Contact Information:

Joleen Cacciatore,CSEE

Executive Director

Gainesville Sports Commission

300 East University Ave. Suite 100

Gainesville, FL 32601

Office: (352)338-9300
e-mail: [email protected]

Gainesville Sports Commission Presents the 9th Annual Jimmy Carnes Indoor Track and Field Meet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gainesville, FL- 901 girls and boys will gather in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Saturday morning for the 9th and final Jimmy Carnes Indoor Track and Field meet.  The meet is conducted under the auspices of the Gainesville Sports Commission whose long time Executive Director, Jack Hughes and current Meet Director, Larry Holsey, came up with the idea ten years ago.  This will be the last track meet contested on the storied 35 year old O’Connell Center track which has seen numerous World, USA professional, high school, and age group records and national leaders. In March, the “O’Dome” renovations will include removing the track.

“We have a fantastic field for our final one!” said Larry Holsey, meet director. “Over 13,500 athletes have competed over the years. This one could be our best.”

The meet was named after Jimmy Carnes, the 1980 U.S. Olympic track & field team Head Track Coach, Head Coach of the Florida Gators track and field team from 1965-1976, the founder of the Florida Track Club, member of the U.S. Track & Field Hall of Fame, co-founder of the Athletic Attic running store chains, President of TAC (now USA Track and Field), Board member of the International Special Olympics, and pioneer in track and field who passed on March 5, 2011.

Saturday’s competition will feature some of the best sprinters in the country. In the girls 55m dash, 17-19 year old age group, High School All-Americans, Alfreda Steele of Pasco HS (Dade City), will square off against fellow High School All-American Khalifa St. Fort of St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL). Steele was the fifth fastest 100 meter dash runner last year (11.33 seconds) and is a University of Miami signee. St. Fort was the second fastest 100 meter runner (11.19 seconds) in 2015. St Fort, a UCLA signee, also claimed the Pan American Games Gold and IAAF World Youth Championship Silver last summer. Locally, Nia Flagg of Gainesville High, a FSU signee, will mix it up in the 55 meter dash final.

Not to be out done, the boys will feature two of the nation’s top underclassmen. Tyrese Cooper from Miami, FL set the US Freshman Indoor record in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.54 seconds and the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.97 seconds on January 16. He also owns the US High School age 15 record for the 200 meter dash with a time of 20.94. Usain Bolt owns the World age 15  200 meter record with a time of 20.58 seconds.

Damion Thomas from Northeast (Oakland Park, FL) has been erasing records for years in the hurdles. He owns the age 14(14.05 seconds) and 15 year old (13.64 seconds) US records in the 110 meter hurdles and returns to defend his 2015 title in the 55 meter hurdles.

A full list of top competitors is attached.

Action begins at 8:30AM. A full schedule of events is listed below.

Admission is $7 for spectators who may enter at Gate 1 of the O’Connell Center. Parking is free at the O’Connell Center Parking lot.

More detailed information can be found on the Gainesville Sports Commission site at Jimmy Carnes Indoor Track and Field Meet.  

Heat sheets, a list of competitors with entry bib and an entry list for each competitor are attached and are posted at halfmiletiming.com. Live meet results and heat sheets will be posted at halfmiletiming.com. Meet updates will be posted twitter account @RickyQuintana,  #JimmyCarnes and the Gainesville Sports Commission Facebook page. We are on a rolling schedule so follow our tweets to get up to date information on the progress of the meet.

A full schedule follows:

Saturday Order for ages 14 and under of Events (Rolling Schedule):

8:30am Start: Pole Vault (G-B) [13, 14, 15-16, 17-18]

8:30am Start 14 and under:

Long Jump (G-B) [4-6, 7-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14]

Shot Put (B-G) [4-6, 7-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14]

Saturday Order for ages 15 and up of Events (Rolling Schedule):

8:30am Start: Pole Vault (G-B) [13, 14, 15-16, 17-18]

8:30am Start 15 and up:

1 Mile Run (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

200m Dash (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

800m Run (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

400m Dash (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

55m Dash (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

55m Hurdles (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

Afternoon Session (Rolling Schedule) Tentative Start Time 1:00pm

55m Hurdles G-B) [11, 12, 13, 14]

55m Dash (G-B) [4-6, 7-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

55m Dash Championship (G-B) [15 and up]

1 Mile Run (G-B) [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

55m Dash Championship  (G-B) [14 and under]

400m Dash (G-B) [7-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

800m Run (G-B) [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

200m Dash (G-B) [4-6, 7-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

Afternoon Session (Rolling Schedule) Tentative Start Time 1:00pm

Long Jump (G-B) [15-16, 17-18]

Shot Put (B-G) [15-16, 17-18]

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