Buchholz gets resurfaced track, names it after UF track coach Mike Holloway

Ainslie Lee, The Gainesville Sun
Updated ·2 min read

The asphalt track that circles Buchholz's Jessie B. Heard Field bears a new name that honors Mike "Mouse" Holloway, who coached the Bobcats' cross country and track and field teams in the 80s and 90s before going on to take the head coaching job at the University of Florida.

The official naming ceremony was held last Saturday during the Alachua County track and field championships.

"I am extremely humbled and honored that they are naming the BHS track after me," said Holloway in a release. "This honor is a true reflection of the hard work and dedication of so many athletes and coaches who were involved with the success of the BHS program."

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During his time at Buchholz, Holloway led the Bobcats to a number of championships, including back-to-back cross country state titles in 1989 and 1990. The first track and field championship came in 1993.

Holloway was hired as the men's track and field coach in 2002 and later became the first coach to pilot both the men's and women's programs in 2007. Since then, Holloway has led the Gators to a combined 12 NCAA championships, the most recent last June as Florida swept the men's and women's outdoor championships.

Shaun Skeris was a member of the back-to-back state championship-winning cross country teams and made a generous, $100,000 donation to Buchholz to have the track resurfaced and renamed to honor not only Holloway, but also teammate Greg Schol who died in 1992.

"This donation is my way of honoring the legacy Mouse created and the memory of our friend and teammate Greg Schol," Skeris said in a release. "I want to help sustain the legacy so more athletes can have similar opportunities going forward."

Thanks to Skeris' generosity, the Buchholz field house was dedicated to him.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida track coach Mike Holloway honored by Buchholz