Champ Central
Complete Men's Results
Complete Women's Results
Photo Gallery
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Houston men and UConn women were the winners of the 2016 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, which took place Sunday and Monday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
The Cougars defended their men’s championship title, wrapping up the weekend with a total of 152 points. Houston also earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second straight year.
Tulsa finished in second place with 147 points, and UConn took third with 94 points. Cincinnati was fourth with 77 points, while Memphis finished in fifth place (71). USF (62) and East Carolina (58) rounded out the field of seven men’s teams.
East Carolina senior Avion Jones was named the Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performer, while Tulsa’s Marc Scott and UConn’s Trentan Beram shared the honor of Men’s Track Most Outstanding Performer.
The UConn women are back-to-back champions, after totaling 110 points and leading second-place Cincinnati by 11.5 points (98.5). UConn earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second consecutive year.
Cincinnati sophomore Annette Echikunwoke was selected as the Women’s Field Most Outstanding Performer. Tulane’s Lilla McMillan earned the Women’s Track Most Outstanding Performer honor.
UCF’s 91.5 points put the Knights in third place, followed by SMU in fourth with 69 points, and East Carolina in fifth place with 57 points. Tulane (55), Memphis (54), Temple (44), Houston (35), Tulsa (32) and USF (17) completed the field of 11 on the women’s side.
Two sprinters from the UCF women’s team placed in the top-three of the 60 meter dash. Junior J’Nea Bellamy earned the event title with a time of 7.33, while teammate Briana Vaughn came in third (7.41). SMU senior Craishia Washington took second place (7.40).
In the men’s 60-meter dash a pair of Cougars earned the top-two spots. Junior Cameron Burrell finished with a meet-record time of 6.57, and LeShon Collins ran a 6.65. Tulsa senior Bryce Robinson took third place in the event..
Four athletes surpassed the meet record in the women’s 200 meter, led by SMU Latessa Johnson with a time of 23.48. UCF senior Briana Vaughn finished second (23.51), beating Tulane’s McMillian, who placed third (23.55).
The men’s 200 meter defending champion Bryce Robinson broke his meet record as he won his second-straight event title (20.78). Houston’s Leshon Collins (21.02) and UConn’s Trenten Beram (21.30) rounded out the top-three finishers.
A pair of Tulane sprinters broke the meet record en route to first and second place finishes in the women’s 400 meter dash. Senior Lilla McMillan won the event with a time of 52.34, while classmate Jasmine Blocker took second (52.40). In third place, UCF’s Ashley Jocelyn finished with a time of 53.45.
UConn sophomore Trenten Beram won the men’s 400 in 47.33, followed by Tulsa freshman Bailey Stewart in second (47.62) and USF senior Dwight Davis in third (47.99).
Rosie Chamberlain, of UCF, took first place in the women’s 800 meter (2:06.96), followed by a pair of UConn runners, Hannah Parker (2:09.21) and Alexis Panisse (2:12.05). Seven of the eight competitors in the event were members of the UConn squad.
The top-four finishers in the men’s 800 meter run surpassed the meet record, led by Memphis junior LaForrest Church, who also set the CrossPlex record in the event, with a time of 1:48.13. Houston freshman Brian Bell placed second (1:49.45), followed by Tulsa’s Simon Greiner in third (1:49.47).
Memphis junior Martina Rodriguez won the women’s mile in 4:56.13, as she held off a pair of UConn runners in Alexis Panisse (4:56.24) and Laura Williamson (4:56.45).
Tulsa earned two top-three finishes, including the event title, in the men’s mile. Junior Marc Scott finished in 4:09.52, while sophomore Ellis Coon ran a 4:11.00. Houston junior Brian Barraza took second place in the event, with a time of 4:10.26.
UConn’s Laura Williamson won the women’s 3,000 in 9:43.47. Tulsa senior Olivia Lopez finished in second place (9:44.01), while SMU senior Karoline Skatteboe took third (9:44.29).
In the men’s 3,000 meter run Houston’s Brian Barraza claimed the top finish with a time of 8:15.99. A pair of Tulsa athletes followed, with Marc Scott in second place (8:16.44) and Tim Rackers in third (8:18.95).
Temple freshman Sylvia Wilson edged USF senior Laticia Sims and defending champion, East Carolina senior Cheyenne Hutchinson, as she took first place in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.40. Sims finished in second (8.42), while Hutchinson was third (8.50).
Houston’s Marcus McWilliams set a meet record in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, as he recorded a time of 7.74. Teammate Issac Williams came in second (7.90), and East Carolina’s Demonte Wilson was third in the event (7.93).
UCF won its second-straight women’s 4x400 relay title, as its squad of Ashley Jocelyn, Terika Henry, Rosie Chamberlain and Tere Cooley ran a 3:41.03. Cincinnati’s team of Javette Lee, Bryana Robinson, Jada Grant and Kenya Woodall took second, and UConn’s group of Deysha Smith-Jenkins, Paris Taft, Sydnee Over and Hannah Parker were third (3:41.65).
In the men’s 4x400 relay, UConn took first place, as its team of Trenten Beram, Nasir Haines, Aaeron Sykes and Chinedu Amonu finished with a meet-record time of 3:13.20. The Huskies were followed by Memphis’ quartet of Chris Walker, Alex Klatt, Antaun Andrews and LaForrest Church in second (3:13.55), and Tulsa’s squad of Isaac Sanders, Austin Hostetler, Simon Greiner and Bailey Stewart in third (3:13.89).
Memphis’ Luis Hanssler claimed his third-straight title and surpassed his meet record in the heptathlon, with a score of 5,445. The senior was followed UConn senior Patrick Meyer (5,313) and Cincinnati junior Ben Wollenslegel (4,957).
Houston’s Felipe Valencia won the men’s shot put with a meet-record mark of 60-11.5/18.58m. The sophomore defeated Cincinnati senior Macklin Tudor, who also surpassed the meet record with a toss of 59-8.25/18.19m. Memphis senior Yannik Schaly took third place in the event (57-9.0/17.60m).
SMU junior Tochi Nlemchi took first place in the women’s shot put, with a meet-record toss of 53-6.5/16.32m. Tulane junior Taylor Potts followed in second (50-11.5/15.53m), while East Carolina sophomore Galissia Cause rounded out the top three (50-9.5/15.48).
East Carolina’s Avion Jones, who entered the meet with the No. 3 mark in the nation, has earned back-to-back men’s high jump titles after he broke his meet record with a leap of 7-3.0/2.21m. Memphis freshman Jordan Wesner and UConn junior Demario Gray tied for second place, each posting a mark of 6-9.0/2.06m.
In the women’s high jump, Erika Hurd of Cincinnati claimed her third consecutive conference title with a mark of 6-0.5/1.84m. Hurd edged out East Carolina’s Lauren Lubarski and Houston’s Diayja Sheppard (both 5-8.5/1.74m). The senior and her teammate, Loretta Blaut, both surpassed Hurd’s previous meet record. Blaut finished in second place (5-11.25/1.81m), followed by East Carolina’s Lauren Lubarski in third (5-8.75/1.75m).
The top three finishers in the women’s triple jump were Cincinnati’s Rebecka Abrahamsson, Memphis’ Chardae Greenlee and UConn’s Odrine Belot. Abrahamsson took first as she broke the meet record with a jump of 13.05m. Greenlee was runner-up with a mark of 12.77m, followed by Belot (12.63m).
USF’s Matthew O’Neal, the two-time men’s triple jump champion (52-8.0/16.05m), entered the meet with the third-best mark in the NCAA. Memphis freshman Olushola Olojo came in second (49-10.0/15.19m), and East Carolina’s Avion Jones took third (49-9.75/15.18).
The top three performers in each event earned all-conference honors in the respective events. Complete meet results, a photo gallery, and additional information regarding the championship can be accessed at theamerican.org/ITF.
FINAL MEN’S TEAM RANKINGS
1. Houston – 152 points
2. Tulsa – 147 points
3. UConn – 94 points
4. Cincinnati – 77 points
5. Memphis – 71 points
6. USF – 62 points
7. East Carolina – 58 points
AWARD WINNERS
Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performer – Avion Jones, East Carolina, Sr.
Men’s Track Most Outstanding Performers – Trenten Beram, UConn, So. & Marc Scott, Tulsa, Jr.
Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year – Houston
FINAL WOMEN’S TEAM RANKINGS
1. UConn – 110 points
2. Cincinnati – 98.5 points
3. UCF – 91.5 points
4. SMU – 69 points
5. East Carolina – 57 points
6. Tulane – 55 points
7. Memphis – 54 points
8. Temple – 44 points
9. Houston – 35 points
10. Tulsa – 32 points
11. USF – 17 points
AWARD WINNERS
Women’s Field Most Outstanding Performer – Annette Echikunwoke, Cincinnati, So.
Women’s Track Most Outstanding Performer – Lilla McMillan, Tulane, Sr.
Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year – UConn