PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The American Athletic Conference will crown champions in 34 events at the 2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala. The two-day event begins Friday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. ET.
The American Athletic Conference Championships will feature 11 women’s teams and seven men’s teams. Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, USF and Tulsa will have both men’s and women’s teams competing while UCF, SMU, Temple and Tulane only have women competing.
The American Digital Network will provide live and on-demand coverage of the 2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 24.
For complete coverage of the American Athlete Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, visit The American’s Championship Central at
www.theamerican.org/itf and follow @AmericanXCTrack.
Women’s Meet Preview
Women’s 60-Meter Dash
J’Nea Bellamy of UCF will be looking to repeat in the 60-Meter Dash and Bellamy comes in to the meet having posted the top time in the conference at 7.34 seconds. She will have two senior challengers in UConn’s Taylor Anderson (7.41) and Houston’s Tori Williams (7.45).
Women’s 200-Meter Dash
Tori Williams from Houston posted the best time of the year in the 200-Meter, running the race in 23.60 at the Tyson Invitational. Right behind Williams is J’Nea Bellamy from UCF who posted a 23.97 earlier in the season.
Women’s 400-Meter Dash
It should be a tight race in the Women’s 400-Meter as the top four times this season in the conference are separated by under two seconds. Bryana Robinson from Cincinnati ran the fastest time in 2017 at 53.70 with Kat Surin right behind having run a 53.93.
Women’s 800-Meter Run
Rosie Chamberlain from UCF is the defending champion and holds the top time in the conference (2:05.77). Behind Chamberlain is three UConn Huskies. Hannah Parker (2:06.76), Sydnee Over (2:09.85) and Alexis Panisse (2:10.69) will all be looking to dethrone Chamberlain.
Women’s Mile Run
Martina Rodriguez of Memphis is the defending champion in the mile and posted the top time in the conference this season at 4:44.92. Right behind Rodriguez is Anne-Marie Blaney of UCF who’s top time this year is 4:45.06. SMU’s freshman Hannah Miller is also a name to look for as Miller ran a 4:50.01 earlier this year.
Women’s 3,000-Meter Run
As well as being a contender for the mile and the 5,000-meter, Anne-Marie Blaney comes in as the favorite for the 3,000-meter. The senior from UCF posted a 9:18.87 earlier this season. Second to Blaney is Holly Archer from SMU who ran the 3,000-meter in 9:38.42.
Women’s 5,000-Meter Run
The two-time defending champion Anne-Marie Blaney from UCF is back to defend her title. Blaney has the best time in the conference (15:55.69) by more than five seconds over Emily Durgin of UConn (16:00.93).
Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles
Tulane’s Jessica Duckett ran the fastest time in the conference this season in her last meet, posting an 8.46 at the LSU Twilight meet (Feb. 17). Behind Duckett is two UCF Knights. Johna’ Whitaker (8.48) and Ebony Crear (8.53) will be looking to grab gold in the 60-Meter Hurdles.
Women’s 4X400-Meter Relay
UCF has won the last two 4x400-Meter Relays and posted the second fastest time in the conference this season (3:42.48). It is the Houston Cougars that posted the top mark in the conference at 3:38.54. Memphis (3:45.21), Tulsa (3:46.21) and UConn (3:46.49) round out the top-five times of the season.
Women’s Distance Medley Relay
UCF has the top mark in the conference this year (11:40.30) but defending champion UConn will be looking to challegen the Knights. The Huskies ran the second fastest time in the conference at 11:46.19. Tulane comes in to the championships with the third best time (11:48.98).
Women’s High Jump
There will be a new champion in the high jump after three-time defending champion Erika Hurd graduated. Hurd’s teammate Loretta Blaut will look to keep the title with Cincinnati as Blaut posted the top mark the conference, clearing 1.73m in her last meet. Temple’s Crystal Jones will be a top competitor with her clearance of 1.70m good for second place.
Women’s Pole Vault
There have been three difference champions in the pole vault in the history of the conference and that will continue as Clara Amat-Fernandez graduated. The top mmark in the conference belongs to Tulane’s Alyssa Applebee who cleared 4.22m. Stephanie Lambeth of USF has the second highest mark in the conference with 4.11m.
Women’s Triple Jump
Cincinnati’s Rebecka Abrahamsson will look to defend her title in the triple jump and posted the top jump in the conference this season at 12.92m. Right behind Abrahamsson is Chardae Greenlee from Memphis who jupmed 12.90m earlier this year.
Women’s Shot Put
The shot put will be a highly contested event by the top two athletes in the conference. Defending champion Tochi Nlemchi of SMU and Annette Echikunwoke of Cincinnati both threw a mark of 15.88m this season. Behind the top-two, East Carolina’s Galissia Cause (15.46m) and Tulane’s Taylor Potts (15.44m) could also be contenders.
Women’s Weight Throw
Annette Echikunwoke won last year’s weight throw with a meet record 21.40m and will look to beat that this year. Echikunwoke has already thrown a 22.53m mark and leads the conference by over two meters. In second place is Taylor Scaife from Houston who owns a mark of 20.44m.
Women’s Pentathlon
Cincinnati comes in to the championships holding the top two point totals in the conference this seeason. Sophomore Naomi Urbano holds the top mark with 3,262 points while freshman teammate Katie Straus is in second with 3,515 points. Temple’s Crystal Jones posted the third highest mark in 2017 with 3,434 points
Men’s Meet Preview
Men’s 60-Meter Dash
Cameron Burrell will look to repeat in the 60-Meter dash which could be a very close race. Burrell’s time of 6.63 is two-hundredths of the second faster than his teammates Eli Hall and Mario Burke who both ran a 6.65 earlier this year. Memphis’s Davon DeMoss is the other athlete in the conference to run under a 6.70 clocking in at 6.67.
Men’s 200-Meter Dash
Houston boasts four of the top five times of the season in this event with junior Eli Hall leading the way at 20.71 seconds. Senior Cameron Burrell clocked the second fastest time of the year in the same race as Hall, running a 21.18. Memphis’s Davon DeMoss comes in as the third fastest in The American with a time of 21.35.
Men’s 400-Meter Dash
All three years have produced different winners in the Men’s 400-Meter dash and this year will not be any different. Jimmy Brooks of Cincinnait holds the top o time of the year at 47.39 seconds but two other athletes, UConn’s Chinedu Amonu (47.44) and Tulsa’s Bailey Stewart (47.99) ran sub-48 second 400-meters.
Men’s 800-Meter Run
Expect a tight race in the Men’s 800-meter as the top three times in the conference are separated by just one second. Alvaro Chavez of UConn posted the top time this season (1:49.35), East Carolina’s Stefano Migliorati (1:49.81) had the second fastest time and defending champion LaForrest Church from Memphis ran the 800-Meter in 1:50.35 earlier this year.
Men’s Mile Run
The Mile has belonged to Tulsa the last two seasons but that could change this year as Houston’s Brian Barraza posted the only sub-four-minute mile in the conference with a 3:58.66. Defending champion Marc Scott’s best time, 4:05.36, this season was second in the conference and UConn freshman Eric Van Der Els has the third best time (4:07.27).
Men’s 3,000-Meter Run
Two runners have separated themselves from the pack in the Men’s 3,000-Meter and they have each won one title. Tulsa’s Marc Scott (2015 champion) ran the fastest time of the year (7:47.57) but defending champion Brian Barraza holds the second fastest time of the season (7:53.60). The next fastest time of the season belongs to Benjamin Preisner of Tulsa (8:09.65) over 16-seconds behind Barraza
Men’s 5,000-Meter Run
Marc Scott from Tulsa comes in to the 5,000m as the favorite having won the event two years ago and Scott (13:38.87) posted the fastest time in the conference by more than 40 seconds. The second fastest 5,000m of the season belongs to Scott’s teammate Adam Roderique who ran the event in 14:19.43 on Dec. 10.
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles
Amere Lattin looks to give Houston three-straight wins in the 60-Meter Hurdles and posted the only time in the conference under eight seconds running a 7.74 on Dec. 10. UConn’s Stephon Henry (8.05) and Randall Wall (8.15) have the second and third fastest times in The American respectively.
Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay
UConn and Houston have alternated 4x400-Meter Relay titles every year with the Huskies taking the title last year. Houston comes in to the championships with the fastest time in the conference (3:09.95). Cincinnati posted the second fastest time of the season (3:13.64) and Tulsa third (3:14.25). Defending champion UConn has the slowest time in the conference at 3:21.05.
Men’s Distance Medley Relay
Tulsa is the two-time defending champion in the Distance Medley Relay but the Golden Hurricane come in to the championships with the third fastest time in the conference this season (9:56.46). UConn has the fastest time by almost 14 seconds (9:41.71). Memphis comes in second with a time of 9:54.27.
Men’s High Jump
Memphis’s Jordan Wesner comes in to the championships with the top mark in The American with a clearance of 2.15m. Behind Wesner is Cincinnati’s Alex Bloom who cleared 2.10m, and Colin George from Houston whose top clearance of the season is 2.09m.
Men’s Pole Vault
Cincinnait’s Adrian Valles is the favorite coming in to the pole vault having won the last two conference titles in the event. Valles has the top clearance in The American at 5.57m. Those looking to dethrone Valles will be Craig Hunter (UConn) who has cleared 5.25m and Joe Forgarasi (USF) who has cleared 5.20m.
Men’s Long Jump
Houston comes in to the championships holding the top three distances in the long jump. Trumaine Jefferson leads the conference with a mark of 7.67m while teammates Cameron Burrell (7.49m) and Antwan Dickerson (7.42m) are in second and third. Hakeem Horton from East Carolina has the fourth best distance with a jump of 7.37m.
Men’s Triple Jump
Two-time defending champion Matthew O’Neal is gone which means the triple jump title is up for grabs. Four athletes jumped over 15 meters this season led by Houston’s Cameron Prejean (15.74m). UConn’s Malik Snead is second (15.28m), Olushola Olojo of Memphis is third (15.28m) and UConn’s Ronel Forde is the fourth (15.16m).
Men’s Shot Put
Houston’s Cameron Cornelius enters the championships looking for his third shot put title in four years. The junior has the top throw of the season in the conference (18.16m) by one cm over Cincinnati’s Macklin Tudor (18.15m). Luke Vaughn of Memphis will be another top competitor after he threw an 18.04m mark earlier this season.
Men’s Weight Throw
The weight throw has been dominated this season by Tulsa freshman Aleks Rapp. Rapp’s mark of 21.59m is a Tulsa record and is 13th in the NCAA. East Carolina’s Ryan Davis is second in the conference with a distance of 18.97m.
Men’s Pentathlon
Cincinnati’s Alex Bloom leads the American this season with 5,604 points at the Charlie Thomas Invitational (Feb. 3). That same weekend Simon Hosten of Memphis scored 5,496 points. The Houston Cougars have the third and fourth best totals of the season with Nathaniel Mechler (5,401) and Emiliano Troitino (4,879).
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
PENTATHLON
9:00 a.m. 60m Hurdles
9:45 a.m. (est.) High Jump (2 pits)
11:30 a.m. (est.) Shot Put
12:45 p.m. (est.) Long Jump (pit A)
2:00 p.m. (est.) 800m Run
HEPTATHLON
11:00 a.m. 60m Dash
11:45 a.m. (est.) Long Jump (pit B)
1:00 p.m. (est.) Shot Put
3:20 p.m. (est.) High Jump
Note: Most Heptathlon and Decathlon times are estimated start times and may/will be adjusted based on the number of entries and/or the time it takes to complete the previous event.
FIELD EVENT
10:00 a.m. Pole Vault – M Trials & FINAL
2:00 p.m. Pole Vault – W Trials & FINAL
2:15 p.m. 35 lb. Weight Throw – M Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Long Jump – W Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Long Jump – M Trials & FINAL
4:15 p.m. 20 lb. Weight Throw – W Trials & FINAL
TRACK EVENT
12:15 p.m. Mile Run – W Trials
12:30 p.m. Mile Run – M Trials
12:45 p.m. 400m Dash – W Trials
1:00 p.m. 400m Dash – M Trials
Track Adjustment Break
1:35 p.m. 60m Hurdles – W Trials
1:45 p.m. 60m Hurdles – M Trials
1:55 p.m. 60m Dash – W Trials
2:05 p.m. 60m Dash – M Trials
Track Adjustment Break
2:30 p.m. 800m Dash – W Trials
2:45 p.m. 800m Dash – M Trials
3:00 p.m. 200m Dash – W Trials
3:15 p.m. 200m Dash – M Trials
3:30 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – W
3:55 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – M
4:15 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded – W
4:40 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded – M
5:00 p.m. Distance Medley Relay – W
5:20 p.m. Distance Medley Relay – M
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
HEPTATHLON
9:00 a.m. 60m Hurdles
10:45 a.m. (est.) Pole Vault
3:05 p.m. (est.) 1000m Run
FIELD EVENT
9:45 a.m. High Jump – W Trials & FINAL
9:45 a.m. High Jump – M Trials & FINAL
10:00 a.m. Shot Put – M Trials & FINAL
12:30 p.m. Triple Jump – W (pit A) Trials & FINAL
12:30 p.m. Triple Jump – M (pit B) Trials & FINAL
12:30 p.m. Shot Put – W Trials & FINAL
TRACK EVENT – ALL FINALS
11:15 a.m. Mile Run – W
11:25 a.m. Mile Run – M
11:35 a.m. 400m Dash – W (2-section final)
11:45 p.m. 400m Dash – M (2-section final)
Track Adjustment Break
12:10 p.m. 60m Hurdles – W
12:20 p.m. 60m Hurdles – M
12:30 p.m. 60m Dash – W
12:40 p.m. 60m Dash – M
Track Adjustment Break
1:00 p.m. 800m Run – W
1:10 p.m. 800m Run – M
1:20 p.m. 200m Dash – W (2-section final)
1:30 p.m. 200m Dash – M (2-section final)
1:40 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – W
1:55 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – M
2:10 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – W
2:25 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – M
2:40 p.m. 4x400m Relay – W
2:50 p.m. 4x400m Relay – M
3:15 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY