Eriksson Wins Hammer Throw Title on Day One of SEC Outdoor Championships

Published by Florida SID on May 13th, 2016

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Florida track and field program got off to a solid start at the SEC Outdoor Championships on Thursday (May 12), with freshman hammer thrower Anders Eriksson nabbing an individual title and seven Gators advancing to the finals of their respective events.
 
Eriksson's victory in the hammer throw was the highlight of day one, and it came just after midnight local time, as severe weather and a power failure that shut down the stadium lights caused the event to be delayed multiple times.
 
After holding the lead through his first two throws, Eriksson found himself in third place as he stepped in for his fifth attempt. The pressure didn't faze the Swede, who threw 69.62 meters and held off two-time defending SEC champion Alex Poursanidis of Georgia.
 
Eriksson is the third Gator in program history to win the hammer throw, joining Jeremy Postin (2012) and Kyle Strawn (2013) as the only ones to claim the title.
 
Fifth-year senior Jayla Bostic was the only other Gator to score on day one. The Wellington, Fla. native took fourth in the hammer throw to log five points for UF's women.
 
In the preliminary races, Kyra Jefferson had one of the day's top performances, clocking the third-fastest wind-legal 200 meters time (22.56) by a collegian this year. On the men's side of the 200, Arman Hall dashed to an all-conditions personal best of 20.33 seconds.