TAMPA, FLA., APRIL 5, 2025 — The South Florida track and field team wrapped up a historic weekend at the Pepsi Florida Relays, held at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida, breaking four program records and capturing the attention of the global track and field community. Highlighting the two-day meet, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu clocked a blazing 9.87 seconds in the 100-meter dash, not only shattering the USF program record but also establishing the current fastest time in the event by a collegiate sprinter.

Gabriel Moronta added to the Bulls' record-breaking day by surpassing his own program record in the men's 400-meter with a time of 45.31 seconds. Moronta now holds both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter records in the same season. 

On the women's side, Rushana Dwyer etched her name into the record books in the 400-meter dash, finishing in 52.30 seconds to break the program record. The women's 400-meter record has now been broken in three consecutive seasons. 

In the field events, Jason Nwosu recorded his second program record since joining the Bulls, launching the shot put 17.90m (58-8.75) to solidify his name in the record books.
"It was an incredible weekend for our program and one that speaks to the level of dedication and talent across our roster," said Erik Jenkins, USF's Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "To come away with four new program records and the fastest 100-meter time is a statement. I'm proud of how our student-athletes continue to raise the bar and compete at a high level." 

The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Saminu, Jaleel Croal, Alexavier Monfries and Nathan Metelus took second place with a 38.79 finish, which ranks second on the Bulls' all-time outdoor list. In the women's 100-meter hurdles, Doris Quainoo placed 11th overall with a time of 13.32 seconds, good for fifth in program history. Teammate Tyra Thomas finished inside the top-20 out of 49 competitors, clocking in at 13.50 seconds. Quainoo also ran an 11.51 in the 100-meter dash, tying for sixth all-time at USF.

The women's 4x400-meter relay squad posted a time of 3:35.09, ranking seventh on USF's outdoor top-10 list. The men's 4x400-meter team also delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth with a time of 3:04.62, the fourth-fastest outdoor time in program history.

In field action, Vincent Ugwoke earned first place in the discus throw with a 61.00m (200-1) mark. On the track, Karim Belmahdi continued his strong season in the men's 800-meter run, clocking a personal-best 1:49.33 to remain second all-time at USF in the event.

Up next, the Bulls will return home to host the South Florida Invitational on Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12. The two-day meet will also serve as an Athlete-For-Athlete event.

Fans can access final results 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.