USF Track and Field Splits for Penn Relays, UNF Invite
MEET: Penn Relays | UNF Invite
DATE: April 28-30 | April 29-30
LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pa. | Jacksonville, Fla.
SCHEDULE: Penn Relays |
UNF Invite
RESULTS: Penn Relays |
UNF Invite
Tampa, Fla., April 28, 2022 – The University of South Florida track and field team will split into two squads again this weekend, sending student-athletes to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., and the UNF Invite in Jacksonville, Fla.
"For the second time this year, we are splitting the squads," head coach
Erik Jenkins said. "Penn Relays and the UNF Invite will provide excellent opportunities for the team to compete against quality competition. UNF will be geared towards individual performances, while Penn Relays will provide the platform for elite competition at the largest meet in the country."
Penn Relays
Shaneylix Davila (Kissimmee, Fla.),
Chakiya Plummer (Hoover, Ala.) and
Sanique Walker (Manchester, Jamaica) begin USF's competition at the Penn Relays on Thursday evening, competing in the women's 400 meter hurdles at 5:35 p.m.
On Friday, both the men's and women's 4x100 relays compete beginning in the afternoon session at 1:10 p.m for the women and 1:35 p.m. for the men. The teams will be competing in the Championship of America groups.
Kadesha Prescott (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) kicks of Friday's individual competition at 2:55 p.m. in the 100-meter dash. She currently holds the seventh best time in USF history with a 11.62 earlier this season.
Danelson Mahautiere (Roseau, Dominica) begins the day for the men shortly after in the 100 as well. He sits at seventh on USF's all-time list with a time of 10.50 last season.
Davila runs again and
Hannah Connell (Bridgetown, Barbados) starts her individual competition at 2:55 p.m. in the 100-meter hurdles, while
Michael Bourne III (Midlothian, Va.) runs in the 110-meter hurdles at 3:10 p.m.
Both the men's and women's 4x400 relays will run in preliminaries on Friday as well.
Romaine Beckford (Portland, Jamaica) is USF's lone field competitor at the Penn Relays. He'll compete in the high jump at 12 p.m. on Friday.
Saturday's competition will be the finals for many events after preliminaries on Thursday and Friday.
UNF Invite
Eron Carter (Palatka, Fla.) kicks off the UNF Invite for the Bulls at 3 p.m. on Friday in the men's hammer. He'll look to continue his success in the event after breaking the program record earlier this season. Also at 3 p.m.,
Kobe Babin (Niceville, Fla.) and
Stone Baker (New Port Richey, Fla.) also compete in the men's pole vault,
Kendell Mosley (Niceville, Fla.) jumps in the high jump and
Alliya Boothe (Bloomfield, Conn.) participates in the women's shot put.
In other field events for the day, Boothe competes again in the women's hammer throw at 6 p.m., while
Riley Hunt (Greenville, Ohio),
Audrey Wuerffel (Jacksonville, Fla.) and
Natalya Zavala (Tampa, Fla.) all compete in the women's pole vault.
In the long jump, which also takes place at 6 p.m.,
David Ajama (Lowell, Mass) represents USF in the men's competition, while
Annia Ashley (Kingston, Jamaica),
Loren Johnson (Orange Park, Fla.) and
Kendall McDaniel (Loganville, Ga.) compete on the women's side.
In Friday's track events,
Jae'Nisa Heckstall (Phoenix, Ariz.) runs in the 400-meter hurdles at 6 p.m. She will look to better her school-record of 56.94 set last season. A four-runner USF contingent will run in the women's 200 meters at 6:30 p.m., followed by another four-runner group competing for the Bulls in the women's 1500 meters to close out the day at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Carter begins the day again in the men's discus at 11 a.m., while Ajama and Johnson compete in the triple jump at 1 p.m. at the same time as Ashely and McDaniel's participation in the women's high jump.
At 12 p.m., Heckstell and
Cherrish Wright (Apopka, Fla.) compete in the 100 hurdles, followed by a four-Bull committee competing in the women's 800 at 1:10 p.m. and a three-studen-athlete group in the men's 800 at 1:30 p.m.
Zahria Allers-Liburd (Miami, Fla.) and
A'Kyrah O'Banner (Tallahassee, Fla.) run in the 400 meters at 2:10 p.m., followed by
Zayne Jack (Lutz, Fla.) and Wright in the 100 at 2:55 p.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 –
