Jeff Demps did it again, folks.
Demps' victory in the 100 meter dash final was the perfect ending for a weekend in which the Florida Gators showed off their strengths for the outdoor track and field season. Demps won the event with a time of 10.01 seconds. The next closest competitor was 0.14 seconds behind him.
As for how the rest of the Gators performed on the final day of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, well, it was a mixed bag.
In the field events -- which there were only two Gators competing -- there were struggles. To be more specific, both Gators finished their respective events in 8th place. Dwight Barbiasz in the high jump with a best height of 2.10 meters and Marquis Dendy in the long jump with a distance of 7.49 meters.
Remember though, this was Dendy's first attempt at the long jump this season, as he was inactive for last weekend's UCF Invitational. He'll be ready when needed as evidenced by his exceptional indoor season.
For the track events, other then Demps' aforementioned 100 meter title, there really wasn't much to celebrate. Eddie Lovett finished 5th in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 13.76 seconds. His overall time, like nearly everyone else's time, was wind aided.
The 4x100 meter relay team that consisted of Demps, Hugh Graham Jr., Leonardo Seymore and Dedric Dukes finished 5th overall with a time of 39.26 seconds. They were about a second off the pace. The 4x400 meter relay team of Graham Jr., Dukes, Seymore and Tony McQuay finished in 3rd place overall with a time of 3:05.22 seconds.
I have a strange feeling that the SEC and NCAA National Championships are going to come down to the sprint relays this year. The Gators are going to have to find a way to improve. It's early, so don't be surprised if you see some tweaks to the lineup and/or rotation.
Next weekend (April 6-7) the Gators will host the Pepsi Florida Relays. As a former competitor in the Florida Relays, I will tell you that outside of the SEC and NCAA Championship meets, this is the biggest meet of the season for the Gators.