EUGENE, Ore., June 10, 2025 — The University of South Florida track and field team is set to compete on the sport's grandest stage this week, as 14 Bulls make their way to Eugene, Oregon, for the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field.

The Bulls are led by four individual qualifiers: Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Jaleel Croal, Gabriel Moronta, and Vincent Ugwoke, all of whom will compete for national glory after standout performances during the first round of NCAA championships. They will be joined by teammates Alexavier Monfries, Joshua Crum, Corey Ottey, Shomari Pettigrew, Jermaine Dyges, Devontie Archer, Michael Bourne III, Isaac Chandra, Markel Jones, and Nathan Metelus.

Competition begins on Wednesday, June 11, with semifinal events running through the evening. The finals will take place on Friday, June 13. The Bulls' action opens at 4:05 p.m. PDT with the 4x100-meter relay, followed by the 100-meter dash at 5:25 p.m., 400-meter dash at 5:41 p.m., 200-meter dash at 6:29 p.m., and concludes with the 4x400-meter relay at 7:36 p.m.

Headlining USF's entries is Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who recently clocked a world-leading 9.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash—setting a new USF program record and earning qualification for the Ghana World Championships. Saminu will compete individually in both the 100m and 200m events.

Joining him in the sprints is Jaleel Croal, who made history with a 19.95 performance in the 200-meter dash, setting a USF program record and a national record for the British Virgin Islands. Croal is also scheduled to compete in both the 100m and 200m dash.

Gabriel Moronta individually prepared his blocks for Eugene after breaking the USF program record in the 400-meter dash (45.01) during the first round of the NCAA Championships. He will compete in his signature event Wednesday evening.

In the field events, Vincent Ugwoke, no stranger to the national stage, punched his ticket to Hayward Field with a throw of 59.89 meters (196-6) in the discus during NCAA first-round competition.
USF will also be well represented in the relays. Both the 4x100-meter (38.05) and 4x400-meter (3:01.52) relay teams broke program records prior to their arrival in Eugene. Those groups, powered by depth and chemistry, will look to take center stage in Wednesday's semifinal races.

"Hayward Field is where legends are made, and our guys are ready for this moment," said Erik Jenkins, USF Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "These men have worked all year to put themselves in position to compete with the best in the country, and I have no doubt they'll rise to the occasion."

The NCAA Outdoor Championships are hosted annually at Hayward Field, one of the sport's most iconic venues, and will be broadcast live across the ESPN family of networks.

Fans can access 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.