TAMPA, FLA., APRIL 25, 2025 — The University of South Florida track and field program delivered a dominant performance on both coasts this weekend, highlighted by a title-winning run in the men's 4x200 meter relay at the 129th Running of the Penn Relays presented by Toyota in Philadelphia.

Competing at the historic Penn Quakers Track & Field Complex, the Bulls' 4x200m squad—Alexavier Monfries, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Nathan Metelus, and Jaleel Croal—blazed to a first-place finish in 1:21.06, surpassing last year's title-winning time. For the second straight year, the Bulls were awarded the coveted Penn Relays wheel and commemorative watches in a celebration of their dominant effort.

"We came here with a goal, and our athletes delivered on the big stage on opening day," said USF Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins. "To win the 4x200 in back-to-back years at one of the most historic meets in the world says a lot about the culture we're building. Our athletes competed with heart, pride, and Bulls toughness, and it showed in every event."

USF continued its strong showing with a time of 39.24 in the men's 4x100m relay, securing a spot in Saturday's championship final set for 1:53 p.m. ET. Both the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams also earned qualifying times for Saturday's finals, scheduled for 2:39 p.m. ET and 2:33 p.m. ET respectively.

On the women's side, the Bulls' 4x200m relay team placed third overall, clocking in at 1:34.10 in a tightly contested final.

While part of the team competed in Philadelphia, a second contingent made an impact at the UCF Knights Invite in Orlando.
 
Additionally, USF's men's pole vault squad took the field in Orlando with a clean sweep. Nikodem Pochopien cleared 5.22m (17' 1.5") to earn first place, while teammates Noah Bitter and Andreas Kreiss each vaulted 5.06m (16' 7.25") to share second place honors.

The Penn Relays are being streamed on FloSports' FloTrack platform, with a special 90-minute national telecast scheduled for Saturday, April 26, on CBS Sports Network.

Fans can access live results for tomorrow's UCF Invite HERE and Penn Relays Information HERE.

FloTrack subscribers can also access the live stream 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 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.