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It was an up-and-down day for former, current, and soon-to-be Florida Gators in Eugene, Oregon at the U.S. Track and Field trials over the weekend. Former Gator Kerron Clement will make the trip to Beijing after finishing second in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 48.36s. In the glamour event, the men's 100 meter dash, current Gator Jeremy Hall reached the quarterfinals, while former Florida track and football player John Capel was eliminated in the semifinals. Also bowing out in the semifinals of the 100 meter dash was soon to be Gator Jeffrey Demps. Demps, who signed a football scholarship to play for Urban Meyer, is also the high school and world junior record holder after his blazing 10.01 time in the quarterfinals.
Demps could not continue his impressive display in the semis however, finsihing last with a time of 10.34. Demps says he is now focused on playing football, and will be in Gainesville this week to begin preperations for the 2008 season. Also for the Gators in track and field, former Gator Hazel Clark will run in the finals of the 800 meter run, after finishing second in the semifnals, while Rachel Longfors finsihed a dissappointing eleventh in women's discus finals.
Other notable names from track and field saw former LSU sprinter Xavier Carter, who trains under Florida track coach Mike Holloway, finish eighth in the 100 meter dash finals, while his former teammate on the LSU football team, Trindon Holliday, was knocked out in the semifinals of the same event. Qualifying for the Olympics in the 100 meter dash is Darvis Patton, Walter Dix (Florida State) and Tyson Gay, who ran a wind-aided world record time of 9.68.
In swimming qualifying, Ryan Lochte is going to the Olympics to compete in at least the 400 meter Individual Medley, after he broke Michael Phelp's old IM record on Sunday. Lochte did not set a new world record however, as Phelps bested his old mark at the same time, 4 minutes, 5.25 seconds.