TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2025) – The University of South Florida track and field teams delivered strong performances across two different events on Friday. The Bulls split their squad, sending pole vaulters, throwers, and distance runners to the Celebration Pointe Classic in Gainesville, Florida, hosted by the Alachua County Sports & Events Center, while sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers traveled to the Harvard Crimson Elite Meet in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hosted by Harvard University and aired live on ESPN+.

At the Celebration Pointe Classic, Annalee Harbison finished second in the women's weight throw with a personal-best mark, jumping into the Bulls' all-time top 10 list and surpassing Chandra Brewer for 10th place. In the men's weight throw, Jason Nwosu placed third with a 17.89-meter throw, resetting his previous mark of 17.15 meters to move up on the Bulls' top 10 list. Teammate Aidan Marsh finished sixth with a throw of 14.66 meters (48' 1.25").

In the men's shot put, Nwosu earned a second-place finish, recording a 17.38-meter throw (57' 0.25"), improving his place on the Bulls' top 10 list to sixth. Vincent Ugwoke added a third-place finish with a 16.10-meter (52' 10") mark.

Sydney Granack and Hailey Cohen both posted top five finishes in the women's 5,000-meter race, finishing fourth and fifth with times of 17:48.04 and 18:03.45, respectively. Sean Perry also competed in the men's 5,000-meter race, finishing 10th with a time of 14:57.63.

In the men's mile, Andrew Marello ran 4:15.77, while Clayton Knight posted a 4:18.02, both finishing in the top 20 out of 74 runners. Marello moved up the Bulls' all-time list to sixth place, improving his previous mark. Victoria Valdez ran the women's mile in 5:13.94, finishing inside the top 20.

In the pole vault, Kobe Babin set a new program record with a clearance of 5.56 meters (18' 2.75"), marking the second time this season he has broken his own record. Teammates Noah Bitter and Nikodem Pochopien cleared 5.00 meters (16' 4.75") to place third, while Andreas Kreiss finished fifth at the same height. In the women's pole vault, Ella Dolce and Madeline Dutz both cleared 4.00 meters (13' 1.5") to claim second and third, respectively. Ella Galloway (3.85 meters | 12' 7.5") and Audrey Wuerffel (3.55 meters | 11' 7.75") finished fourth and fifth.

Catalina Edwards ran the women's 800 meters in 2:20.37 to place 15th among 45 competitors, while Marello finished 19th in the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:57.22.

At the Harvard Crimson Elite Meet, Nischa King competed in the women's pentathlon, finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles, fourth in the long jump, 11th in the high jump, 12th in the shot put, and 10th in the 800 meters.

In the men's high jump, Kendell Mosley cleared 2.10 meters (6' 10.75") to reset his position on the Bulls' top 10 list, claiming the fourth spot. Javell Brown and Javon Brown both posted impressive marks in the men's triple jump, with Javell jumping 15.24 meters (50' 0") to finish first and move up to eighth place on the Bulls' top 10 list, while Javon placed third with a 15.20-meter (49' 10.5") jump.

Doris Quainoo and Gianna Hansen both qualified for the finals of the women's 60-meter hurdles, finishing first and second in the preliminaries. Quainoo reset her time on the Bulls' top 10 list with a time of 8.35 seconds, placing sixth overall, and went on to win the finals. In the men's 60-meter hurdles, Markel Jones (7.82 seconds) finished first in the prelims, while Michael Bourne III (7.94 seconds) qualified sixth. Jones placed fourth in the finals, with Bourne III finishing sixth.

In the women's 60-meter dash, Quainoo qualified for the finals with a 7.44-second time, placing her fifth in the Bulls' top 10 list. Ja'mya Roberson also qualified for the finals, finishing sixth with a time of 7.54 seconds.

In the men's 400 meters, Alexavier Monfries clocked 48.44 seconds, marking the fourth-fastest time for South Florida. For the women, Sydni Studesville finished sixth in the 400 meters with a time of 58.25 seconds. Finally, Mimansa Dahiya placed third in the women's triple jump with a 12.31-meter (40' 4.75") mark.

"Today provided two quality opportunities to measure our team's progress," said Erik Jenkins, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "Each meet challenged us in different ways, and we saw valuable performances that will help us continue building toward success in championship season."

Final results for the Gainesville meet can be accessed HERE, while final results from the Harvard meet are available HERE

Tomorrow, the Bulls will head to Boston, Massachusetts, to compete in the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational, starting at 10:30 a.m. While the event will not be aired live, fans can follow the live results online 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.

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