2013 Florida Relays

LIVE NOW: 2013 Florida Relays

LIVE NOW: 2013 Florida Relays

Apr 4, 2013 by Nickolas Velliquette
LIVE NOW: 2013 Florida Relays
WATCH THE FLORIDA RELAYS LIVE HERE
Start Times (ET): Thurs @5pm - Fri @10am - Sat @12pm

Regarded as the fastest track and field meet in the south, the Florida Relays boasts a slew of stars from the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.  

Pearcy Beard Track plays host to 100m monster and multi-sport high school phenom, Levonte Whitfield, who put up a 10.15w this season, as well as fellow Florida HS superstar, Andres Arroyo, the owner of a nation leading 4:04 1600m time.  

Collegiate athletes looking to top their Olympic counterparts this weekend range from national champions, Eddie Lovett and Jaret Eaton -both of whom are competing in the 110H- to Marvin Bracy who looks to topple Mike Rodgers and company.   All eyes, however, will be on the Men's 400m and the Relays, which positions many of the best collegiate squads head-to-head.  

Below is a list of big names to look out for.  Flotrack fav, Ryan Fenton, was also nice enough to highlight and write descriptions for each and every event that you WILL NOT WANT TO MISS.

Full Schedule | Heat Sheets

Olympians
David Oliver (USA) - 110H
Francena McCorory (USA, gold) - 400
Bryshon Nellum (USA/USC, silver) - 400
Rondell Sorrillo (TRI) - 400
Will Claye (USA, silver/bronze) - LJ/TJ (competing in 100)
Derek Drouin (CAN/Indiana, bronze) - HJ (competing in the 110H)
Lalonde Gordon (TRI, silver) - 400 (competing in 200)
Tony McQuay (USA, silver) - 400 (competing in 100)

World Team Members
Johnny Dutch (USA) - 400H
Mike Rodgers (USA) - 100


Notable High School Races

Boy's 100 (prelims Thurs, 6:40pm / finals Fri, 2:15pm) - Features nation's top returner in Levonte Whitfield (10.15w earlier this season).

Girl's 100H (prelims Thurs, 6:15pm / finals Fri, 12:30pm) - This one will be deep as three of the top seven hurdlers in the country go head-to-head: Ebony Morrison (US #2), Lia King (US #6) and Altoniece Williams (US #7).

Boy's 110H (prelims Thurs, 6:40pm / finals Fri, 1:00pm) - Headlined by US #2, Walter Tucker, who ran 13.89 earlier this season.

Boy's Invite 1600 (Fri, 6:05pm) - Early season surprise, Andres Arroyo, ran a nation leading 4:04 two weeks ago. Arroyo will face Carlos Miranda who currently ranks #9 in the US at 3200m.

Girl's Invite 1600 (Fri, 5:55pm) - This field will showcase three of Florida's best with Emily Edwards (US #7, 4:53), Bridget Blake (US #16 in 3200) and 8th grade sensation Daesha Rogers (PRs of 2:09 and 4:54).

College/Open Races to Watch (listed in chronological order):

Men's 110H (Fri, 1:05pm) - Former American record holder, David Oliver, will race for the first time in 2013 against two athletes that kept him from making the US Olympic team: Olympian Jeff Porter and 4th place trials finisher Antwon Hicks. Current and former NCAA National Indoor Champions, Eddie Lovett of Florida and Jarrett Eaton (Syracuse grad), will also be looking to tear (**)it up. Olympic high jump bronze medalist, Derek Drouin, will test himself in an "off" event, running in section four.

Men's 400 (Fri, 1:50pm) - Loaded field that should see the fastest collegiate time of the early season as Florida's young trio of Glass, Hall and Graham Jr. goes up against Olympian Bryshon Nellum of USC and David Verburg of George Mason.

Women's 100 (Fri, 2:20pm)
- Octavius Freeman, of Central Florida, will headline the field. Freeman posted the second fastest time in the NCAA last year as a freshman with her mark of 11.09.

Men's 100 (Fri, 2:40pm)
- The first section will showcase one of the country's most exciting young sprinters, FSU's Marvin Bracy (10.05w PR in HS), who will be going up against one of the world's best in Mike Rodgers. Rodgers has a PR of 9.85 and finished under 10.0 last weekend at the Texas Relays. The second section will show an uncommon matchup between LJ/TJ Olympian, Will Clay, and 400m Olympian, Tony McQuay.

Men's 800 (Fri, 3:25pm)
- Indoor 800 All-Americans Sean Obinwa (4th, Florida) and Declan Murray (3rd, Loyola) square off against Flotrack's most recent Kick of the Week honoree, Brandon Lasater of Georgia Tech.

Women's Invite 200 (Fri, 4:40pm)
- Freeman and teammate/NCAA indoor 60m champ Aurieyall Scott take on 4x4 Olympic Gold Medalists, Dee Dee Trotter and Natasha Hastings.

Men's Invite 200 (Fri, 4:55pm)
- Olympic 400m Silver medalist, Lalonde Gordan, will match up against a great field that includes: Rodgers, McQuay, the Florida 400m trio and another FSU short sprint sensation, Dentarius Locke.

Relays (Saturday, starting at 12pm)
- The Florida men and women always put together some of the strongest relays teams off the year.  They'll make things exciting as they match up head-to-head with some of the best pros from around the world. Oh, and if the Florida State men assemble their best 4x100 squad, we should see something special.