TWO BITS: Demps, Proctor and Tebow honored

1 » Florida Gators running back/sprinter Jeff Demps and jumper Shara Proctor were both named Athlete of the Week by the Southeastern Conference for their performances during the Virgina Tech Elite Meet track and field competition over the weekend. Demps, who participated in the first indoor meet of his career, placed second in the finals of the men’s 60-meter dash and was honored as SEC Male Freshman of the Week. His 6.61 time was the second-fastest time in school history and one hundredth of a second off of the NCAA automatic-qualifying standard. Proctor won both the women’s triple jump and long jump setting “automatic-qualifying marks, school-record marks, SEC-leading marks and nation-leading marks in both events,” according to the University Athletic Association.

2 » Former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will serve as Grand Marshals for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona on Thursday. Consisting of two 60-lap races, the Gatorade Duel is a qualifying event for the Daytona 500. Tebow will recite the famous, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” line before the first race. So much for focusing solely on football.

Extra Bit » The No. 5/3 Florida softball team was chosen to win the SEC East Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll. The Gators look to return to the Women’s College World Series after falling to the Washington Huskies in the 2009 championship series.