Fahnbulleh captures NCAA title, as Florida men finish fourth
EUGENE, Ore. — Sprinter Joseph Fahnbulleh was crowned national champion Friday, as Florida’s men closed their outdoor season and placed fourth at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The Gators finished with total 34.5 team points to finish behind champion LSU (84 points) at Hayward Field. Top-ranked LSU won its first title since 2002. Oregon was second.
Fahnbulleh started out by running the 100 meters, in which he placed seventh with a time of 10.26 [+0.4] seconds to give the Gators to first set of points for the day. However, it was 200 the meters — Fahnbulleh’s signature event, in which he took the NCAA title.
The Hopkins, Minnesota native clocked a time of 19.91 [-0.4] seconds, equaling the eighth-best performer and the 10th-faststest time in collegiate history. A personal record for Fahnbulleh, that time also ranks second in UF history and is the sixth-fastest time in the world this year.
Fahnbulleh’s crown was the second this week for the Gators, joining Thomas Mardal’s hammer throw title.
Jumper Clayton Brown also had a busy afternoon.
Brown competed in the high jump and the triple jump, placing fifth in both. The senior logged a mark of 2.20 meters (7 feet, 2.50 inches) in the high jump and a UF seventh-ranked leap of 16.56 meters (54 feet, 4 inches) [-0.4] in the triple jump.
Freshman Ryan Willie finished seventh in the 400 meters, before returning to the track to lead off Florida’s 4x400-meter relays.
Chantz Sawyers, Jacob Miley and Kunle Fasasi joined Willie in the relays, placing seventh with a time 3:03.60.
The action continues Saturday, as the women will close out the week by competing in the final rounds.
For a complete list of results from Friday, along with a schedule of events in which Gators are slated to compete Saturday, click here.
Coverage of the final day of competition will be provided by the ESPN family of networks.
Saturday
2 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Stream live ESPN3
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., ESPNU, Stream live ESPN3