INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2026) – The South Florida track and field teams will send 20 athletes to the NCAA East First Rounds, scheduled for May 27-30 at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
 
The following Bulls qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds and will compete for a chance to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, set for June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon: Devontie Archer (men's 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay), Cayden Broadnax (men's 4x100m relay), Kahiem Carby (men's 4x100m relay), Jaleel Croal (men's 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay), Joshua Crum (men's 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay), Markel Jones (men's 4x400m relay), Nathan Metelus (men's 400m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay), Darian Mills (men's 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay), Alexavier Monfries (men's 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay), Shomari Pettigrew (men's 4x100m relay), Payton Pitts (men's pole vault), Nikodem Pochopien (men's pole vault), Kelsey Singleton (men's 400m, 4x400m relay), Will "Jaiden" Smith (men's 4x100m relay), Blake Williams (men's 4x100m relay), Elisha Williams (men's 4x400m relay), Doris Quainoo (women's 100m hurdles), Zayin Roe (women's triple jump), Esteisy Salas Lozano (women's shot put) and Lilah Versluis (women's triple jump, high jump).
 
The top 48 performances in each event qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds after accounting for scratches and injuries. The top 12 finishers in each event at the East and West Regionals will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
South Florida qualified three athletes for the NCAA East First Rounds in the men's 400m hurdles, tied for the most in the East Region and the second-highest in the nation behind BYU, which qualified five.
 
Devontie Archer
The 2024 All-American Honorable Mention selection qualified for the regional meet in the 400m hurdles for the fourth straight season after recording a season-best time of 51.45 at the American Outdoor Championships. His time ranks No. 8 in the American and No. 46 in the East Region.
 
Archer will race in the first round of the 400m hurdles on May 27 at 8:20 p.m.
 
Jaleel Croal
The two-time All-American will race in both the 100m and 200m at the NCAA East First Rounds. He ran a 100m time of 10.07 at the Mt. Sac Relays, ranking No. 1 in the American, No. 12 in the East Region, and No. 21 nationally.
The senior won a gold medal in the 100m at the American Outdoor Championships with a wind-aided time of 9.75, the third-fastest all-conditions time in NCAA history.
 
He also posted a season-best 200m time of 20.05 to earn a silver medal at the American Outdoor Championships. That time ranks No. 2 in the American, No. 3 in the East Region, and No. 5 in the nation.
 
Croal will compete in the first round of the 100m on May 27 at 7:00 p.m. and the first round of the 200m on May 27 at 8:45 p.m.
 
Joshua Crum
Crum earned a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best 50.50 at the American Outdoor Championships. His time ranks No. 3 in the American, No. 22 in the East Region, and No. 42 in the nation.
 
He will compete in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA East First Rounds for the second straight season.
 
Crum will race in the first round of the 400m hurdles on May 27 at 8:20 p.m.
 
Nathan Metelus
Metelus qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds in the 400m for the second time in his career after posting a personal-best time of 45.80 at the South Florida Invitational. His time ranks No. 3 in the American and No. 35 in the East Region.
 
He also earned a gold medal in the 400m with a time of 46.02 at the American Outdoor Championships.
 
Metelus will compete in the first round of the 400m on May 27 at 7:25 p.m.
 
Darian Mills
Mills will compete in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA East First Rounds for the second time in his career after recording a personal-best time of 50.65 at the Penn Relays. His time ranks No. 4 in the American, No. 25 in the East Region, and No. 50 in the nation.
 
Mills will race in the first round of the 400m hurdles on May 27 at 8:20 p.m.
 
Payton Pitts
Pitts posted a personal-best pole vault mark of 5.30m at the Florida Relays, ranking No. 3 in the American and No. 31 in the East Region.
 
Pitts will compete in the semifinals of the pole vault on May 27 at 6:30 p.m.
 
Nikodem Pochopien
Pochopien recorded a personal-best pole vault mark of 5.35m at the East Coast Relays, ranking No. 1 in the American, No. 25 in the East Region, and No. 49 in the nation.
 
He earned a silver medal in the pole vault, jumping 5.22m at the American Outdoor Championships.
 
Pochopien will compete in the semifinals of the pole vault for the second straight season on May 27 at 6:30 p.m.
 
Kelsey Singleton
The 2025 All-American Honorable Mention honoree posted a personal-best 400m time of 45.43 at the Florida Relays, ranking No. 1 in the American, No. 18 in the East Region, and No. 30 in the nation.
 
Singleton earned a silver medal in the 400m with a time of 46.21 at the American Outdoor Championships.
 
He will race in the first round of the 400m on May 27 at 7:25 p.m.
 
Men's 4x100m Relay
South Florida's 4x100m relay squad won the American Conference title for the third straight season, posting a time of 38.93. Cayden Broadnax, Kahiem Carby, Jaleel Croal, Nathan Metelus, Alexavier Monfries, Shomari Pettigrew, Will "Jaiden" Smith, and Blake Williams will travel for USF.
 
The Bulls' time ranks No. 1 in the American, No. 12 in the East Region, and No. 25 in the nation.
 
The 4x100m relay team will race in the quarterfinals on May 29 at 5:00 p.m. as it seeks a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Men's 4x400m Relay
South Florida's 4x400m relay team posted a time of 3:05.60 at the USF Alumni Invitational, ranking No. 3 in the American and No. 38 in the East Region. Devontie Archer, Joshua Crum, Markel Jones, Nathan Metelus, Darian Mills, Alexavier Monfries, Kesley Singleton, and Elisha Williams will travel for USF.
 
The Bulls will compete in the quarterfinals on May 29 at 8:45 p.m. South Florida won the NCAA title in the 4x400m relay last season with a time of 3:00.42.
 
Doris Quainoo
Quainoo qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds in the 100m hurdles for the second straight season, running a season-best time of 13.26 at the American Outdoor Championships. Her time ranks No. 33 in the East Region.
 
The senior earned a silver medal in the 100m hurdles with a wind-aided time of 13.08 at the American Outdoor Championships.
 
Quainoo will race in the first round of the 100m hurdles on May 28 at 6:00 p.m.
 
Zayin Roe
Roe will compete in the triple jump at the NCAA First Rounds for the second consecutive season after recording a personal-best jump of 13.02m at the American Outdoor Championships. Her mark ranks No. 3 in the American and No. 26 in the East Region.
 
Roe will compete in the first round of the triple jump on May 30 at 6:00 p.m.
 
Esteisy Salas Lozano
Salas Lozano posted a season-best shot put of 15.63m at the Florida Relays, ranking No. 5 in the American and No. 43 in the East Region.
 
Salas Lozano will compete in the first round of the shot put on May 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Lilah Versluis
The freshman qualified for the NCAA East First Round in both the high jump and triple jump. She recorded a personal-best triple jump of 13.01m at the American Outdoor Championships, ranking No. 4 in the American and No. 27 in the East Region.
 
Versluis also posted a personal-best high jump of 1.77m at the American Outdoor Championships, ranking No. 5 in the American and No. 25 in the East Region.
 
Versluis will compete in the semifinals of the high jump on May 30 at 2:00 p.m. and the first round of the triple jump on May 30 at 6:00 p.m.
 
ABOUT USF TRACK AND FIELD 
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Erik Jenkins is in his seventh season as the USF head coach. The South Florida men's track and field team has won five straight American Conference championships. The Bulls' 4x400m relay squad— Devontie Archer, Alexavier Monfries, Corey Ottey and Gabriel Moronta — claimed a national title with a program-record time of 3:00.42 at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning a top-15 finish as a team. This past season, nine Bulls athletes earned All-America honors, including Kobe Babin, Devontie Archer, Alexavier Monfries, Corey Ottey, Gabriel Moronta, Shomari Pettigrew, Jaleel Croal, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, and Vincent Ugwoke.  
 
– #GoBulls –