A recap of the weekend that was in Gator sports:
Jeff Demps wins the 100m; men’s track wins first SEC title since 1987
Demps
Rainy conditions at the SEC Track and Field Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. could hardly slow down Florida sprinter Jeff Demps last weekend.
Demps, a sophomore from Winter Garden whom you may know as the football team’s starting tailback, clocked an eye-popping 10.06 in the 100 meters Sunday to win the conference title. His time wasn’t a personal best — he ran a 10.01 as a 19-year-old to earn the unofficial moniker of “fastest teenager on the planet” — but it was his best time as a collegiate runner. It was also the second-fastest time clocked in the NCAA this year and fourth-fastest in the world.
“‘Round about the middle of the race I kind of felt myself pull away, and I kind of knew then that I had it,” Demps said, via the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Demps was fueled by his performance in the final leg in the 4×100 relay earlier in the day. The relay team, which also featured Florida running back Chris Rainey, finished second to Mississippi State by .01 seconds (39.09 to 39.10).
“The relay (loss) definitely did have an impact on me,” Demps said. “The relay didn’t go how we wanted it to, we got second so hats off to Mississippi State, they came out and ran good. So I knew we definitely could use those 10 points.”
Three Florida football players — Demps, Rainey and receiver Frankie Hammond (T-5th in the high jump at 2.05 meters) — helped the men’s track and field team win its first conference title since 1987. The Gators had 124 points, well ahead of second-place LSU, with 100.
“It’s been a long journey and I’m really proud of the team for its determination and fight,” coach Mike Holloway said. “Great teams are able to respond to adversity and we did that this weekend.”
Gator baseball sweeps UGA, showdown at South Carolina awaits
No. 4 Florida baseball took care of business this weekend in its final SEC home series, sweeping last-place Georgia (3-22) by scores of 4-3, 4-3 and 9-3. The three victories kept the Gators in a tie with South Carolina for first place in the SEC (20-7 record) and sets up a winner-take-all showdown with the Gamecocks next weekend in a three-game series in Columbia, S.C.
Florida won the first two games of the series in the bottom of the ninth. Friday, the Gators scored two unearned runs in the ninth on two errors, and won it on a Mike Zunino sacrifice fly. Saturday, sophomore catcher Ben McMahon led off the ninth inning with a walk-off home run.
Sunday’s win was a bit easier. Freshman Brian Johnson improved to 5-2 by allowing one run over 5 2/3rds innings, and the Gators scored seven runs in the sixth on three hits and six walks to blow open a close game.
The Gators have one more game this week — Tuesday against North Florida — before heading north for the big series with the Gamecocks. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan knows he has to keep his team fresh so as not to jeopardize his team’s chances this weekend.
“I just want to be careful and make sure we have our legs underneath us going into Columbia,” O’Sullivan said, via the Gainesville Sun.
Beal
Sophomore linebacker Brendan Beal announces intention to transfer
Brendan Beal’s Florida career hasn’t exactly gone as planned. A former four-star linebacker recruit out of Bangor, Pa., Beal hasn’t played a down in his two years, missing his first year with a torn ACL and last year with a neck stinger.
Now behind Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins on the depth chart at middle linebacker, Beal told Scout.com last weekend that he will transfer out of the Florida program.
“I was told tonight (Sunday) by coach Steve Addazio that I will be given my official release from the University of Florida sometime tomorrow,” Beal told Scout. “I spent two years at Florida under several different coaches in which I had the opportunity to learn a lot about football and had some good experiences there. I appreciate the time the coaches gave me during my tenure with the Gators and wish them the best of luck with their program.”
While Beal never saw the field at UF, his loss hurts the Gators’ depth at linebacker as they try to replace the losses of Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper and Dustin Doe to graduation.
Brandon Hicks and A.J. Jones will start on the outside, while Bostic and Jenkins will likely battle for the middle spot. Senior Lorenzo Edwards and converted safety Dee Finley will also compete for playing time on the outside.
