IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the 2023 American Indoor Track & Field Most Outstanding Performance awards, with student-athletes from UCF, Houston, South Florida and Tulane collecting honors following the American Indoor Track & Field Championships meet on Feb. 24-25.
 
The awards are presented to student-athletes who recorded the highest-ranking marks on the NCAA's Division I performance list during last week's American Indoor Track & Field Championships. Houston junior Shaun Maswanganyi, South Florida junior Romaine Beckford, UCF junior Rayniah Jones and Tulane senior Kristen O'Handley were each recognized for exemplary meet marks.
 
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston, Junior, 60-Meter Dash
Maswanganyi had an overall outstanding meet, being named the Most Valuable Performer, but his most outstanding performance came in the 60-meter dash. Maswanganyi successfully defended his title and ran the 13^th fastest time in the NCAA this season, clocking in at 6.58 in the prelims to earn the top seed. He won gold with a time of 6.67 in the finals.
 
MEN'S INDOOR FIELD MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Romaine Beckford, South Florida, Junior, High Jump
Beckford broke the American meet record and the all-time conference record in the men's high jump on his way to earning a spot in the NCAA field, clearing a height of 2.26m (7'5"). He entered the weekend championships tied for the fifth-best jump in the country and improved his seeding to the No. 3 seed in the upcoming NCAA Championships.

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Rayniah Jones, UCF, Junior, 60-Meter Hurdles
Jones defended her title at the American indoor championships in the 60-meter hurdles by clocking a time of 8.10. She came into the conference tournament with a seed time of 8.08, the 13^th fastest time in the nation this season. Her gold medal time of 8.10 would be good enough for the 16^th fastest time in the nation.
 
WOMEN'S INDOOR FIELD MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Kristen O'Handley, Tulane, Senior, Pentathlon
O'Handley won the highly contest pentathlon at the American Championships, with the gold medal determined by the last event. O'Handley set a meet record in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:15.94 en route to setting a meet record for the pentathlon with 4,175 total points. She also won long jump with a distance of 5.74m (18'10"), while finishing second in shot put with a throw of 11.74m (38' 6.25"). Her point total is the 12^th most in the NCAA this season.