Tampa, Fla. May 12, 2024 – The University of South Florida track and field men’s team won their first conference championship in February at indoors, and followed by winning the outdoor championship with 217 points.
The women finished third in indoors and tied that mark in this outdoor championship, for their best finish since third in 2013 as part of the Big East.
“I am very happy with the performances of both programs. The women battled through a lot of adversity to finish third in a highly competitive women’s championship,” Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins said.
“The men battled to the bitter end to solidify their outdoor title. They showed poise and determination throughout the meet. The end result was a victory that they all could be excited about.”
No men’s team had swept both since Houston in 2019, but South Florida won 10 events, including podium sweeps in the men’s 200m dash and 400m hurdles en route to a decisive championship sweep.
The Bulls were awarded Freshman of the Year (Markel Jones), Most Valuable Performance (Abdul-Rasheed Saminu), and Coaching Staff of the Year on top of the overall men’s championship.
Overall in the three-day meet, six program records were set (M-200m dash, W-200m dash, M-400m dash, W-400m dash, M-4x100m relay, and M-Pole Vault).
MEN WIN 10 EVENTS
Championship Sunday belonged to the Bulls. They started the day with a facility, meet, and program record win in the men’s 4x100m relay (38.44). Zayquan Lincoln, Jaleel Croal, Shevioe Reid, and Saminu ran the ninth-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Markel Jones started his award campaign by winning the men’s 110m hurdles with the second-fastest time in program history (13.75). Tyler Drew also podiumed in third with the second-fastest time in program history (13.87). Michael Bourne III finished fifth (13.97) and Darian Mills eighth (14.22) to also earn points for the Bulls.
The hurdlers then went on to sweep the podium in the men’s 400m hurdles an hour later. Devontie Archer took first with the second-fastest time in program history (49.80), Jones took second (50.76), and Mills took third (50.88). Two other Bulls picked up points for the men’s team as Drew came in sixth (51.79) and Bourne III in eighth (54.34).
Saminu ran the fastest wind-legal men’s 100m dash in program history and fifth-fastest time in the NCAA (10.03) to take first place, and Croal was just behind him with the second-fastest time in program history (10.13) for second place. Zayquan Lincoln finished fifth (10.47) and JeyQuan Smith finished seventh (10.53) to both earn points for the Bulls as well.
45 minutes later, Saminu also won the men’s 200m dash, tying his program record time (20.34), this time in wind-legal conditions. The Bulls swept the podium again, with Reid finishing second (20.46) and Croal in third (20.47). Nathan Metelus finished sixth (20.82) also earning points for the Bulls. Reid also ran the fastest men’s 200m dash time (20.29w 3.0 m/s) in program history, stadium history, and meet history in prelims on Saturday.
Tre’Sean Bouie won the men’s 400m dash, tying his personal best time (46.07). The Bulls had four of the top six finishers, with Reid in second (46.48), Daunte O’Banion in fifth (47.48), and Gabriel Moronta gutting out an injury to finish sixth and earn points for the Bulls. Moronta had just set the program record in prelims the day before (45.81).
In the last event of the meet, the men collected one last track conference championship in the men’s 4x400m relay (3:07.74). O’Banion, Shomari Pettigrew, and Archer ran a steady first three legs, and Bouie caught up to Charlotte in the final 50m, diving forward to secure the victory in a dramatic photo-finish.
Karim Belmahdi also helped score for the Bulls, finishing third place with the fourth-fastest times in program history in both the men’s 800m (1:50.51) and 1500m (3:46.99).
The other three conference championships came in field events. Goodness Iredia won the men’s triple jump championship with the second-longest jump in program history and the seventh-best mark in the NCAA this season (16.23m / 53′ – 3.0″).
Iredia also won the men’s long jump championship Saturday evening with a 7.69m (25′ – 2.75″) jump. Elisha Teneus-Claude also earned points for the Bulls, finishing eighth (7.08m / 23′ – 2.75″).
Kobe Babin won the men’s pole vault championship with a program record (5.50m / 18′ – 0.5″) clearance. Noah Bitter took second, clearing 5.15m (16′ – 10.75″), and Andreas Kreiss fifth (4.90m / 16 – 0.75″).
Vincent Ugwoke took second place in the men’s discus throw (58.07 / 190′ – 6.0″) and eighth place in the men’s shot put (16.31m / 53′ – 6.25″)
Kendell Mosley took second place in the men’s high jump with the fourth-best clearance in program history (2.15m / 7′ – 0.5″).
WOMEN FINISH THIRD
Amenda Saint Louis ran a program record 52.72 women’s 400m dash to finish second. Je’Nyia Burton finished fifth (55.63) to score as well.
Zahria Allers-Liburd ran a program record 22.87 (2.1 m/s) wind-aided women’s 200m dash in prelims and went on to finish second in the championship (23.30). Terren Peterson gutted out an injury to finish seventh and score points.
Allers-Liburd, Shaniya Benjamin, Chakiya Plummer, and Saint Louis finished second in the women’s 4x400m relay (3:36.04).
In the women’s 100m dash, Allers-Liburd took fifth (11.52) and Lynette Scutari took seventh (11.64).
Plummer finished sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles (1:00.14) and eighth in the 100m hurdles (13.87).
Benjamin finished third in the women’s long jump championship (6.18m / 20′ – 3.50″), clearing that distance on her last jump. Benjamin was the first bull to medal at this championship meet.
Jazmyn James finished third in the women’s discus throw (47.85m / 157′ – 0″). Alexandria Hunter finished eighth (43.57 / 142′ – 11.0″).
In her return from injury, Antonia Sealy finished fourth in the women’s javelin throw with the third-longest throw in program history (46.52m / 152′ – 7.00″).
Ryan Lewis finished fourth in the women’s triple jump with the seventh-best jump in program history (12.63m / 41′ – 5.25″).
Ella Dolce finished fourth in the women’s pole vault (3.88m / 12′ – 8.75″) and Madeline Dutz finished seventh (3.73m / 12′ – 2.75″).
Hunter finished fifth in the women’s hammer throw (55.11m / 180′ – 9.00″).
James finished sixth in the women’s shot put (14.25m / 46′ – 9.0″).
Molie Jean Baptiste finished seventh in the women’s high jump (1.68m / 5′ – 6.0″).
UP NEXT
The Bulls will have an off week and then those who qualify are off to Lexington, Ky. For the NCAA Regionals May 22-25.
ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD
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The USF track and field men’s team won the 2024 Indoor AAC Championship. Romaine Beckford won the 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the men’s high jump as a Bull. The team has earned 56 All-America selections and at least one All-American in 10 of the last 12 years, including a record eight athletes claiming 11 honors in 2021. Tampa native Shaniya Benjamin set a program record earning three All-American honors during the 2021 outdoor season, while triple jumper Matthew O’Neal, a 2016 graduate, became USF’s first six-time NCAA All-American. Bulls have posted two NCAA runner-up finishes since 2013 – O’Neal (triple jump, 2016) and Courtney Anderson (high jump, 2013). Head coach Erik Jenkins took over the program in 2020 and in the 2021 outdoor season the Bulls posted seven program records and 40 top 10 all-time program marks. USF hosted the 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary and the 2021 AAC Outdoor Championship at the USF Track and Field Stadium located on the east end of campus.
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