BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A big comeback on day two gave Houston its seventh straight men’s title, and the UCF women returned to the winners’ circle for the second time in a thrilling close on Saturday at the 2022 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
The Cougar men raced back to the front of the pack with 141.5 points, outpacing day one leader Cincinnati who posted 128 points. Wichita State checked in third in the men’s standings with 115 points, followed by Tulsa in fourth with 106 points. South Florida rounded out the top five with 67 points.
UCF brought home its first American women’s title since the 2017 season, scoring a meet record 156.5 points on the way to victory. Cincinnati was the women’s runner-up with 115 points, with Tulsa in third with 73 points. Houston (63 points) and SMU (50 points) were fourth and fifth in the standings, respectively.
Houston’s Shaun Maswanganyi captured Most Valuable Performer and Freshman of the Year on the men’s side with one gold medal and two silvers during the meet. Leroy Burrell and his staff captured the men’s Coaching Staff of the Year award as the team champion. Rayniah Jones was named the women’s Most Valuable Performer after sweeping the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash finals for UCF. South Florida’s Shaniya Benjamin was named Freshman of the Year on the strength of a gold medal in the long jump. Dana Boone and her staff earned their first women’s Coaching Staff of the Year trophy as the women’s team champion.
South Florida’s Romaine Beckford captured the first American men’s high jump championship for the Bulls in program history, clearing 2.20m (7-2.50) to win a spirited battle with Wichita State’s Brady Palen who took second with a mark of 2.14m (7-0.25). Davis Dubbert from Wichita State claimed the bronze medal with a 2.08m (6-9.75) clearance.
Iason Machairas from Memphis defended his men’s shot put title by posting a top attempt of 18.40m (60-4.50) in the final round on the way to repeating as the event champion. Cincinnati’s Sam Meece was the runner-up with a fifth-round attempt of 16.51m (54-2.0) and East Carolina’s Logan Carroll grabbed third place with a fourth-round throw of 16.48m (54-1.0).
Cincinnati teammates Annika Kinley and Alyssa Matheny shared the gold medal at the top of the women’s high jump standings, with each competitor successfully clearing 1.76m (5-9.25). UCF’s Kaliah Jones took third place with a clearance of 1.71m (5-7.25).
Ellie Leather from Cincinnati improved upon a bronze medal showing in 2020, capturing the first American gold medal in the mile for the Bearcats with a meet record time of 4:41.17. Wichita State’s Yazmine Wright clocked a time of 4:45.45 for the silver medal. Tulsa’s Keely Jones picked up third place with a time of 4:47.16.
Tulsa’s Isaac Akers posted the first Golden Hurricane win in the men’s mile since 2017 with a meet record run time of 4:03.87 to take the gold medal. Wichita State’s Adam Moore finished under the previous top meet mark as the runner-up with a time of 4:04.77. Cincinnati’s Tyler Wirth claimed the bronze with a time of 4:05.41.
UCF’s Latasha Smith turned in a PR time and American meet record showing in the women’s 400-meter dash final to capture gold, running a blazing time of 52.32. Cincinnati’s Faith Banks was the silver medalist with a time of 53.63 and SMU’s Whitney Williams finished third with an even 54.00.
Steven McElroy from Cincinnati took home the men’s 400-meter dash championship with a 46.99 effort in the first flight, throwing down the top time to edge out Houston’s Tyrell Valentine (47.04) from flight two. RJ Russell from East Carolina earned the bronze with a time of 47.22.
Adria Navajon brought home the men’s heptathlon for Wichita State with 5,616 points, which included individual wins in the long jump (7.42m, 24-4.25) high jump (2.02m, 6-7.50) and 60-meter hurdles (8.25). Teammate Tanner Brown was the silver medalist with 5,512 points and Cincinnati’s Cannon Riddle finished third with 5,266 points.
UCF’s Rayniah Jones unseated two-time defending champion Naomi Taylor from Houston in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, logging both a meet and American conference record time of 7.90 for the gold medal. Taylor snagged the silver medal with a time of 8.21, followed by UCF’s Kaylor Harris in third place with a time of 8.33.
De’Vion Wilson became the latest Houston champion in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, matching his prelim time of 7.88 to take the win. East Carolina’s Terence Booth was second with a time of 8.08 and South Florida’s Victor Steiner grabbed third with a time of 8.16.
Jones from UCF picked up her second win in 15 minutes in the women’s 60-meter dash, narrowly missing the meet record with a 7.31 heat in the final. Teammate Ciara Holback earned second place with a time of 7.41. East Carolina’s Melicia Mouzzon was third with a showing of 7.41.
Conference leader Shaun Maswanganyi earned the gold medal for Houston in the men’s 60-meter dash, hitting the line with a time of 6.72. East Carolina’s Royal Burris gathered runner-up honors with a 6.76 showing, followed by Jordan Booker from Houston in third with a time of 6.77.
Asherah Collins won the first American UCF women’s triple jump title at the indoor meet, notching a 13.15m (43-1.75) attempt in the sixth and final round to jump Cincinnati’s Kennedy Marable, who laid down a 13.08m (42-11.0) in round five. East Carolina’s Brooke Stith placed third with a top effort of 13.05m (42-9.75).
Leather added another top finish in the meet on behalf of Cincinnati with a late kick in the women’s 800-meter run, giving the Bearcats their first American indoor 800 championship with a time of 2:08.01. UCF’s Charlotte Crook (2:09.02) and Caitlin Pinnell (2:09.66) joined Leather on the podium.
Houston’s Adam Mason unseated defending champion and teammate Christian Gilmore in the men’s 800-meter run, reaching the line with a winning time of 1:53.35. Gilmore secured the silver in 1:35.37. Zachary Wyatt from Memphis finished third with a time of 1:53.83.
UCF’s Jones completed the solo triple on the day, taking the women’s 200-meter dash gold medal with a time of 23.35 for the Knights. UCF teammate Beyonce Defreitas was the event runner-up with a time of 23.65 and Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza from Houston finished third with a time of 23.81.
East Carolina’s Royal Burris kept his momentum from the men’s 200-meter dash prelims rolling in the final, blazing to the conference championship with an impressive time of 20.88. Defending champion Chris Borzor from Cincinnati placed second in 21.05 and Houston’s Edward Sumler IV grabbed third place with a time of 21.06.
Jaden Brome from Houston clinched the men’s triple jump championship on his first attempt of the day, posting a 15.49m (50-10) that held up throughout the final. Cincinnati’s Carlos Kouassi narrowly missed catching Brome with a 15.46m (50-8.75) in his final jump and defending champion David Ajama from South Florida placed third with a 15.33m (50-3.50) first jump.
Houston’s Nu'uausala Tuilefano dug deep in the sixth and final round of the women’s shot put final, covering 16.18m (53-1.0) to take the win against Cincinnati’s Jane Sensibaugh. Sensibaugh earned silver with a 15.66m (51-4.50) top attempt. Memphis’ DeeNia McMiller placed third with a 15.64m (51-3.75) showing.
Katharina Pesendorfer earned her first career conference championship and brought home the first Tulsa American women’s 3,000-meter run gold medal with a final time of 9:27.97. Wichita State’s Yazmine Wright posted the runner-up time in 9:33.95 and Tulsa’s Chloe Hershenow was third with a time of 9:36.55.
Tulsa’s Scott Beattie won the men’s 3,000-meter run and was the fifth straight Golden Hurricane champion in the event, establishing a meet record with a time of 7:59.43. Teammates Michael Power (8:01.80) and Cormac Dalton (8:03.42) joined Beattie on the podium.
UCF punctuated a tremendous weekend with a win in the women’s 4x400-meter relay, narrowly missing a meet record with a time of 3:38.92. Houston was second in 3:40.22 and South Florida was third with a time of 3:41.11.
Houston successfully defended the men’s team championship by way of a win in the 4x400-meter relay. The Cougars came across in 3:09.48 to take the event title. South Florida was the relay runner-up with a time of 3:14.47 and Wichita State was third with a showing of 3:17.20.
2022 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
Men’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 141.5
2. Cincinnati – 128
3. Wichita State – 115
4. Tulsa – 106
5. South Florida – 67
6. East Carolina – 55
7. Memphis – 48.5
Women’s Teams Scores
1. UCF – 156.5
2. Cincinnati – 115
3. Tulsa – 73
4. Houston – 65
5. SMU – 50
6. South Florida – 41
7. East Carolina – 38
8. Tulane – 36
9. Memphis – 35
10. Wichita State – 31.5
11. Temple – 22
Most Valuable Performers
Shaun Maswanganyi, Fr., Houston (Men’s)
Rayniah Jones, So., UCF (Women’s)
Freshmen of the Year
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Men’s)
Shaniya Benjamin, South Florida (Women’s)
Coaching Staff of the Year
Leroy Burrell, Houston (Men’s)
Dana Boone, UCF (Women’s)