MEET: American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships
DATE: Feb. 28-29 | 10 a.m.
LOCATION: Birmingham, Ala. | Birmingham Crossplex
WATCH: Sunday | Monday
CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL
TAMPA, FEB. 26, 2016 – USF's track and field team will compete at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships beginning on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala.
The two-day meet, held at the Birmingham Crossplex, will be streamed live on The American Digital Network. The top three in each event will be named all-conference performers. The top eight finishers score points and the top six earn medals.
IMPROVEMENT THIS SEASON
The Bulls have been improving their performances all season long as nine women have had a mark that has placed them in USF's all-time indoor top 10. The men's program keeps a top five list during the indoor season and this year's squad has nine marks that are currently on it.
TRYING FOR THE FIVE TIMER'S CLUB
Matthew O'Neal will try to become the third USF men's track and field athlete to become a five-time conference champion. The senior from Jackson, Miss., can join sprinter Derrick Hopkins and distance runner Muchapiwa Mazano as other five-time conference champions (indoor and outdoor combined). O'Neal was named the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete at last season's indoor championships after winning the triple jump. His best jump this season of 54-8, set on Jan. 22 at the Joe Donahue Games in New York, is currently the third-best jump among NCAA Division I athletes. The men's triple jump begins at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. O'Neal is also entered in the long jump, which is at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
THE VAULT
In four of the last five seasons, at least one men's pole vaulter has earned all-conference honors during the indoor championships. The Bulls enter Sunday with four men and one woman ranked in the top 10 in the conference in the pole vault. Sophomore David Akins' (Orlando) vault of 16-8.75 ranks second in the conference. Freshman Joe Fogarasi (Columbia, Conn.) and senior Winston Perry (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) both rank third in the conference with a season-best jump of 16-3.25. Freshman David Bell's vault of 15-11 ranks ninth, as does junior Sophia Brown's (Goshen, Ind.) mark of 12-2.
LATICIA SIMS
An NCAA qualifier last season during the outdoor season (100m hurdles), senior Laticia Sims (Detroit) will try for her first all-conference honors. Earlier this season, Sims ran a time of 8.46 in the 60m hurdles, the third-fastest time in school history and the third-best in the conference this season. The event preliminary is at 2:55 p.m. on Sunday with the finals on Monday at 1:45 p.m.
IMPRESSIVE FRESHMEN
Along with Bell and Fogarasi in the pole vault, here are some freshmen to watch this week. Chelsea Francis (Jacksonville) has ran the eighth-fastest 60m time (7.56) in the conference, which also ranks fifth all-time at USF. She is also entered in the 200m dash, where she ran the eighth-fastest time in school history earlier this season. The 60m dash prelims are at 2:55 p.m. on Sunday and the finals are at 1:45 p.m. on Monday.
Errol Ennis (Jamaica) holds the fourth-best triple jump in the conference at 49-3.5. The mark also ranks fourth at USF. Jonah Daniels (Hollywood, Fla.) is another freshman jumper who has performed well this season. His season best of 23-4.75 earlier this season was the third-best jump in school history and ranks sixth in the conference. The men's long jump begins at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
GOING FOR MORE
There will be eight Bulls competing who have earned all-conference honors in the past. Those individuals include O'Neal (five times), Dwight Davis (three times), Chase Meyers (two times) Bruce Barclay (one), Anderson Charles (one), Devin Screen (one), Roshard Williams (one) and Danny Yoon (one).
Women
Catherine Blaney, Mile, DMR
Sophia Brown, PV
Nicole Carroll, PV
Khadeeja Dooling, 4x4
Bethany Evans, 3K
Chelsea Francis, 60
Krysten Golden, 60
Hannah Gospodinsky, SP
Bernicia Hollifield, WT
Kadeidra Jackson, 200, 4x4
Lauren Kilts, HJ
Stephanie Lambeth, PV
Sarah Leary, DMR
Kaylin Martin, DMR, 4x4
Leandra Munson, 5K
Mikeia Pooler, PENT
Frances Rice, PV
Tiah Sanborn, 400, 4x4
Laticia Sims, 60H
Jessica Taylor, 3K, DMR
Melissa Westmorland, 3K
Men
David Akins, PV
Bruce Barclay, 60H, 4x4
David Bell, PV
Anderson Charles, 800, DMR, 4x4
Cody Chernoff, PV
Jonah Daniels, LJ
Dwight Davis, 200, 400, 4x4
Zach Diaczynksy, SP, WT
Errol Ennis, TJ
Joe Fogarasi, PV
Eddie Galan, PV
Charvin Graham, WT
Justin Jack, HJ
Chase Myers, HJ
Mitchell Mueller, PV
Matthew O'Neal, TJ, LJ
Winston Perry, PV
Devin Screen, SP, WT
David Tampa, Mile, 3K
John Weaver, 3K, DMR
Roshard Williams, 60, 200
Danny Yoon, 60, 4x4, DMR
Led by 10th-year head coach Warren Bye, the USF track and field team has produced 21 All-Americans (eight men, 13 women) since 2000 and at least one All-American in seven of the last eight years. Senior Matthew O'Neal is a four-time All-American in the triple jump. The Bulls host the USF Invitational on March 11-12 and the Bulls Invitational on March 17-18. USF is home to the 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary.
