Gainesville, Fla., Jan. 12, 2024 – The University of South Florida track and field wrapped up the Jimmy Carnes Invitational held by the Gainesville Sports Commission today. The Bulls kicked the season off with a strong performance overall, taking first place in six different final events. South Florida had three different podium sweeps, first in the men's pole vault, then in the men's 4x400 relay, and lastly in the men's 60m dash, of which all three times were new program records. Seven different athletes established new personal records.

Jumping Events:

Kobe Babin, Noah Bitter, and Andreas Kreiss kicked off the day with a podium sweep, coming in first, second, and third respectively in the men's pole vault final. Babin led the Bulls clearing 5.15m, Bitter followed establishing a new personal record of 5.00m, and Kreiss kicked off his collegiate career by clearing 4.85m to cap off the trio's success. For the women, Ella Dolce and Elizabeth Lydon finished tied for third with 3.55m cleared.

Shaniya Benjmain won the women's long jump with a jump of 5.83m, while Antonia Sealy finished third with 5.65m in the contest.

Kendall Mosley won the men's high jump competition and set a new personal record with a 2.09m jump.

Throwing Events:

Aidan Marsh kicked off his collegiate career by finishing second in the men's shotput competition with his best toss traveling 14.13m on the day.

Alexandria Hunter came in fifth in the women's weight throw competition at 17.11m and second in the women's shot put competition (13.89m)

Running Events:

The Bulls also swept the podium in the men's 60m dash competition with first, second, and third all only separated by a hundredth of a second each, in first Jermaine Dyges (6.68 seconds), in second Jaleel Croal (6.69 seconds), and third Zayquan Lincoln (6.70 seconds), all three establishing a new program record under 6.73 (Z. Lincoln - 2023). Croal's 6.69-second time set a new personal record for him, beating his previous record of 6.74 seconds from the same meet last year. For the women, Zahria Allers-Liburd finished third in the women's 60m dash competition in 7.52 seconds setting a new personal record, (previous 7.56 seconds). Both Shaniya Benjamin and Lynette Scutari established new personal records during the 60m dash prelims. Benjamin clocked in at 7.54 seconds, beating her old mark by 0.04 seconds, and Scutari at 7.63 seconds, improving her old 7.96-second mark. 

In the men's 60m hurdle competition, the Bulls had four top-five finishers. Michael Bourne III earned second place in the men's 60m hurdles in 8.04 seconds, Markel Jones kicked off his collegiate career in third place at 8.09 seconds, Tyler Drew placed fourth in 8.21 seconds, and Darian Mills earned fifth at 8.24 seconds.

South Florida saw two top three finishers in the men's 800m today with Gabriel Moronta taking first (1:54.11) and Tre'Sean Bouie placing third (1:57.00) and setting a new personal record.

In the women's 200m dash, Scutari placed fourth in 25.43 seconds. 

The men's 4x400 relay teams swept the podium giving the Bulls their third podium sweep of the day. Group A consisting of Bourne, Bouie, Shomari Pettigrew, and Jones placed first (3:13.92), Group B consisting of Shevoie Reid, Devontie Archer, and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Dyges, and Aidan Dixon finished second (3:16.50), and in third was Group C consisting of Daunte O'Banion, Croal, Moronta, Lincoln with a time of 3:16.89 on the track. South Florida's Group A in the women's 4x400 relay finished second (3:41.01) and consisted of Allers-Liburd, Amenda Saint-Louis, Terren Peterson, Je'Niya Burton, and Benjamin.

About USF Track and Field

The USF track and field team has earned 56 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. 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). Director of Track & Field and Cross Country 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 –