Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 27, 2026 – The University of South Florida track and field program recorded two first-place finishes, multiple podium performances, and 21 qualifications to event finals on the opening day of the American Indoor Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Competition resumes Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET with track finals and additional field events on the schedule as the Bulls look to add to their medal count.
The men's team sits second overall with 37.5 points through the first day of competition, remaining within striking distance of the lead. On the women's side,
Tristen Evatt secured key team points with a strong finals performance, while
Skyler Watts,
Doris Quainoo,
Gianna Hansen, and
Lynette Scutari advanced to their respective event finals to keep the Bulls in position heading into Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Pole Vault:
Nikodem Pochopien claimed the American Indoor title, clearing 5.30 meters to secure first place.
Payton Pitts followed with a personal best and second-place finish at 5.20 meters.
High Jump:
Corey Ottey earned a third-place finish after clearing 2.05 meters.
Long Jump:
Freshman Alesandro Cardoso-Williams delivered a statement performance, capturing first place with a mark of 7.50 meters.
Tristen Evatt secured key team points in the Women's Long Jump, with a fourth-place finish at 6.07 meters.
400m Prelims:
South Florida dominated the preliminaries with a 1-2-3-4 sweep.
Alexavier Monfries led the field in 46.84, followed closely by
Kelsey Singleton (46.86),
Nathan Metelus (46.87) and
Shevioe Reid (47.05).
60m Prelims:
Jaleel Croal posted the fastest preliminary time at 6.64 to advance to the finals, while
Terrell Robinson Jr. also qualified with a time of 6.75.
200m Prelims:
South Florida had four of the top five finishers in the preliminary standings.
Jaleel Croal led the field with the fastest time of 20.91,
Shevioe Reid finished with a time of 21.04,
Nathan Metelus had a time of 21.05 and
Alexavier Monfries finished with a 21.10, which qualifies them for finals tomorrow.
Field Events Results:
Track Events Results:
Up Next:
For a full breakdown of Saturday's finals schedule, event entries and start times, click the
American Indoor Championship preview.
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 –
