TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 20, 2026 – University of South Florida track and field athletes Markel Jones Jr. and Payton Pitts earned American Athletic Conference weekly honors following standout performances at the Bulls' opening indoor meet of the 2026 season.

Jones was named the American Men's Track Athlete of the Week, while Pitts earned Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors, as South Florida secured both of the conference's men's weekly awards.
Jones delivered a strong all-around performance to open the indoor season, contributing to a second-place finish in the men's 4x400-meter relay alongside Devontie Archer, Corey Ottey and Shevioe Reid.

The group posted a program-record time of 3:06.45, the fastest indoor 4x400 mark in school history.

Individually, Jones finished among the top performers in both rounds of the 60-meter hurdles. He placed fourth in the preliminaries with a time of 7.85 seconds before improving to 7.71 seconds in the finals to take third overall.

In the field, Pitts opened his indoor campaign with a runner-up finish in the men's pole vault. The sophomore cleared 5.15 meters, earning second place and securing conference recognition for his performance.

Up Next:
South Florida returns to action Jan. 30–31 at the Legends of Alachua County Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

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.

– #GoBulls –