USF Athletics

Bulls Complete Day One at Pepsi Florida Relays

April 01, 2022

GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 1, 2022 – The University of South Florida track and field team wrapped up day one in Gainesville, Florida, with multiple student-athletes moving up in the program records.
 
"The jumpers lead the way today with several respectable performances," head coach Erik Jenkins said. "I'm looking forward to another quality day of competition tomorrow."
 
In the high jump, both Romaine Beckford (Portland, Jamaica) and Kendell Mosley (Niceville, Fla.) moved up on the program's all-time top 10 lists. Beckford posted a personal best with a mark of 2.19 meters (7-2.25), giving him second place in the event and moving him into third all-time at USF. Mosley tied his own personal best with a jump of 2.06 meters (6-9), earning sixth in place in the event and ninth in the program records. David Ajama (Lowell, Mass.) posted a jump of 7.40 meters (24-3.5) in the long jump.
 
Shaniya Benjamin (Tampa, Fla.) also posted a top-10 program list performance during Friday's meet. She finished the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.82 seconds. Benjamin carried her momentum into the long jump invite, where she earned 10th place in the event with a jump of 5.87 meters (19-3.25).
 
Jadaja Baxter (Sandy Springs, Ga.) and Annia Ashley (Kingston, Jamaica) both placed top 10 in the long jump. Baxter took ninth place with a jump of 5.67 meters (18-7.25), while Ashley finished right behind her in 10th with a jump of 5.61 meters (18-5).
 
The Bulls are back in action tomorrow at 8 a.m. for the second day of the Florida Pepsi Relays.
 
About USF Track and Field
The USF track and field team has earned 54 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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