FSU vs UF track meet, 2 May 1981

On Monday, 25 November 2013, Brett Hoffman shared a photograph from over thirty years ago showing a group of Florida State and University of Florida athletes racing on FSU's Mike Long Track. After some grumbling back and forth, a few of the Old Men of Florida Distance Running determined that the picture showed Larry Greene, John Rogers, Keith Brantly, and Herb Wills (yes, me) running in the 5,000 meters at the Florida State vs. Florida dual meet on 2 May 1981.


Very appropriate for this picture to surface five days before the annual Florida - FSU football matchup.


The track meet between the Seminoles and the Gators used to be an annual affair as well. I knew that it had been going on long before I had arrived at Florida State in 1978, probably for decades. FSU track and field had only been around for 30 years or so, but that much history seems like all eternity when you're college age. It was also true that FSU had a winning streak in the series when I started running with the Seminoles. By the time the 1981 meet rolled around, we had managed to extend that streak with wins in 1979 and 1980. The pressure was on to add another year. Never mind that we had finally managed to defeat UF in cross country earlier in the academic year. Head coach Dick Roberts called a team meeting to make sure we knew how important this was. This was a big deal in itself, because we didn't have many team meetings--maybe one more each season before the conference meet. Coach Roberts, though, was never the man to settle for finishing behind the Gators. In anything. We would beat them in every sport, then make sure we got better parking spots than they did at the grocery store.


I'm not sure how things turned out at Publix in 1981, but FSU outscored UF at the annual dual meet that spring, 85 to 69. Five of those points were mine, as you can see in the results below. You might also find a few other familiar names, depending on how familiar you are with the history of track and field in the Sunshine State. Walter McCoy, already an Olympian, is listed in a couple of events. I've already mentioned Keith Brantly. On that Saturday afternoon in 1981, Brantly hadn't yet run a marathon, but eleven years later he would make the U.S. Olympic Marathon team.


While going through the results I found a couple of obvious errors that I couldn't correct, and I may have introduced one or two more mistakes when I transcribed the document. I hope that won't prevent you from enjoying these results from the attic.

Florida State vs. Florida
Mike Long Track
May 2, 1981

Shot Put

1. Ken Lanier (Florida State) 17.06 (55' 11-3/4")
2. Neil Serafinas (Florida) 16.95 (55' 6-1/2")
3. Harry Glenn (Florida State) 15.51 (50' 10-3/4")
4. Bill Roncallo (Florida) 14.63 (48' 0")

Score: Florida State 6, Florida 3


Javelin

1. Hank Langee (Florida State) 63.87 (209' 9")
2. Joe Pascal (Florida State) 59.19
3. Mark Nugen (Florida State) 58.63
4. Rich Grobman (Florida) 54.73
5. Harry Lekien (Florida) 46.35

Score: Florida State 15, Florida 3


Long Jump

1. Stan Holmes (Florida) 7.66 (25' 1-3/4")...wind-aided +2.86
2. Leon Hutchins (Florida State) 6.82 (22' 4-1/2")...wind aided +2.16
3. Pfil Hunt (Florida State) 6.69 (21' 11-/2")
4. Jerry Smith (Florida) 6.50 (21' 4")

Score: Florida State 19, Florida 8


4 x 100 Meter Relay

1. Florida State (Chip Wells, Don Frost, Ronnie Taylor, Walter McCoy) 39.97
2. Florida (Greg Robinson, Creighton Blahak, Hugo Miller, Floyd Brown) 40.21

Score: Florida State 24, Florida 8


3,000 Meter Steeplechase

1. Doug Overfelt (Florida State) 9:01.88
2. Todd Sinclair (Florida) 9:02.04
3. Mark Sheehan (Florida) 9:11.96
4. Marc Trigg (Florida State) 9:14.50

Score: Florida State 29, Florida 12


1,500 Meter Run

1. Cullen Mattox (Florida) 3:51.51
2. Robb Gomez (Florida State) 3:51.73
3. Dave Strahl (Florida) 3:55.50
4. Bobby Shackleford (Florida State) 3:57.39
5. Chuck Broughton (Florida) 3:59.80
6. Pete Nachtigal (Florida State) 4:11.90

Score: Florida State 32, Florida 18


110 Meter Hurdles (wind was under allowable standard)

1. Greg Robinson (Florida) 14.1
2. Chris Jackson (Florida) 14.3
3. Walker (Florida) 14.8
4. Leo Hodges (Florida State) 15.1

Score: Florida State 32, Florida 27


400 Meters

1. Walter McCoy (Florida State) 47.94 [sic]
2. Ron Nelson (Florida State) 47.30
3. Creighton Blahak (Florida) 47.51

Score: Florida State 40, Florida 28


100 Meter Dash (wind was under allowable standard)

1. Chip Wells (Florida State) 10.49
2. Floyd Brown (Florida) 10.58
3. Donnie Frost (Florida State) 10.61
4. Hugo Miller (Florida) 10.71

Score: Florida State 46, Florida 31


Triple Jump

1. Leon Hutchins (Florida State) 15.38 (50' 5-1/2")
2. Lester Scruggs (Florida) 14.69 (48' 3-1/2")
3. Sam Gates (Florida State) 13.85 (45' 5-1/2")
4. Tanner Cronic (Florida) 13.76 (45' 0")

Score: Florida State 52, Florida 34


800 Meter Run

1. Philip Rolle (Florida State) 1:49.4
2. Chuck Broughton (Florida) 1:51.1
3. Lynn Brown (Florida State) 1:53.0
4. Rick Green (Florida) 1:53.9
5. Mike Nardone (Florida State) 2:04.2

Score: Florida State 58, Florida 37


400 Meter Hurdles

1. Kenneth Gray (Florida) 57.25 [sic]
2. Leo Hodges (Florida State) 54.16
3. Steve Davis (Florida) 55.47
4. George McCallum (Florida State) 56.82
5. Greg Robinson (Florida) 57.25
6. Maury Burstein (Florida State) 57.4

Score: Florida State 61, Florida 43


Pole Vault

1. Mark Bradley (Florida) 5.03 (16' 6")
2. Rohn Stark (Florida State) 5.03 (16' 6")
3. Dennis Nobles (Florida State) 15' 6"
4. Al Stanley (Florida State) 15' 0"
5. Todd Postylmayr (Florida) 15' 0"
6. Kip Dingler (Florida) 14' 6"

Score: Florida State 65, Florida 48


200 Meters (Wind +0.70)

1. Ronnie Taylor (Florida State) 20.81
2. Floyd Brown (Florida) 20.98
3. Walter McCoy (Florida State) 21.33
4. Hugo Miller (Florida) 21.60

Score: Florida State 71, Florida 51


Discus

1. Neil Serafinas (Florida) 55.52 (182' 4")
2. Eric Joseph (Florida) 53.19 (174' 8")
3. Harry Glenn (Florida State) 51.05 (167' 8")
4. Scott McLean (Florida State) 48.0 (160' 11")
5. Bill Roncallo (Florida) 46.99 (154' 4")

Score: Florida State 72, Florida 59


5,000 Meters

1. Herb Wills (Florida State) 14:08.7
2. Keith Brantly (Florida) 14:15.4
3. John Rodgers (Florida) 14:35.5
4. Scott Taylor (Florida State) 15:10.7

Score: Florida State 77, Florida 63


High Jump

1. Sam Doherty (Florida) 6' 8"
2. Sam Gates (Florida State) 6' 6"
3. Tony Laszenski (Florida) 6' 6"
4. Tadd Todd (Florida) 6' 6"
5. Rohn Stark (Florida State) 6' 4"

Score: Florida State 80, Florida 69


4 x 400 Meter Relay

1. Florida State (Ron Nelson, Philip Rolle, Ronnie Taylor, Walter McCoy) 3:12.3
2. Florida 3:15.89

Score: Florida State 85, Florida 69


Links

• Tenth annual FSU Cross-Country Invitational (1981)
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/07/tenth-annual-florida-state-university.html
  
• Ninth annual FSU Cross-Country Invitational (1980)
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/08/ninth-annual-florida-state-university.html
  
• Seventh annual FSU Cross-Country Invitational (1978)
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/07/seventh-annual-florida-state-university.html
  
• Had enough of the past? Find a future race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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