TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida track and field team had a strong showing on day one of the Windy City Invitational at Gately Stadium in Chicago. Several program records were set, and multiple top finishes helped the Bulls build momentum as they head into the final day of competition tomorrow.

Saminu Abdul-Rasheed won the 60-meter dash finals with a time of 6.57, matching his school record set last season. In addition, Goodness Iredia set a new program record in the long jump, recording a leap of 7.90 meters (25 feet, 11 inches), surpassing his previous mark of 7.79 meters (25 feet, 6.75 inches) set earlier this season.

First, second, and third place finishers included, Nischa King, who finished in first place in the women's long jump with a mark of 6.04 meters (19 feet, 9.75 inches), moving up to sixth place on the Bulls' all-time top 10 list. In the men's long jump, Javell Brown took second place with a jump of 7.00 meters (22 feet, 11.75 inches). Nikodem Pochopien led the men's pole vault group, taking first place with a vault of 5.07 meters (16 feet, 7.50 inches), while teammate Noah Bitter followed in second, securing the same mark. For the women's pole vault, Ella Galloway took first place with a mark of 4.05 meters (13 feet, 3.50 inches), moving into fifth place on the Bulls' all-time top 10 list. In the 400-meter dash, Devontie Archer finished first for the Bulls with a time of 47.62 seconds, while Rushana Dwyer claimed second place with a time of 53.46 seconds. 

Other strong performances included Skyler Watts, who finished fifth in the women's 400-meter run with a time of 55.23 seconds, and Malaysia Johnson, who placed 12th with a time of 56.31 seconds. On the men's side, Nathan Metelus ran 47.41 seconds in the men's 400-meter higginbottom event, and Javon Brown placed sixth in the men's long jump with a mark of 6.95 meters (22 feet, 1.50 inches). Additionally, Jaleel Croal ran a qualifying time to place his name on a lane in the 60m finals, running a 6.73 time that saw a sixth place finish. Amenda Saint Louis (54.38), Terren Peterson (54.49), and Adalin Robinson (55.30) rounded out the Bulls' 400m mondo event in fourth, fifth, and seventh place, respectively. 

"Today was a good day for our team. We had several strong performances, including new program records," said Erik Jenkins, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "Our athletes are starting to see their hard work come to fruition."

Tomorrow, the Bulls will meet again at Gately Stadium for another day of competition, with events scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. EST. 

Fans can access final results online HERE. Fans can also continue to stay updated with live results for Saturday's meet HERE.

For complete coverage of USF Track and Field, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Instagram). 

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.