Florida T&F Head Coach Mike Holloway Previews 2014 Indoor Season With Media Monday

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With the 2014 track and field indoor season just five days away, Florida head coach Mike Holloway met with the media Monday to discuss the upcoming campaign.

The University of Florida Track & Field squads will open the 2014 indoor season Jan. 10-11 in Birmingham, Ala., at the UAB Blazer Invite, hosted at the Birmingham CrossPlex next weekend.

NOTE: 2014 USTFCCCA Preseason Poll will be released Jan. 7

UAB will provide live online results through MileSplit for the Blazer Invitational. The link for results, along with all meet information and a schedule of events are located on the UAB athletics website on the Track & Field sub-page: Blazer Invite Central.

Events kick off in Birmingham Friday late afternoon with the women’s weight throw at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The meet continues Saturday at 10 a.m. (ET).

RECAPPING 2013 | PREVIEWING 2014

On the men’s side, the Gators claimed their fifth national championship in a span of four years after taking home the 2013 outdoor title with a stellar championship performance in the men’s 4x400 meter relay that pulled the Gators into a tie with Texas A&M on the final day of competition for their fifth championship, second straight outdoors.

In 2012, the Gators became just the third program in NCAA history to win three straight indoor national titles (2010, 2011, 2012). On the women’s side, the Gators own one national title after claiming the indoor crown in 1992.

In outdoor action, UF’s men won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, the Gators were the sixth program to ever sweep both the indoor and outdoor titles.

MEN | RECAPPING 2013

Florida was the first team to tie for the NCAA title (with Texas A&M) since 1978 and 2013 was just the fourth time in NCAA history a tie has occurred...The 2013 NCAA Outdoor title was the second consecutive crown for the Gators after capturing the 2012 title as well...Florida finished as NCAA runner-up indoors behind individual NCAA titles from Marquis Dendy and Eddie Lovett...Florida won the men’s 4x1 and 4x4 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the first time with double relay titles in program history...Florida turned in second-place finishes at both the indoor and outdoor SEC Championships...Senior Omar Craddock defended his NCAA Championship in the men’s triple jump outdoors, leaping a new personal best 55-6.25..The Gators totaled 33 All-America honors during the course of the 2013 season...2013 marked the 17th consecutive year that the Gator men have earned at least nine All-America honors in a single season...Head Coach Mike Holloway was named the 2013 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Outdoor Head Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

WOMEN | RECAPPING 2013

The Gator women finished fourth at both the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, garnering four titles along the way (Ciarra Brewer: Triple Jump (o), Cory McGee: mile (i), Marija Vucenovic: javelin (o), Relay: Distance Medley Relay (i))...The women’s DMR won the SEC title indoors to tally Florida’s first relay title since 2000 (4x4)...Florida earned a total of 27 All-America honors (10 indoors, 17 outdoors) during the season...The Gators’ 4x400-meter relay team earned All-America honors both indoors and outdoors at the 2013 NCAA Championships...Florida finished tied for 11th at NCAA Outdoors and 13th at NCAA Indoors in 2013.

FLORIDA 2014 HOME MEET INFORMATION

The University of Florida will once again play host to two meets during the 2014 outdoor season:

The Florida Relays: April 3-5, 2014

The Tom Jones Memorial Invitational: April 19, 2014

Both Gator events will be held at Percy Beard Track at the University of Florida. For all meet information, visit the ‘Home Meet Information’ box on the Track & Field page of GatorZone.com.