TAMPA, FlA., MARCH 6, 2025 — University of South Florida sprinter Saminu Abdul-Rasheed has been honored with the Men's American Indoor Track Most Outstanding Performance Award, recognizing his exceptional showing at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.

The award is presented to student-athletes who recorded the highest-ranking marks on the NCAA Division I performance list during last week's conference championships. Abdul-Rasheed's performance in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes solidified his place among the nation's top collegiate sprinters.

At the championships, Abdul-Rasheed clocked 6.58 seconds in the 60-meter final to claim the champion title. His winning time in the 60-meter landed him at No. 21 on the NCAA performance list. He also delivered an impressive performance in the 200-meter final, finishing in 20.85 seconds to secure another championship victory. His performances this season have ranked among the best in the NCAA, with his 60-meter dash time of 6.57 seconds at the Windy City Invitational on Feb. 15 officially qualifying him for the NCAA Indoor National Track & Field Championships.

A key contributor to South Florida's track and field, Abdul-Rasheed was also named Most Valuable Performer at the conference meet after securing titles in both the 60-meter and 200-meter events.
Abdul-Rasheed will now turn his attention to the NCAA Indoor National Track & Field Championships, set for March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he will compete against the nation's best sprinters.

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 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.