VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., MARCH 15, 2025 — The University of South Florida's Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and Kobe Babin delivered standout performances at the NCAA Track and Field Indoor National Championships, held March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The event kicked off at 9:15 a.m. ET on Friday and 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, with fans tuning in live on ESPN+.

Saminu shattered two program records over the weekend. In the 60-meter prelims, he set a record with a 6.55 time, only to surpass it in the finals with a blistering 6.53, earning his third First Team All-American honor since joining the Bulls. Meanwhile, Babin concluded his collegiate career as the national runner-up in pole vault, becoming USF's first-ever indoor First Team All-American in the event. Babin posted two consecutive program records, clearing 5.61m (18-4.75) and 5.66m (18-6.75), which also set a facility record. His performance outshined competitors from top programs like Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas A&M.

"These two athletes have worked tirelessly to reach this point," said Erik Jenkins, USF's Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "We're proud of their accomplishments and the way they've represented USF on the national stage. Their hard work and dedication have paid off in remarkable fashion."

With their stellar performances, the Bulls secured the No. 21 spot in the top-25 rankings. Additionally, South Florida was one of only three non-Power Four schools to achieve this distinction.

The top-25 rankings included, USC, Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma, BYU, Oregon, Georgetown, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Villanova, Washington, South Carolina, South Florida, Baylor, Missouri, Arizona State. 

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ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD 
The USF men's track and field team captured back-to-back American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in 2024 and 2025 and also claimed the 2024 AAC Outdoor Championship. This past season, 10 Bulls athletes earned All-America honors, including 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. Additionally, Romaine Beckford represented USF by winning the 2023 NCAA indoor and outdoor national titles in the men's high jump.
The Bulls' achievements extended to individual accolades, with Saminu Abdul-Rasheed earning the 2025 Indoor Most Valuable Performer award and Nikodem Pochopien being named Freshman of the Year. The USF coaching staff also received high honors, earning the AAC Indoor Staff of the Year award in both 2024 and 2025. 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-America distinctions. Tampa native Shaniya Benjamin set a program milestone by earning three All-America honors during the 2021 outdoor season, while triple jumper Matthew O'Neal, a 2016 graduate, became USF's first six-time NCAA All-American. Since 2013, USF has produced two NCAA runner-up finishes: O'Neal in the triple jump (2016) and Courtney Anderson in the high jump (2013). Head coach Erik Jenkins, who took over in July 2019, has played a key role in the program's success, guiding USF to seven program records and 40 top-10 all-time program marks during the 2021 outdoor season. USF has also hosted major track and field events at its USF Track & Field Stadium, including the 2018 NCAA East Preliminary and the AAC Outdoor Championships in 2021 and 2023.