Benjamin Wins AAC Indoor Long Jump Championship
Tampa, Fla., Feb. 25, 2022 – University of South Florida track and field student-athlete
Shaniya Benjamin headlined the day for the team as she won the American Athletic Conference Indoor Long Jump Championship with a leap of 6.13m (20-1.50) while teammate
Hannah Connell broke the school record in the 200-meter dash to qualify for tomorrow's finals.
"It's the conference championship!" head coach
Erik Jenkins said. "We had some individuals really step up today and put themselves in a position to be successful. The jumps group had a good day and we have several people earn valuable spots in finals tomorrow."
Benjamin (Tampa, Fla.) took the lead with her final attempt of the long jump to secure the victory.
Annia Ashley (Kingston, Jamaica) posted a season-best leap of 5.80 meters (19-0.5) while finishing in eighth to maintain her spot at tenth on the program's all-time list. In the men's long jump,
David Ajama (Lowell, Mass.) tallied a jump of 7.25 meters (23-9.5) to finish fifth and move up to fifth on USF's record list.
Victor Steiner (La Libertao, El Salvador) tied the tenth-best mark in program history with a jump of 7 meters (22-11.75) for a seventh place finish.
Connell (Bridgetown, Barbados) ran a 23.87 in the 200, finishing second overall to earn a spot in the finals tomorrow at 2:20 p.m. The mark beat the previous school record of 23.99 set by
Chelsea Francis in 2019.
Zahria Allers-Liburd (Miami, Fla.) ran a 24.26 in the qualifiers, posting a new personal-best and maintaining seventh place on the program's performance list.
Michael Bourne III (Midlothian, Va.) and Steiner both qualified for the men's 60-meter hurdles finals tomorrow at 1:20 p.m., posting times of 8.10 and 8.12, respectively. Bourne finished third overall in the preliminaries, while Steiner finished fourth.
In the men's 60 meters,
Tyler Dunigan (Sarasota, Fla.) posted a 6.84 in order to qualify for the finals, moving up to a tie for sixth place on USF's all-time list. Dunigan will race tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. for the chance at the conference championship. On the women's side of the same event, Connell and
Kadesha Prescott (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) both qualified for the finals tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., running 7.47 and 7.50, respectively, with Connell also winning her heat.
Kylie Clark (Tampa, Fla.) and
Audrey Wuerffel (Jacksonville, Fla.) both posted a 3.82 meters (12-6.25) in the women's pole vault to place fifth and sixth place, and tie for eighth all-time at USF, while
Eron Carter (Palatka, Fla.) placed fourth with a weight throw of 19.42 meters (63-8.75).
The Bulls continue in competition at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships tomorrow at 10 a.m.
About USF Track and Field
The USF track and field team has earned 53 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.
– #GoBulls –
