USF Track and Field’s Best Season of All-Time?
July 05, 2024 | Track & Field
A Year in Review: Erik Jenkins’ South Florida program-turnaround reaches new heights.
Tampa, Fla. July 5, 2024 – Thursday, June 27, 2024, marked five years at USF for Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Erik Jenkins.
"I remember talking to our Athletic Director Michael Kelly when I got the job at this program and I told him, 'One day, South Florida will have something to say," Jenkins said.
In the last calendar year alone, Jenkins' teams have shown his 2019 prediction to be true, overseeing two individual national championships, both the first indoor and outdoor American Athletic Conference team championships in program history, and six First Team All-American awards.
However, the road to these new program heights was not linear.
Erik Jenkins was hired to lead the Bulls in June of 2019 from Western Kentucky University, where he spent over 23 years as an athlete, then assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and eventually head coach.
Jenkins hit the ground running for the Bulls, as Stephanie Lambeth was crowned the 2020 AAC indoor champion in the women's pole vault, becoming the first conference champion for USF since the program joined the league in 2013.
Jenkins' instant momentum was halted with the rest of the world as the 2020 outdoor, and 2021 indoor seasons were canceled due to COVID-19.
The 2021 outdoor season allowed Jenkins' program to get back to work. The Bulls earned their first NCAA Championship qualifiers since 2016 (Matthew O'Neal). They sent both women's relay teams and athletes in three other events: pole vault (Stone Baker), long jump (Shaniya Benjamin), and the 400m hurdles (Duncan Agyemang).
2022 allowed for Jenkins' first uninterrupted indoor and outdoor season at USF. Romaine Beckford made the indoor NCAA Championship in the high jump, and would do the same for outdoors alongside three other USF teammates: long jump (Benjamin) 400m hurdles (Sanique Walker), and 100m hurdles (Shaneylix Davila).
In 2023 Under Jenkins, South Florida saw their first national champion since 1993, as Beckford won both indoor and outdoor men's high jump national championships, setting the men's high jump program record (2.27m). Beckford also swept indoor and outdoor AAC championships. The Bulls had two other NCAA qualifiers, in indoor long jump (Nia Robinson) and outdoor men's 4x100m relay. The men's team took third place overall at the indoor conference championships. For outdoors, South Florida hosted the AAC championships, winning five events and setting six program records.
"South Florida is a program on the rise," Cory Mulls, Content Manager at FloTrack said. "You look at any top-level program in collegiate track and field, and you'll notice the same characteristics of success. Great coaching, depth, and ambition."
That momentum brings the timeline to 2024. Jenkins' led programs had 46 program record-breaking marks in the previous four years and saw that number jump to 86 with 40 more instances in 2024.
The 2024 indoor season was capped with the first men's indoor conference championship in program history, earning a program record 156 points with six individual conference champions and 12 podium finishes. The women would also have a program-best finish, taking third place with 75 points. They had two individual championships and four podium finishes. The teams broke five program records at this meet.
The Bulls also filled up the conference awards ballot. Markel Jones earned Freshman of the Year after winning the 60m hurdles championship and running a leg on the winning 4x400m relay team. Jaleel Croal took home Most Valuable Performance after winning both the 60m dash and 200m dash championships. Lastly, Coach Erik Jenkins and staff took home the Men's Coaching Staff of the Year award for the first time in program history.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and Shevioe Reid qualified for the indoor NCAA Championships. Saminu became South Florida's most recent First Team All-American sprinter since 2012 (David Aristil – outdoor 400m hurdles), finishing eighth in the 60m dash (6.69). Shevioe Reid earned Second Team All-American status finishing 11th in the 200m dash (20.81).
As the season moved outside, the Bulls hit the ground running setting four program records in the first meet. The men's program was then ranked fifth in the nation in the first week of USTFCCCA's national rankings.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu brought national light on the program again, running a wind-aided 9.95 in the 100m dash at South Florida's second home meet two weeks later. This was the program's first sub-10 time ever, and earned Saminu the NCAA's Athlete of the Week award, along with both the USTFCCCA and AAC Male Track Athlete of the Week awards as well.
The Bulls jumped to third overall in the week four national rankings after that performance, the highest ranking in men's program history.
The nation once again had its eyes on the Bulls stampede as South Florida put on a show in Philadelphia, Pa. at the historic Penn Relays. The teams took home a program record three Penn Relay championships, with both genders winning the 4x200m relay for the sweep, and the men winning the 4x100m relay the next day. This was the second consecutive year that the women took home the 4x200m relay championship.
The men followed up their first-ever AAC indoor championship with their first-ever outdoor conference championship, scoring the second most points in conference history, 217. The men won 10 events and became the first AAC team to sweep indoors and outdoors since Houston in 2019. The women once again had their best finish in program history taking third with 76 points. The teams set six program records at the meet.
The Bulls filled up the awards ballot in the outdoor season as well. Markel Jones earned Freshman of the Year again after winning the 110m hurdles championship. Abdul-Rasheed Saminu took home Most Valuable Performance after winning both the 100m dash and 200m dash championships. Lastly, Coach Erik Jenkins and staff took home the outdoor Men's Coaching Staff of the Year award to sweep the award in indoors and outdoors.
As the regular season turned to post-season, the Bulls had a program record 33 athletes traveling to Lexington, Ky. for the East NCAA Championships First Round. The previous record was 23, set the year prior by Jenkins' squad.
The South Florida records would continue as the Bulls punched nine tickets across seven different NCAA Championship events, with Saminu and Reid, each competing in three events each. For the first time in program history, South Florida sent both men's relay teams (4x100m and 4x400m) to NCAA track and field's biggest stage.
Saminu would finish third in the 200m dash with an Olympic qualifying time (20.12) that makes him eligible for Ghana's national team in Paris this summer. He also took fifth in the 100m dash with a personal best non-wind-aided time (10.02). This made him the first-ever Bull to earn First Team All-American in two events at the same NCAA Championship Meet.
Goodness Iredia also took home a First Team All-American award, finishing seventh in the long jump. Overall, the team headed home bringing back three First Team and three Second Team All-American awards from the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
For the second straight year, the Bulls' men's team finished inside the NCAA's top-30 final rankings (26th). A feat which before 2023, had not occurred since Jon Dennis won the 1993 men's 5000m NCAA Championship and led the Bulls to a 25th-place finish.
"What's telling isn't that the Bulls scored at the NCAA meet in 2024, but it's how they did it, across a variety of events," Cory Mulls said. "Sooner or later, that depth is going to make the Bulls very dangerous."
ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD
For complete coverage of USF Track and Field, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Instagram).
The USF track and field men's team won the 2024 Indoor and Outdoor AAC Championship. Romaine Beckford won the 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the men's high jump as a Bull. The 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. 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 –
"I remember talking to our Athletic Director Michael Kelly when I got the job at this program and I told him, 'One day, South Florida will have something to say," Jenkins said.
In the last calendar year alone, Jenkins' teams have shown his 2019 prediction to be true, overseeing two individual national championships, both the first indoor and outdoor American Athletic Conference team championships in program history, and six First Team All-American awards.
However, the road to these new program heights was not linear.
Erik Jenkins was hired to lead the Bulls in June of 2019 from Western Kentucky University, where he spent over 23 years as an athlete, then assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and eventually head coach.
Jenkins hit the ground running for the Bulls, as Stephanie Lambeth was crowned the 2020 AAC indoor champion in the women's pole vault, becoming the first conference champion for USF since the program joined the league in 2013.
Jenkins' instant momentum was halted with the rest of the world as the 2020 outdoor, and 2021 indoor seasons were canceled due to COVID-19.
The 2021 outdoor season allowed Jenkins' program to get back to work. The Bulls earned their first NCAA Championship qualifiers since 2016 (Matthew O'Neal). They sent both women's relay teams and athletes in three other events: pole vault (Stone Baker), long jump (Shaniya Benjamin), and the 400m hurdles (Duncan Agyemang).
2022 allowed for Jenkins' first uninterrupted indoor and outdoor season at USF. Romaine Beckford made the indoor NCAA Championship in the high jump, and would do the same for outdoors alongside three other USF teammates: long jump (Benjamin) 400m hurdles (Sanique Walker), and 100m hurdles (Shaneylix Davila).
In 2023 Under Jenkins, South Florida saw their first national champion since 1993, as Beckford won both indoor and outdoor men's high jump national championships, setting the men's high jump program record (2.27m). Beckford also swept indoor and outdoor AAC championships. The Bulls had two other NCAA qualifiers, in indoor long jump (Nia Robinson) and outdoor men's 4x100m relay. The men's team took third place overall at the indoor conference championships. For outdoors, South Florida hosted the AAC championships, winning five events and setting six program records.
"South Florida is a program on the rise," Cory Mulls, Content Manager at FloTrack said. "You look at any top-level program in collegiate track and field, and you'll notice the same characteristics of success. Great coaching, depth, and ambition."
That momentum brings the timeline to 2024. Jenkins' led programs had 46 program record-breaking marks in the previous four years and saw that number jump to 86 with 40 more instances in 2024.
The 2024 indoor season was capped with the first men's indoor conference championship in program history, earning a program record 156 points with six individual conference champions and 12 podium finishes. The women would also have a program-best finish, taking third place with 75 points. They had two individual championships and four podium finishes. The teams broke five program records at this meet.
The Bulls also filled up the conference awards ballot. Markel Jones earned Freshman of the Year after winning the 60m hurdles championship and running a leg on the winning 4x400m relay team. Jaleel Croal took home Most Valuable Performance after winning both the 60m dash and 200m dash championships. Lastly, Coach Erik Jenkins and staff took home the Men's Coaching Staff of the Year award for the first time in program history.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and Shevioe Reid qualified for the indoor NCAA Championships. Saminu became South Florida's most recent First Team All-American sprinter since 2012 (David Aristil – outdoor 400m hurdles), finishing eighth in the 60m dash (6.69). Shevioe Reid earned Second Team All-American status finishing 11th in the 200m dash (20.81).
As the season moved outside, the Bulls hit the ground running setting four program records in the first meet. The men's program was then ranked fifth in the nation in the first week of USTFCCCA's national rankings.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu brought national light on the program again, running a wind-aided 9.95 in the 100m dash at South Florida's second home meet two weeks later. This was the program's first sub-10 time ever, and earned Saminu the NCAA's Athlete of the Week award, along with both the USTFCCCA and AAC Male Track Athlete of the Week awards as well.
The Bulls jumped to third overall in the week four national rankings after that performance, the highest ranking in men's program history.
The nation once again had its eyes on the Bulls stampede as South Florida put on a show in Philadelphia, Pa. at the historic Penn Relays. The teams took home a program record three Penn Relay championships, with both genders winning the 4x200m relay for the sweep, and the men winning the 4x100m relay the next day. This was the second consecutive year that the women took home the 4x200m relay championship.
The men followed up their first-ever AAC indoor championship with their first-ever outdoor conference championship, scoring the second most points in conference history, 217. The men won 10 events and became the first AAC team to sweep indoors and outdoors since Houston in 2019. The women once again had their best finish in program history taking third with 76 points. The teams set six program records at the meet.
The Bulls filled up the awards ballot in the outdoor season as well. Markel Jones earned Freshman of the Year again after winning the 110m hurdles championship. Abdul-Rasheed Saminu took home Most Valuable Performance after winning both the 100m dash and 200m dash championships. Lastly, Coach Erik Jenkins and staff took home the outdoor Men's Coaching Staff of the Year award to sweep the award in indoors and outdoors.
As the regular season turned to post-season, the Bulls had a program record 33 athletes traveling to Lexington, Ky. for the East NCAA Championships First Round. The previous record was 23, set the year prior by Jenkins' squad.
The South Florida records would continue as the Bulls punched nine tickets across seven different NCAA Championship events, with Saminu and Reid, each competing in three events each. For the first time in program history, South Florida sent both men's relay teams (4x100m and 4x400m) to NCAA track and field's biggest stage.
Saminu would finish third in the 200m dash with an Olympic qualifying time (20.12) that makes him eligible for Ghana's national team in Paris this summer. He also took fifth in the 100m dash with a personal best non-wind-aided time (10.02). This made him the first-ever Bull to earn First Team All-American in two events at the same NCAA Championship Meet.
Goodness Iredia also took home a First Team All-American award, finishing seventh in the long jump. Overall, the team headed home bringing back three First Team and three Second Team All-American awards from the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
For the second straight year, the Bulls' men's team finished inside the NCAA's top-30 final rankings (26th). A feat which before 2023, had not occurred since Jon Dennis won the 1993 men's 5000m NCAA Championship and led the Bulls to a 25th-place finish.
"What's telling isn't that the Bulls scored at the NCAA meet in 2024, but it's how they did it, across a variety of events," Cory Mulls said. "Sooner or later, that depth is going to make the Bulls very dangerous."
ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD
For complete coverage of USF Track and Field, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Instagram).
The USF track and field men's team won the 2024 Indoor and Outdoor AAC Championship. Romaine Beckford won the 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the men's high jump as a Bull. The 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. 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 –
Players Mentioned
Jumps/Javelin
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & FieldMonday, May 11
Friday, March 06
Wednesday, February 04
Friday, May 23
