TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida Bulls track and field team will compete in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Championships this Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. The meet is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. CST and will feature top athletes from across the conference, with the action streamed live on ESPN+, with Noah Frary and Kelly Burke on the call and Maria Trivelpiece as the reporter.

The AAC indoor championships will return to the Birmingham CrossPlex for a ninth straight championship. The championships have been held at the CrossPlex for each season dating back to 2016.
The Bulls are looking to defend their title after dominating the 2024 AAC Indoor Championships, scoring 156 points to claim the crown. With a strong core returning for 2025, including sprinters Jaleel Croal, Markel Jones, Shevioe Reid, and Saminu Abdul-Rasheed, the team is aiming to get back to the winner's circle and continue their momentum.

To date, the Bulls have seen a variety of program records rewritten in the history books. Markel Jones' 60-meter hurdle performance at the Windy City Invitational on Feb. 14-15 was not only a program record but a new conference record as well. Jones surpassed Houston's Deion Wilson's 7.69 time set in 2023 by running a 7.65, breaking the AAC indoor 60-meter hurdle record. Additionally, Kobe Babin has made huge noise across the conference, winning Field Athlete of the Week three times thus far after resetting three program records and posting top marks across the AAC, while also producing consistent top national rankings for his performances.

"Our team has been working incredibly hard all season, and this is the moment we've been preparing for," said Erik Jenkins, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country. "We're excited to showcase our talent and represent South Florida at one of the American Athletic Conference championships. We are thrilled and ready to perform at the highest level."

Aiming to build on strong performances from the indoor season, the Bulls are poised to make an impact in a variety of events. 
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS AND MAJOR AWARDS:
-All-Conference performers will be the Top 3 male and female finishers in each event. 
 
-A Men's and Women's Most Valuable Performance is awarded to the athlete, regardless of if they are track or field, who earned the most amount of points at the meet. Relays are worth ¼ point.
 
-Men's and Women's Staff of the Year is the coaching staff of the team that wins the team championship.
 
-Men's and Women's Freshman of the Year is awarded to the true freshman, regardless of if they are track or field, who earned the most amount of points at the championship. Relays are worth ¼ point.
 
-Men's and Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer and Field Performer will be awarded after the championship and goes to the athlete that finishes highest on NCAA performance lists prior to the NCAA Championship. This will come out the week after the championship.
 
AWARD WINNERS FROM LAST INDOOR CHAMPIONSHP:
Kobe Babin: Men's Pole Vault Champion
Nathan Metelus: 400m Dash Champion
Markel Jones: 60m Hurdles Champion and Freshman of the Year
Jaleel Croal 60m and 200m Dash Champion and Most Valuable Performer
Terren Peterson: 400m Dash Champion

Additionally, our men's and women's 4x400m relay team received championship finishes. Subsequently, our coaching staff received men's Staff of the Year.

Fans can access the live ESPN+ broadcast HERE. Additional information is also linked below.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
LIVE TIMINGS
MEN'S HEATS
WOMEN'S HEATS
 
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.