GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, April 01-02 — A recordsetting March rainfall spilled over into the Florida Relays schedule, making for several schedule condensations over the planned 3-day event. After rain and heavy winds canceled the Thursday activities, Friday’s weather started sunny and perfect. But Saturday’s races were postponed twice because of a weather system that brought hail and rain to the area mid-day. The later start time of 6pm meant many teams left for home and shortened the schedule to half the time.
In a much anticipated race, Abby Steiner set a century PR of 11.10 in her first race at the distance in 3 years. “I was just shaking the rust off of the 100. It’s been 3 years since I’ve gotten to run it,” said the Kentucky junior, who crushed her old best of 11.32.
“I didn’t really have any expectations. One of my goals is probably executing a little off the blocks and spending more time in my drive phase. I’m looking forward to getting back to work and putting all those pieces together to set up some more good 100 times.”
Steiner, the NCAA Indoor 200 champ, had earlier run a speedy second leg in the 4×1, but teammates Masai Russell and Karimah Davis couldn’t connect on the final exchange and the Wildcats didn’t finish. To cap things off, Steiner produced a 51-flat split in the 4×4 as the team of Davis (52.5), Moss (52.00) and Holmes (51.45) finished in 3:26.99.
In the men’s 200, Florida’s Joe Fahnbulleh rumbled past a flailing Matthew Boling of Georgia to win 20.22–20.31. The reigning NCAA champion’s time was a yearly collegiate leader, but only for a matter of minutes as it was bettered in the next section as Florida’s Jacory Patterson, a Virginia Tech transfer, sped to a 20.20, a PR by 0.37 seconds.
To kick Saturday off, Dedrick Vanover and Fahnbulleh missed the first handoff in the 4×1 and the list-leading Gators were left to stand and watch the rest of the race. North Carolina A&T’s Randolph Ross ran a strong second leg, but went out of the zone in his exchange, resulting in a DQ. The Aggie time of 38.87 was all for naught as Virginia Tech won in 39.14.
Javonte Harding of A&T outlasted strong finishes by Fahnbulleh and Cole Beck of Virginia Tech to win the first section of the 100. However, a system malfunction resulted in no time being recorded. In the rerun, 15 minutes later, Fahnbulleh — who had had a more terrible start than usual in the first running — got a better getaway and won going away in 10.22. Harding and Beck did not run.
Florida all-arounder Anna Hall made her 400H debut an impressive one, running a stunning 55.35 PR to edge out Russell’s PR 55.41. Hall’s last effort beyond the 100H was on March 23, 2019, in the 300H, where she ran 41.58. Her high school best was a 40.76(A).
Behind the top 2, Florida’s Vanessa Watson (56.25), Howard’s Jessica Wright (56.32) and South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn (56.43) all recorded second-plus lifetime bests.
In the concluding men’s 4×4 Kentucky overcame a strong 45-flat start from Randolph Ross, to beat North Carolina A&T 3:02.21–3:03.11. Dwight St. Hillaire opened with a 46.0 for the Wildcats and was followed by Lance Lang (45.5), Kennedy Lightner (45.04) and Brian Faust (45.71).
FLORIDA RELAYS MEN’S RESULTS
100(1.1): 1. **Joe Fahnbulleh’ (Fl-Lbr) 10.22.
200: I(0.0)–1. Fahnbulleh’ 20.22 (CL);
2. **Matthew Boling (Ga) 20.31; 3. *Randolph Ross (NCAT) 20.42; 4. **Lance Lang (Ky) 20.58; 5. *Evan Miller (SC) 20.58; 6. Dwight St. Hillaire’ (Ky-Tri) 20.59.
II(0.0)–1. *Jacory Patterson (Fl) 20.20 (CL).
III(0.0)–1. **Cameron Rose (Clem) 20.55.
IV(2.0)–1. **Ryan Willie (Fl) 20.61.
400: 1. Quincy Hall (adi) 45.70.
800: 1. Rajay Hamilton’ (Jam) 1:46.97; 2. ***Sam Austin (Fl) 1:48.15.
St: 1. Matthew Owens (FlSt) 8:53.22.
110H(-0.7): 1. **Darius Luff (Nb) 13.70; 2. *Devon Brooks (Clem) 13.75; 3. Rasheem Brown’ (NCAT-Cay) 13.81; 4. *Giano Roberts (Clem) 13.82.
400H: I–1. *William Spencer (SC) 49.56; 2. *Caleb Dean (Md) 49.78; 3. Akeem Lindo (NCAT) 50.56; 4. Jaylyn Scott (FlAM) 50.84; 5. Kenroy Williams’ (Ky-Jam) 50.92. II–1. **Caleb Cavanaugh (Ga) 50.32; 2. **Rasheeme Griffith’ (Tn-Bar) 50.85. IV–1. Cory Poole (NCAT) 50.20.
4 x 100: 1. Virginia Tech 39.14; 2. Kentucky 39.30;… dnf—Florida;… dq—North Carolina A&T ]38.87].
4 x 400: 1. Kentucky 3:02.21 (Lightner 45.03, Faust 45.71); 2. North Carolina A&T 3:03.11 (Ross 45.0, Young 45.8, Stokes 45.78, Lindo 46.56);
3. Florida 3:07.95.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Rahman Minor (Ky) 7-2¼ (2.19); 2. *Romaine Beckford’ (SFl-Jam) 7-2¼.
PV: 1. **Keaton Daniel (Ky) 17-7 (5.36); 2. **Nathan Stone (In) 17-7.
LJ: 1. *A’Nan Bridgett (Rut) 25-4 (7.72).
SP: 1. *Josh Sobota (Ky) 62-4 (19.00).
DT: 1. *Roje Stona’ (Clem-Jam) 198-11 (60.63); 2. **Alan de Falchi’ (Al-Bra) 190-1 (57.94).
HT: 1. *Decio Andrade’ (Mia-Por) 231-4 (70.51); 2. Kieran McKeag (Al) 228-8 (69.71); 3. Avery Carter (unat) 226-8 (69.08); 4. Georgios Korakdis’ (Tn-Gre) 223-8 (68.19); 5. ***Sean Mockler’ (In-Ire) 221-4 (67.47); 6. **Kyle Brown (Aub) 220-0 (67.06).
JT: 1. *Ahmed Magour’ (Ga-Qat) 234-2 (71.38).
FLORIDA WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(1.5): 1. *Abby Steiner (Ky) 11.10; 2. ***Grace Nwokocha’ (NCAT-Ngr) 11.27; 3. Kamaya Debose-Epps (NCAT) 11.36.
200: I(0.0)–1. **Talitha Diggs (Fl) 22.78 (out CL);
2. *Karimah Davis (Ky) 22.97; 3. Edidiong Odiong’ (FlSt-Ngr) 23.15.
II(0.0)–1. **Lasarah Hargrove (Ia) 23.09; 2. Jessika Gbai (How) 23.12.
Inv 200(0.2): 1. Briana Williams’ (Jam) 22.81; 2. Shannon Ray (EmpA) 22.95; 3. Brittany Aveni (unat) 23.10.
400: 1. *Alexis Holmes (Ky) 51.94.
800: 1. *Imogen Barrett’ (Fl-Aus) 2:02.02 (out CL); 2. McKenna Keegan (Vill) 2:03.19 (out AL, AmCL);
3. ***Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 2:03.50.
100H(-0.4): 1. **Grace Stark (Fl) 12.99; 2. *Masai Russell (Ky) 13.18.
400H: I–1. **Anna Hall (Fl) 55.35; 2. *Masai Russell (Ky) 55.41; 3. **Vanessa Watson (Fl) 56.25; 4. *Jessica Wright (How) 56.32. II–1. Grace Claxton’ (PR) 56.04; 2. **Rachel Glenn (SC) 56.43. IV–1. *Mariel Bruxvoort (Ia) 57.83.
4 x 100: 1. North Carolina A&T 42.91 (Darius, Nwokocha’, Debose-Epps, Ross); 2. Florida 43.69; 3. Clemson 44.92.
4 x 400: 1. Kentucky 3:26.99 (Davis 52.5, Steiner 51.0, Moss’ 52.00, Holmes 51.45); 2. Florida 3:29.20 (Diggs 51.34); 3. North Carolina A&T 3:31.64.
Field Events
HJ: 1. **Rachel Glenn (SC) 6-1½ (1.87); 2. ***Elena Kulichenko’ (Ga-Rus) 6-½ (1.84); 3. Jamari Drake (Ga) 6-½; 4. ***Jenna Rogers (Nb) 6-½.
PV: 1. Marissa Kalsey (unat) 13-11¾ (4.26).
LJ: 1. **Jasmine Moore (Fl) 21-4¾ (6.52); 2. **Claire Bryant (Fl) 21-2¾ (6.47); 3. Yanis David’ (Fra) 20-11¾ (6.39); 4. Madisen Richards (unat) 20-9¼ (6.33); 5. *Titiana Marsh (Ga) 20-9 (6.32).
SP: 1. Divine Oladipo’ (Vand-GB) 57-2¼ (17.43); 2. **Thea Jensen’ (Fl-Den) 54-7½ (16.65); 3. Veronica Fraley (unat) 54-4¾ (16.58); 4. *Essence Henderson (VaT) 54-2 (16.51).
DT: 1. Rachel Dincoff (unat) 199-7 (60.83); 2. Trinity Tutti’ (Can) 189-4 (57.72); 3. Henderson 186-3 (56.77); 4. Debbie Ajagbe (Mia) 185-6 (56.54); 5. Fraley 183-7 (55.96).
HT: 1. Stamatia Scarvelis’ (Gre) 231-1 (70.43); 2. Jilian Weir’ (Can) 224-5 (68.41); 3. *Madi Malone (Aub) 220-9 (67.30); 4. **Sara Killinen’ (VaT-Fin) 217-9 (66.37); 5. Molly Leppelmeier (Ky) 212-6 (64.79); 6. Nayoka Clunis’ (Jam) 206-4 (62.91); 7. Jade Gates (Ky) 204-11 (62.46).
JT: 1. Ashley Carter (Aub) 175-6 (53.49); 2. Keira McCarrell’ (Aub-Can) 169-11 (51.80); 3. Kelechi Nwanaga’ (FlSt-Ngr) 169-10 (51.77); 4. Ashley Pryke (SISU) 164-4 (50.09); 5. Samantha Zelden (Al) 162-3 (49.47). ◻︎