Florida wins 3rd straight NCAA men's outdoor track and field championship

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Florida finished third in the 1,600-meter relay to pass Auburn — which failed to qualify for the final event — in the team standings Friday night for the Gators' third straight NCAA men’s outdoor track and field championship and fifth in eight seasons.

Florida finished with 41 points to edge the Tigers by one. Southern California followed with 33, Alabama had 32 and Texas A&M 31.

The Aggies broke the school and meet record in the relay at 2 minutes, 58.37 seconds.

At the start of the day, Auburn moved up to second in the standings when it won the 400 relay in 38.03 — the third-fastest time in collegiate history.

Division I newcomers Cheickna Traore of Penn State and Shane Cohen of Virginia won events in their first season after transferring. Traore ran away with the 200 title in 19.95, beating Florida’s Robert Gregory. Traore won the event last year in the Division III meet for Ramapo College.

Cohen was in last place with a little over 100 meters to go before winning the 800 in 1:44.97 for his first Division I title. Last season, Cohen finished sixth at the Division II championship while at Tampa.

Georgia’s Christopher Morales Williams completed an indoor-outdoor sweep in the 400, finishing in 44.47.

Washington continued its dominance in the 1,500, winning a fifth consecutive title when Joe Waskom edged Oregon’s Elliott Cook in 3:39:48. It was Waskom’s second NCAA 1,500 title — both at Hayward Field — in the past three seasons.

North Carolina’s Parker Wolfe won the 5,000 in 13:54.43, topping former champs Nico Young and Ky Robinson for his first national title.

Texas Tech’s Caleb Dean won the 400 hurdles in 47.23, the second-fastest time in NCAA history, by holding off defending champion Chris Robinson of Alabama. Dean won the 60 hurdles at the indoor championships this year.

Darius Luff of Nebraska took the 110 hurdles in a personal-best 13.19.

Romaine Beckford of Arkansas won back-to-back titles in the high jump by clearing 7 feet, 5 inches — to go with his two indoor titles.

Three non-Power Five programs also claimed titles. Georgetown’s Parker Stokes won the steeplechase with season-best time of 8:24.39. Houston’s Louie Hinchliffe (9.95) edged Auburn’s Favour Ashe (9.99) to win the 100 with a personal-best time. Salif Mane became Fairleigh Dickinson’s first individual national champion, taking the triple jump at 56 feet, 2 3/4 inches. South Alabama’s Francois Prinsloo won the discus at 208-4.

For the first time the national collegiate wheelchair championship in the 100 took place as part of the Division I outdoor championships. Evan Correll of Illinois won in 14.33.

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