TAMPA, FLA., May 1, 2025 — The University of South Florida track and field team returns to action this weekend as it travels to Jacksonville, Florida, to compete in the UNF East Coast Relays. The two-day meet will take place Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, at Hodges Stadium on the University of North Florida campus. Friday's competition is set to begin at 1 p.m., with events continuing Saturday starting at 11 a.m. The meet will not be broadcast.

This weekend marks a crucial final tune-up for the Bulls ahead of the upcoming American Athletic Conference Championships. The team enters the meet riding momentum from a successful showing at the prestigious Penn Relays, where the men's 4x100-meter relay team captured event hardware for the second consecutive year. Additionally, members of the men's 200-meter squad helped USF secure another victory in the 4x200-meter relay, also winning the event for a second straight time in Philadelphia.

"Our student-athletes are hitting their stride at the right time," said USF Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins. "The East Coast Relays offer us a great chance to sharpen our execution and build on the energy we created in Philadelphia. Every event this weekend is a steppingstone toward our ultimate goal—performing at our best when it matters most."

USF continues to receive national recognition across several events. In the most recent USTFCCCA rankings, the Bulls are ranked No. 2 in the men's 100-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles, No. 7 in the 4x400-meter relay, No. 9 in the 200-meter dash, and No. 12 in the 400-meter dash. On the women's side, USF holds top-25 national rankings in the 100-meter hurdles (No. 7), 4x400-meter relay (No. 10), 400-meter dash (No. 11), and 200-meter dash (No. 22).

On Friday, the Bulls will open the meet with the men's pole vault at 1 p.m., featuring Noah Bitter, Andreas Kreiss and Nikodem Pochopien. At 2 p.m., Vincent Ugwoke will compete in the men's hammer throw. The men's high jump will follow at 3 p.m., with entries from Javon Brown, Javell Brown and Kendell Mosley. The women's pole vault begins at 4 p.m. with Madeline Dutz and Ella Dolce. At 5 p.m., Annalee Harbison will compete in the women's hammer throw. Also, at 5 p.m., the women's 400-meter hurdles will see Madeline Abega and Chakiya Plummer compete, while Darian Mills, Joshua Crum and Tyler Drew represent the Bulls in the men's 400-meter hurdles.

Friday's sprints will include Adalin Robinson, Malaysia Johnson, Tristen Evatt and Amani Kirnon in the women's 200-meter dash at 5 p.m., while Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Shomari Pettigrew and Isaac Chandra race in the men's 200-meter dash at the same time. 

The men's 1500-meter run will feature Andrew Marello and Sean Perry at 5 p.m., and Sydney Granack will compete in the women's 3000-meter run at 5 p.m. Jackson Dravo and Andrew Marello will then take on the men's 5000-meter run, also at 5 p.m.

Field events wrap up the day with Jason Nwosu and Aidan Marsh in the men's shot put at 6 p.m., while Tristen Evatt and Nischa King compete in the women's long jump. Javon Brown and Javell Brown will close the day for the Bulls in the men's long jump at 6 p.m.

Fans can access tomorrow's live results HERE and meet information 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.