Tampa, Fla., Feb. 24, 2024 – The University of South Florida track and field team delivered in Birmingham, Ala. The men won the conference title for the first time in program history with 156 points and six event winners. The women finished third overall with one event winner. Head Coach Erik Jenkins and staff were awarded the men's coaching staff of the year, Markel Jones, who won the 60m hurdles and was a part of the men's 4x400 relay team that won, was named men's freshman of the year, while Jaleel Croal, who won both the 200m and 60m dash today, was named men's most valuable performer.
 

"I am extremely proud of the effort of these young men and ladies," head coach Erik Jenkins said. "This is a major step in the direction that we want to achieve. This championship is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication by the student-athletes, coaching staff, and administration."
 

The winning first began Friday in the men's pole vault when Kobe Babin cleared 5.03m and took home first place. Noah Bitter finished right behind Babin on the podium in second (4.88m). Shaniya Benjamin finished third in the women's long jump (6.17m) to earn a podium spot.

Then Saturday saw the other seven event winners. The medal collecting began with women's 400m. South Florida had four women compete in the final and Terren Peterson took the championship (54.02), with Zahria Allers-Liburd finishing second (54.03). The men answered back, with five runners in the final, Nathan Metelus finished first in the 400m setting a program record (46.35), and Shevioe Reid grabbed the third podium spot (46.87).

Then Markel Jones took first in the men's 60m hurdles final (7.81). The men's 60m dash followed and was won by Jaleel Croal's personal best (6.65), while Zayquan Lincoln finished second (6.74).

Then Karim Belmahdi set a program record in the men's 800m (1:50.06) to claim second on the podium.

Zahria Allers-Liburd and Shaniya Benjamin both broke the program record in the women's 200m final (23.53), with Allers-Liburd's time coming just 0.002 seconds faster, giving her the title. The two finished fourth and fifth in the event. This was the second straight day Allers-Liburd broke the program record in this event. Following, Croal would set a personal best and get his second event win in the men's 200m (20.96), while Nathan Metelus finished third (21.09).

Lastly, both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams took first. Terren Peterson, Shaniya Benjamin, Zahria Allers-Liburd, and Amenda Saint Louis ran a meet record (3:36.31) to win. The men won by running Devontie Archer, Daunte O'Banion, Markel Jones, and Tre'Sean Bouie (3:09.53).

One other notable performance was Abdul Rasheed Saminu running a meet record 6.57 in the men's 60m dash trials on Friday. The mark was also a program record for South Florida and the tenth-fastest time in the NCAA this season.

The Bulls will have a week off before preparing to fly up to Boston, Mass. for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9.

 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 and Outdoor Championships 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 –