TAMPA, FL (January 16, 2025) – The University of South Florida track and field team kicks off its 2025 indoor season on January 17 at the prestigious Jimmy Carnes Invitational, hosted by the Gainesville Sports Commission in Gainesville, Fla. The event will feature a full day of competition, with USF athletes showcasing their skills across a variety of field events, sprints, and distance races.

"We're excited to open our season at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational, where our athletes will face exciting competition in a fantastic environment," said Erik Jenkins, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "This meet provides a valuable opportunity for our athletes to gain experience and set the tone for the season ahead."

The competition begins at 9:00 AM with field events, including the Women's High Jump featuring Nischa King, the Men's Weight Throw with Aidan Marsh and Jason Nwosu, and the Men's Pole Vault, where Kobe Babin, Noah Bitter, and Niko Pochopien will compete.

At 11:30 AM, Annalee Harbison will compete in the Women's Weight Throw, followed by the Women's Long Jump at 12:00 PM, where Shaniya Benjamin, Tristen Evatt, and Nischa King will represent USF. Kendell Mosley will compete in the Men's Long Jump.

The competition continues into the afternoon with the Women's Pole Vault at 1:00 PM, where Ella Dolce, Ella Galloway, and Audrey Wuerffel will take to the vault. At 2:00 PM, Aidan Marsh and Jason Nwosu will return to compete in the Men's Shot Put.

The action picks up again at 3:00 PM with the Women's Triple Jump, featuring Mimansa Dahiya, while the Men's Triple Jump will see Javell Brown, Javon Brown, and Goodness Iredia in action. Kendell Mosley will also compete in the Men's High Jump. The day concludes with the Women's Shot Put Final at 3:30 PM.

At 10:00 AM, the running events will kick off with the 1000m Run Women's Finals, featuring Catalina Edwards and Victoria Valdez. This will be followed by the Mile Run Women's Finals, with USF athletes Catalina Edwards, Sydney Granack, and Delaney Stephens in action, while the Mile Run Men's Finals will see Jayven Garcia, John Keester, and Andrew Marello representing the Bulls.

At 11:30 AM, the 60m Hurdles Men's Prelims will feature Michael Bourne III, Tyler Drew, Markel Jones, and Darian Mills, while the 60m Hurdles Women's Prelims will include Madeline Abega and Gianna Hansen. The 60m Dash Women's Prelims will see a strong group of USF sprinters, including Shaniya Benjamin, Tristen Evatt, Malaysia Johnson, Amani Kirnon, Doris Quainoo, Ja'mya Roberson, and Lynette Scutari. In the 60m Dash Men's Prelims, Jermaine Dyges, Nathan Metelus, and Shomari Pettigrew will compete.

Next up, the 300m Dash Women's Finals will feature Amani Kirnon and Skyler Watts, while Joshua Crum will compete in the 300m Dash Men's Finals. The 400m Dash Women's Finals and 400m Dash Men's Finals will follow, with Darian Mills representing the men's group.

Later that day, the 60m Hurdles Women's Finals and 60m Hurdles Men's Finals will take place, along with the 60m Dash Women's Finals and 60m Dash Men's Finals.
Subsequently, the distance events will continue with the 800m Run Women's Finals, where Rushana Dwyer, Malaysia Johnson, Terren Peterson, Adalin Robinson, and Amenda Saint-Louis will compete, while the 800m Run Men's Finals will feature Joshua Crum, Nathan Metelus, Gabriel Moronta, and Shevioe Reid.

The 200m Dash Women's Finals will follow, with Gianna Hansen and Lynette Scutari in action, and the 200m Dash Men's Finals will compete thereafter.
The day's distance events will conclude with the 3000m Run Women's Finals, where Sydney Granack, Marlo Hibler, and Delaney Stephens will compete. Additionally, Jayven Garcia, John Keester, and Andrew Marello will compete in the 3000m Run Men's Finals. The meet will close with the highly anticipated 4x400m Relay Women's Finals and 4x400m Relay Men's Finals.

Live results for the event will be available HERE, and the meet information home page can be accessed HERE.
 
ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD
The USF men's track and field team claimed both the 2024 Indoor and Outdoor AAC Championships. This past season, 10 Bulls athletes earned All-American honors: Shevioe Reid, Shaniya Benjamin, Gabriel Moronta, Nathan Metelus, Terren Peterson, Amenda Saint Louis, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Goodness Iredia, Zahria Allers-Liburd, and Tre'Sean Bouis. Romaine Beckford also represented USF as he won the 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the men's high jump.
The Bulls' achievements extended to individual accolades, with Markel Jones winning the 2024 AAC Indoor Freshman of the Year award, and Jaleel Coral being named the 2024 AAC Indoor Most Valuable Performer. The coaching team also received high honors, earning the 2024 AAC Indoor Staff of the Year award. USF boasts a remarkable track record, with 56 All-America selections and at least one All-American honoree in 10 of the past 12 years. In 2021, eight athletes combined for 11 All-American distinctions. Tampa native Shaniya Benjamin set a program milestone by 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. USF has also seen two NCAA runner-up finishes since 2013: O'Neal (triple jump, 2016) and Courtney Anderson (high jump, 2013). Head coach Erik Jenkins, who took the reins in July 2019, guided the team to seven program records and 40 top-10 all-time program marks during the 2021 outdoor season. Additionally, USF has hosted significant events at its Track and Field Stadium, including the 2018 NCAA East Preliminary and the 2021 and 2023 AAC Outdoor Championships.
For complete coverage of USF Track and Field, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Instagram).