University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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11 Sports Information 2) K. Rotberg On any given morning, most people in the SW area of Gainesville saw a petite brunette running among the area ' s shade trees. For those who wondered who she was, her name is Beth Farmer. Farmer, who ran more than 13 miles a day, began running in high school to stay in shape for basketball. I very good. But in my senior year, I quit basketball and started running full time. I devoted all my time to it. I guess to be a long distance runner you have to have a lot of time and patience. But the results of hard work really pay said Farmer. Farmer ' s efforts paid off with an invitation to the 1984 Olympic Trials. Although the Florida cross country and track runner knows one day her competition days will be over, Farmer insists, I ' ll never stop running. Women ' s Cross Country 115

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I) N. Feanny Women Finish First In SEC The Lady Gator cross country team, along with its determined head coach Lyle Knudson, rounded out the season with numerous first place finishes and a Southeastern Conference Championship. Shelly Steely finished first in the Lady Gators opening meet, the Florida Junior College Invitational. Steely was followed by teammates Beth Farmer and Gina Procaccio who placed fourth and sixth respectively. The University of North Florida Invitational was the first team win for the Gators. The team, led by Steely in first position and Farmer in second, overtook the four other competitors by scoring 25 points. The team ' s second meet came during the Florida State University Invitational. Again, Steely captured the first place position followed by Farmer in second. At the University of Florida Invitational, the women ' s cross country team made the home crowd proud by finishing in first place. In the three mile race, Steely recovered her first place form and Farmer finished in second place. Not only could the football team win an SEC title, but so could the Lady Gator cross country team. Enhancing the team ' s top finish was Steely who was the top SEC finisher. The final team finish of the season occurred at the NCAA Regional II Overall, the Gators took place out of 23 teams competing. Steely finished first in the race, Farmer placed 13th and Procaccio finished 19th. All three finishers went on to individually at the NCAA Nationals. Shelly finished second. Later, Steely along with teammates Farmer and Procaccio, competed for Club Florida in the USA Nationals. sixth place finish earned her a spot on the women ' s USA team that will compete in the World Cross Country Championships in Portugal. The top eight finishers in the USA Nationals qualify for the USA team. Farmer and Procaccio finished 29th and 97th, respectively. — Tina Gonsalves 1) The women ' s cross country team had one of their best seasons with several first place finishes and an SEC title. 2) Two-time All-American Beth Farmer competed for Club Florida at the USA Nationals. Opposite page: 1) All-American Shelly Steely ran her way to the top of the SEC. 2) From left: Shelly Steely, Gina Procaccio, Cecilia Muldoon, Maria Sanders, Joan Hammeren, Beth Farmer, Sonja Braasch, Sandra Braasch. 114 Cross Country

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1) W. Coker Lady Volleyball Is Back After a six year lapse, the Lady Gator volleyball team came back into the competitive ring. In their first season since 1978, the squad broke even with a 16-16 overall record and a strong in the Southeastern Conference Championships. The team was revived so that Florida would have a better shot at winning the SEC women ' s trophy. The trophy was awarded annually to the winningest women ' s program in the conference. Originally, the volleyball program was discontinued due to lack of funds and a lack of SEC teams to play against. During the lapse Florida implemented a Lady Gator softball program which was laid to rest to bring volleyball back. The team was coached by volleyball Olympian Marilyn McReavy. Along with her Olympic experience, McReavy took an obscure Kentucky team to a fifth place national showing and led three other teams to national titles during her coaching career. Although Florida had a first season to be proud of, becoming a nationally ranked team is still foremost on the team ' s wish list. — Tina Gonsalves 1) The Lady Gator volleyball team was back and better than ever after a six year lapse in play. (Opposite page). 1) Senior Machelle Holman attempts to spike the ball and chaulk up another win for the Lady Gators. (Opposite page). 2) First row: Wendy Stevenson, Wendy Johnson, Lyra Vance, Robin June, Beth Blythe, Vicki Anderson, Ass ' t Trainer Kim Crandall. Second row: Head Coach Marilyn McReavy, Machelle Holman, Mary Ellen Silsby, Angela Cooper, Jerelene Cummings, Asst Coach Tom Cas- well. Not pictured: Kim Brown. (Opposite page). 3) Academic All-American Kim Brown was recruited by over 40 schools before deciding to attend Florida. 116 Volleyball