TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida track team will compete at the Windy City Invitational on Friday, February 14, starting at 1 p.m., and Saturday, February 15, beginning at 10 a.m. at Gately Stadium. The two-day event will feature top athletes from across the region, including teams such as Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Louisville, as they aim for strong performances in both field and track events.

Field events will kick off on Friday with the men's weight throw at 1 p.m., followed by the men's and women's long jump events. The men's pole vault is scheduled for 2 p.m., while the women's pole vault group will take the field at 4:45 p.m. The women's weight throw will begin at 2:45 p.m.

On the track, the women's 60-meter hurdle preliminaries will begin at 1:15 p.m. with heats 3-6, while heats 1-2 are set for 3:10 p.m. The men's 60-meter hurdle preliminaries will follow at 1:35 p.m. for heats 3-4, with heats 1-2 scheduled for 3:25 p.m. Those who finish with qualifying times will advance to the finals on Saturday.

The men's 60-meter dash preliminaries will take place at 2:20 p.m. for heats 3-5, with heats 1-2 scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The women's 60-meter dash will kick off at 2 p.m. for heats 3-6, followed by heats 1-2 at 4:20 p.m. Qualifying athletes will return later in the evening to compete in the finals.

The 600-meter runs will begin at 2:40 p.m., followed by the men's 400-meter race at 3:40 p.m. Additionally, the 5000-meter run will start at 5 p.m.

"As we approach our final regular season meet in Chicago, this opportunity provides us with one more chance to refine our execution of skill at a high level prior to championship season," said Erik Jenkins, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country." "We're excited to see how that translates this weekend."

Fans can access live results online HERE.

NOTES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT:
Kobe Babin: Named the American Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week for his performance at the Celebration Pointe Classic, where he set a new program record in the pole vault for the second time this season with a mark of 5.56 meters (18 feet, 2.75 inches). His mark also ranked ninth in the nation this week.

Gabriel Moronta: Named the American Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week for his performance this past weekend, where he set a new 400-meter record with a time of 46.04 seconds. His time also ranked 12th in the USTFCCCA national rankings.

Relay Team: The South Florida men's 4x400-meter relay team matched the program record set in 2024 with a time of 3:07.59. Nathan Metelus, Gabriel Moronta, Markel Jones, and Antonio Hanson all contributed to the achievement. Subsequently, there time stood for the 16^th best time in the most recent national rankings.

Event Squad Rankings: This week's event rankings placed South Florida's men's 400-meter dash, 60-meter dash, and 200-meter dash, along with the women's 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash, in the top 25.
 
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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.