Tampa, Fla., April 8, 2023 – The University of South Florida track and field team wrapped up a successful day two at the South Florida Invitational, tallying six event wins throughout the day.
Ella Dolce claimed the first win of the day for the Bulls with a mark of 3.90 meters (12-9.5) in the pole vault to finish first. Riley Hunt claimed fourth with a mark of 3.65m (11'11.75). Alliya Boothe finished fifth in the shot put with a throw of 13.60m (44-7.5), moving into eighth on the program record list.
USF swept the women's long jump, with five Bulls finishing in the top six. Jadaja Baxter took first with a new personal best mark of 6.12 meters (20-1) which moves her up to sixth in the program's all-time list. Annia Ashley came in second with a new personal best mark of 6.10 meters (20-0.25), the seventh best performance in program history, Shaniya Benjamin finished third with a mark of 6.05 meters (19-10.25), Kendall McDaniel took fifth place with 5.69 meters (18-8), and Loren Johnson finished sixth with 5.66 meters (18-7).
Johnson and Ashley both earned top finishes in the triple jump. Johnson came in first with a mark of 12.24 meters (40-2), while Ashley came in second with 12.21m (40-0.75) moving her to eighth on the all-time list, wrapping up the field events for the day.
In the 4x100 relay, South Florida's team of Je'Nyia Burton, Doneisha Anderson, Baxter, and Benjamin, took first with a time of 44.92 seconds, good for sixth all-time in program history.
Cora Kolodge claimed a new personal best mark in the 1500m after running 4:51.11 to finish eighth in the competition.
In the 400-meter dash, Burton finished first with a time of 53.73 seconds, entering the program's all-time list in third place and tallying the Bulls' fifth event win of the day. Sanique Walker followed in fifth position with a mark of 55.43 seconds.
Arden La-Rose, Victoria Valdez, and Alyssa Wyatt all earned new personal bests in the 800m. La-Rose ran a time of 2:11.19 to finish third in the competition, which keeps her spot in sixth position in the programs' all-time list, while Valdez ran a time of 2:17.73, and Wyatt ran 2:18.20.
South Florida placed three women in the top four in the 400m hurdles. Chakiya Plummer took second place with a new personal best time of 59.28 seconds, followed by Shaneylix Davila in third with 1:01.14 seconds, and Madeline Abega in fourth with 1:01.17 seconds.
Kelly Lynch finished fourth in the 5000m race with a time of 18:32.82. Chloe Byrd placed seventh with a season best time of 18:48.72, while Hailey Cohen and Marissa Hagenbarth claimed new personal best times of 19:24.47 and 19:46.54, respectively.
The relay team of Anderson, Burton, Terren Peterson, and Zahria Allers-Liburd earned South Florida's sixth and final event win of the day by taking first place in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:38.56, good for the eighth in program history.
The Bulls will split groups next weekend. One group will head to Walnut, Ca. for the Mt Sac Relays while the other will travel to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial.
About USF Track and Field
The USF track and field team has earned 56 All-American selections and at least one All-American in 10 of the last 12 years, including a record eight athletes claiming 11 honors in 2021. Romaine Beckford won the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championship in the men's high jump. 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 –
