TC, Wesley Chapel product Joyer to make his Gator track debut

Posted Jan 21, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 21, 2012 at 04:11 PM

Former Tampa Catholic and Wesley Chapel two-sport star Hunter Joyer will start his “other sport” Sunday when he competes in his first collegiate track and field meet for the University of Florida, indoors at the Gator Invite in Gainesville’s O’Connell Center.

Joyer is coming off a solid debut as a true freshman on the UF football team. He played in all 13 of the Gators’ games last fall, finishing with 82 yards on 18 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He was used primarily as a blocking and short-yardage back but impressed the Gators coaching staff—and his teammates—with his strength and work ethic.

“He (runs) real low to the earth, so you kinda have to get real low,” Florida sophomore linebacker Jelani Jenkins told the Gainesville Sun. “He’s strong. I remember first seeing him in the weight room benching 315 (pounds) like it was easy. A lot of guys can’t do that at all.”

Sunday will mark Joyer’s first serious competition in the shot since winning last spring’s Class 2A state shot put title with a toss of 61 feet, 1 inch. It was his second consecutive state crown, following his 2010 crown won while at Tampa Catholic.

Joyer is one of four Gators who play another sport outside of track and field, joining football teammates Jeff Demps and Frankie Hammond, and soccer goalkeeper Taylor Burke.

Demps, who recently announced he is forgoing his UF football career in an attempt to make this year’s U.S. Olympic team, and Hammond are slated to start their seasons later this indoor season. Burke competes in the women’s high jump.

While the bulk of UF’s running athletes will sit this meet out, former Riverview standout Ashley Favors, a Gators freshman, is slated to make her debut for the school on the 55 hurdles.     

Other local athletes will be on hand for Sunday’s meet. Watch for Florida International’s Marissa McElveen, a former state champion from Blake who recently soared to a long jump mark of 20 feet, 0.5 inches. That’s one of the nation’s best jumps of this young indoor season. Also competing for FIU is former Tampa Bay Tech star La’Shae White, who will be in the women’s 400-meter dash.