BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UCF Knights women’s team and Cincinnati Bearcats men’s team took home the team championships at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday.
The Knights repeat as champions and earn their third overall championship, the most by a program in American Athletic Conference history. UCF scored 132.25 points for the title. Cincinnati came in second place with 94 total points, followed by Houston (86) and Tulane (65.5). SMU and Tulsa tied for fifth place with 59 points.
Cincinnati ended a seven-year run by Houston, besting the Cougars with 143 total points to claim their first American Athletic Conference championship in program history. Houston came in second with 126 points, while South Florida (102.5) and Wichita State (102) each broke the 100-point mark. Tulsa rounded out the top five with 88 points.
Houston’s Shaun Maswanganyi captured Most Valuable Performer for a second straight season, earning gold medals in the 60m and 200m dash, while picking up a bronze in the long jump. Rylee Penn of Cincinnati picked up Most Valuable Performer on the women’s side, earning gold medals in the 3000m, one mile and distance medley relay for a total of 22.5 points. East Carolina’s Jared Harrell won Freshman of the Year after earning a gold medal in long jump and a fourth-place finish in triple jump. Macey Hilton and Hedda Kvalvag of SMU were both named Freshman of the Year on the women’s side. Hilton earned a silver medal as part of the distance medley relay and had a sixth place finish in the 800m run. Kvalvag came in fourth place in the triple jump. Dana Boone and her staff repeated as the women’s Coaching Staff of the Year with their second straight team championship. Susan Seaton and her staff captured their first men’s Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Cincinnati’s Fred Moudani began day two with a gold medal in men’s shot put with a throw of 19.73m, setting a new meet record. Teammate Giovanni Guitierrez took the silver medal with a throw of 17.55m, while Sascha Schmidt of Memphis claimed third place with a throw of 17.50m.
South Florida’s Romaine Beckford took home gold in the high jump, setting a new meet record, clearing a height of 2.26m. The height is the second-best mark in the country coming into the weekend. Wichita State’s Brady Palen cleared 2.20m to take home second place. Teammate Weston Lewis cleared 2.14m to win the bronze medal.
Rylee Penn of Cincinnati brought home the gold in the women’s mile, running a time of 4:45.40. Tulane’s Mackenzie Callahan finished in second-place with a time of 4:48.93, while Laura Nicholson took third place with a time of 4:53.20.
Tulsa men’s runners took two of the top three places in the mile run as Christian Baker took first place with a time of 4:05.67, while Chanel Muir took third place with a time of 4:07.72. Cincinnati’s Tyler Wirth edged Muir for second place with a time of 4:07.53.
Kiah Williams and Latasha Smith of UCF took first and third place in the women’s 400m dash. Williams ran a 52.97 for the gold, while Smith ran a 54.20 for third place. South Florida’s Je’Nyia Burton claimed the silver medal with a school record 53.33 400m dash.
Steven McElroy of Cincinnati claimed the men’s 400m championship with a time of 46.32. South Florida’s teammates Shevioe Reid and Elijah Wright claimed second and third place. Reid ran a time of 47.27 for the silver medal, while Wright ran a 47.74 for the bronze medal.
Cincinnati claimed the gold and silver in women’s high jump. Regular season leader Taylor Beard took hom gold with a jump of 1.82m, while teammate Spirit Morgan claimed silver with a height of 1.78m. Jada Shanklin of Memphis took home the bronze medal, clearing a height of 1.78m.
Rayniah Jones of UCF repeated in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.10. Teammate Kaylor Harris took home silver with a time of 8.26, edging out Madison Fleming of Memphis who ran an 8.28.
Houston’s De’Vion Wilson came short of the 60-meter hurdle meet record by .01 seconds, capturing the gold medal with a time of 7.74. South Florida’s Michael Bourne III ran an 8.02 to pick up the silver medal, while Wichita State’s Adria Navajon rounded out the all-conference squad with an 8.08 third place finish.
The Knights women swept the 60-meter dash as Janyah Jasper, Rayniah Jones and Beyonce Defreitas claimed the top three spots. Jasper took gold with a 7.29, Jones claimed silver with a 7.35 and Defreitas ran a time of 7.36 for third place.
In women’s triple jump, Tulane’s Kara Steele took home first place with a jump of 13.07m, the lone athlete to clear 13 meters. UCF’s Jasmine Scott-Kilgo claimed second place with a jump of 12.80m, while teammate Asherah Collins finished in third place with a jump of 12.77m.
Adria Navajon claimed gold in the heptathlon, winning six of the seven events. He totaled 5,641 points for the gold medal. Dominique Hall came in second place with a total of 5,240 points. Wichita State’s Nathan Vann finished with the bronze medal, earning a total of 4,999 points.
In the women 800m run, 2022 NCAA Division II champion Kelly-Ann Beckford of Houston took home the gold medal with a time of 2:05.44. Tulane’s Victoria Robinson won the silver medal with a time of 2:08.58, edging out Wichita State’s Farrah Miller who ran 2:08.80.
Houston took two of the top three spots in the men's 800m run. Devin Vallejo took first place with a time of 1:51.42, while Lloyd Frilot came in third place with a time of 1:51.61. Freshman Sean Korsmo of Tulane came home with the silver medal, running a time of 1:51.61.
In a tight 200m dash, UCF’s Beyonce Defreitas came out on top with a time of 23.34. Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza finished just behind in second place with a time of 23.40, while UCF’s Kiah Williams finished with a time of 23.56 for a bronze medal.
Three athletes ran a sub-21 second 200m dash in the men’s race. Shaun Maswanganyi took home the gold medal with a PR of 20.79, while Royal Burris finished in second with a time of 20.85. South Florida’s Shevioe Reid claimed the bronze medal with a time of 20.99.
Nu’uausala Tuilefano of Houston set a meet record in the women’s shot put with a distance of 17.46m. East Carolina’s Naadiya Faison came in second place with a throw of 15.78m, while Poorna Raorane of Memphis took home the bronze medal with a throw of 15.54m.
In men’s triple jump, South Florida’s David Ajama took home the gold medal with a jump of 15.63m. Wichita State’s Yuben Goncalves finished in second place with a jump of 15.28m. Houston’s Quinton Stringfellow was the final all-conference athlete with a jump of 15.17m for third place.
Rylee Penn of Cincinnati continued her impressive weekend with a first-place finish in the women’s 3,000m ran, clocking a time of 9:32.52. Tulsa teammates Layla Roebke and Chloe Hershenow took second and third place. Roebke ran a time of 9:34.38, while Hershenow finished with a time of 9:37.49.
The men’s 3,000 meter run featured three times that broke the previous meet record. Tulsa’s Michael Power took the gold medal, running a time of 7:52.80. Wichita State’s Adrian Diaz-Lopez came in second place with a time of 7:52.80, while Cincinnati’s Milo Greder helped clinch the team title with a 3
rd place finish, running a time of 7:56.97.
The women’s meet ended with Houston winning the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:37.90. South Florida took second place with a time of 3:38.35, while Tulsa earned third place with a time of 3:43.17.
South Florida capped the meet with a 4x400 meter relay win on the men’s side, finishing with a time of 3:09.94. Houston finished in second place with a time of 3:10.39. Wichita State came in third place with a time of 3:14.00.
2023 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
Men’s Teams Scores
1. Cincinnati – 143
2. Houston – 126
3. South Florida – 102.5
4. Wichita State – 102
5. Tulsa – 88
6. Memphis – 49.5
7. East Carolina - 47
Women’s Teams Scores
1. UCF – 132.25
2. Cincinnati – 94
3. Houston – 86
4. Tulane – 65.5
5. SMU – 59
Tulsa – 59
7. Memphis – 52
8. South Florida – 46.25
9. East Carolina – 28
10. Wichita State – 25.75
11. Temple – 15.25
Most Valuable Performers
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston, Jr. (Men’s)
Rylee Penn, Cincinnati, Sr. (Women’s)
Freshman of the Year
Jared Harrell, East Carolina (Men’s)
Hedda Kvalvag, SMU (Women’s)
Macey Hilton, SMU (Women’s)
Coaching Staff of the Year
Susan Seaton, Cincinnati (Men’s)
Dana Boone, UCF (Women’s)
2023 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, February 25 (ESPN+)
Women's Pentathlon - Kristen O’Handley, Tulane – 4,175 *meet record*
9:00 a.m. W-Pentathlon 60m Hurdles –
Chakiya Plummer, South Florida – 8.47 *meet record*
9:45 a.m. W-Pentathlon High Jump -
Spirit Morgan, Cincinnati – 1.80 *meet record*
11:30 a.m. W-Pentathlon Shot Put -
Olivia Dobson, SMU - 13.9m
12:45 p.m. W-Pentathlon Long Jump –
Kristen O’Handley, Tulane – 5.74m
2:00 p.m. W-Pentathlon 800m Run –
Kristen O’Handley, Tulane – 2:15.94 *meet record*
Men's Heptathlon
11:00 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Dash -
Adria Navajon, Wichita State - 6.91
11:45 a.m. M-Heptathlon Long Jump -
Adria Navajon, Wichita State - 7.26m
1:00 p.m. M-Heptathlon Shot Put –
Hudson Bailey, Wichita State – 12.57m
3:20 p.m. M-Heptathlon High Jump – Adria Navajon, Wichita State – 2.00m
Field Events
12:00 p.m. Pole Vault - Men's Trials & FINAL –
Christyan Sampy, Houston – 5.54m
2:00 p.m. Long Jump - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Funminiyi Olajide, SMU – 6.38m *meet record*
2:15 p.m. 35 lb. Weight Throw - Men's Trials & FINAL –
Korbin Spencer, Cincinnati – 19.49m
3:30 p.m. Pole Vault - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Monica Aldrighetti, Memphis – 4.09m
4:00 p.m. Long Jump - Men's Trials & FINAL –
Jared Harrell, East Carolina – 7.49m
4:15 p.m. 20 lb. Weight Throw - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Priscilla Adejokun, Houston – 22.12m
Track Events
12:25 p.m. Mile Run - Women's Trials –
Mackenzie Callahan, Tulane (Top Qualifier) – 4:54.57
12:40 p.m. Mile Run - Men's Trials –
Tyler Wirth, Cincinnati (Top Qualifier) – 4:10.50
12:55 p.m. 400m Dash - Women's Trials –
Latasha Smith, UCF (Top Qualifier) – 54.09
1:10 p.m. 400m Dash - Men's Trials –
Steven McElroy, Cincinnati (Top Qualifier) – 46.73
1:35 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Women's Trials –
Rayniah Jones, UCF (Top Qualifier) – 8.23
1:45 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Men's Trials –
De’Vion Wilson, Houston (Top Qualifier) – 7.77
1:55 p.m. 60m Dash - Women's Trials –
Beyonce Defreitas, UCF (Top Qualifier) – 7.34
2:05 p.m. 60m Dash - Men's Trials –
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Top Qualifier) – 6.58
2:30 p.m. 800m Dash - Women's Trials –
Victoria Robinson, Tulane (Top Qualifier) – 2:09.74
2:45 p.m. 800m Dash - Men's Trials –
Jack Barchet, Cincinnati (Top Qualifier) – 1:52.48
3:00 p.m. 200m Dash - Women's Trials –
Cecilia Tamayo-Garza, Houston (Top Qualifier) – 23.53
3:15 p.m. 200m Dash - Men's Trials –
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Top Qualifier) – 20.95
4:15 p.m. 5000m Run Seeded FINAL - Women's –
Layla Roebke, Tulsa – 16:20.02
4:40 p.m. 5000m Run Seeded FINAL - Men's –
Scott Beattie, Tulsa – 13:52.51 *meet record*
5:00 p.m. Distance Medley Relay FINAL - Women's –
Cincinnati,
11:21.95 *meet record*
5:20 p.m. Distance Medley Relay FINAL - Men's –
Cincinnati, 9:41.29
Saturday, February 26 (ESPN+)
Men's Heptathlon - Adria Navajon, Wichita State – 5,641
9:00 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Hurdles –
Adria Navajon, Wichita State – 8.12 *meet record*
10:00 a.m. M-Heptathlon Pole Vault –
Justin Abrams, Cincinnati – 4.95m *meet record*
3:05 p.m. M-Heptathlon 1000m Run –
Adria Navajon, Wichita State – 2:49.08
Field Events
9:45 a.m. High Jump - Men's Trials & FINAL –
Romaine Beckford, South Florida – 2.26m *meet record*
9:45 a.m. High Jump - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Taylor Beard, Cincinnati – 1.82m
10:00 a.m. Shot Put - Men's Trials & FINAL –
Fred Moudani, Cincinnati – 19.73m *meet record*
11:00 a.m. Triple Jump - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Kara Steele, Tulane – 13.07m
12:30 p.m. Shot Put - Women's Trials & FINAL –
Nu’uausala Tuilefano, Houston – 17.46m *meet record*
1:00 p.m. Triple Jump - Men's Trials & FINAL (pit B) –
David Ajama, South Florida – 15.63m
Track Events
11;20 a.m, Mile Run - Women's FINAL –
Rylee Penn, Cincinnati – 4:45.40
11:30 a.m. Mile Run - Men's FINAL –
Christian Baker, Tulsa – 4:05.67
11:40 a.m. 400m Dash - Women's 2-section FINAL –
Kiah Williams, UCF – 52.96
11:50 a.m. 400m Dash - Men's 2-section FINAL –
Steven McElroy, Cincinnati – 46.33
12:10 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Women's FINAL –
Rayniah Jones, UCF – 8.10
12:20 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Men's FINAL –
De’Vion Wilson, Houston – 7.74
12:30 p.m. 60m Dash - Women's FINAL –
Janya Jasper, UCF – 7.29
12:40 p.m. 60m Dash - Men's FINAL –
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston – 6.67
1:00 p.m. 800m Run - Women's FINAL –
Kelly-Ann Beckford, Houston – 2:05.44 *meet record*
1:10 p.m. 800m Run - Men's FINAL –
Devin Vallejo, Houston – 1:51.42
1:20 p.m. 200m Dash - Women's 2-section FINAL –
Beyonce Defreitas, UCF – 23.34
1:30 p.m. 200m Dash - Men's 2-section FINAL –
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston – 20.79
2:10 p.m. 3000m Run - Women's –
Rylee Penn, Cincinnati – 9:32.52
2:25 p.m. 3000m Run - Men's –
Michael Power, Tulsa – 7:52.80 *meet record*
2:40 p.m. 4x400m Relay - Women's –
Houston – 3:37.90
2:50 p.m. 4x400m Relay - Men's –
South Florida – 3:09.94