in program history.

UF legend [autotag]Mike Holloway[/autotag], who also coached the women’s team to a title in 2022 as well as the US Team at the Tokyo Olympics, won the 11th championship of his storied career at the helm of the program. During his 20 years in Gainesville, his team finished in the top five on 27 different occasions out of 38 total championship contests.

In the 100-meter dash, Fahnbulleh set a personal- and school-record time of 19.83, earning him the title in the event for the second straight year. The Gators almost broke their own collegiate record in the 4×400-meter relay in the final event of the meet, falling .35 seconds shy with a time of 2:58.88.

Take a look below at some highlights from Florida men’s track and field’s fifth outdoor title and tenth overall.