Relays: At least we're good at something


By Matthew Ruiz
EastGators staff writer

While the UF football team -- of back-to-back 8-5, Outback-Bowl-embarrassment-by-a-Big-Ten-team fame -- held its first scrimmage to a paltry crowd of 1,000 spectators, the sounds of a roaring crowd could be heard up and down Stadium Road. But, for once, the noise wasn't coming from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Could there be a Gators basketball game next door? A Dave Matthews concert? Not quite. The Florida Relays were in town, and not even the almighty football team could outdraw them.

While meet organizers try to disperse the excitement over the four-day period -- for the sake of the officials -- the average crowd of 3,000 was electric, especially in the final event of the meet, the men's 1,600-meter relay.

"The atmosphere kind of goes up and down," Gators men's Coach Mike Holloway said. "But the energy the people felt on that last race was just amazing, and that is what it's about."

While the energy of the crowd at the relays may have had peaks and valleys, the valleys weren't very low, and the peaks were certainly very high. At the conclusion of the men's 1,600-meter relay, as the crowd began to disperse, a swarm of young girls surrounded the Gators athletes, begging for autographs, pictures, and, most of all, hugs.

Despite the attention lavished on certain winning athletes, Holloway insists that track and field is a team sport, and that is how his team behaves.

"Everyone talks about track and field being an individual sport," Holloway said. "And it is, you know -- you're out there by yourself a lot. But you win a meet with great efforts like [the men's 1,600 relay]. That's what the team's about, and as long as I'm here and I'm breathing we're going to be about that."

While Holloway may not remain breathing forever, one thing is certain: as long as track and field fans in the state of Florida are still breathing, the Florida Relays will continue to be one of the major sporting events in Gainesville every year.

And perhaps the biggest spring sporting event -- until football gets fixed and spring practice becomes a big deal again.