TAMPA, Fla. – For the sixth time on the men’s side and the second time on the women’s side, Houston captured the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a marquee team performance on Sunday night at the USF Track & Field Stadium. The Cougars, the only team in the history of the meet to sweep both competitions, added 2021 to their 2018 sweep of the meet team championships. The Houston men tallied 221.50 points and the Cougar women added 153 points in victory.
 
Wichita State finished second in the men’s standings with 198 points and Cincinnati was third with 137.50 points. Cincinnati added a runner-up women’s showing with 106.33 points and Temple placed third with 81 points.
 
Wichita State’s Davis Dubbert was named the men’s Most Valuable Performer of the meet as the leading individual scorer, while Houston’s Shaun Maswanganyi took home men’s Freshman of the Year. Wichita State’s Rebekah Topham was honored as the women’s Most Valuable Performer of the competition while UCF’s Rayniah Jones brough home women’s Freshman of the Year accolades. Houston head coach Leroy Burrell and his staff swept American Coaching Staff of the Year for both genders as the double champions.
 
Davis Dubbert from Wichita State earned the first medal of the final day of competition, taking the men’s high jump title after clearing 2.14m (7-0.25). Teammate Brady Palen was second after clearing 2.11m (6-11.0) and Memphis’ Gage Ernsberger finished third with a top mark of 2.08m (6-9.75).
 
Houston’s Nora Monie won her first career gold medal in the women’s discus, throwing 53.47m (175-5.0) to defeat runner-up Samantha Lenton from Memphis (51.60m, 169-3.0). Cincinnati’s Jane Sensibaugh placed third with a top throw of 51.54m (169-1.0).
 
Ryan Davis of East Carolina brought home another gold medal from the meet with one more championship performance in the men’s discus, throwing 54.89m (180-1.0). Adam Neelly of Memphis was the runner-up with a mark of 53.88m (176-9.0) and Cincinnati’s Sam Meece earned a bronze medal at 52.03m (170-8.0).
 
Asherah Collins registered the first win in the women’s triple jump for UCF in program history, with her first attempt of 13.09m (42-11.50) holding up at the top in the field. Cincinnati’s Kennedy Marable placed second with a 13.02m (42-8.75) on her second jump and Tulane’s Trina Malej was third with her best showing of 13.00m (42-8.0).
 
Jaden Brome captured the men’s triple jump representing Houston, throwing down a top mark of 16.05m (52-8.0). Houston’s Quinton Stringfellow placed second with a jump of 15.97m (52-4.75) and USF’s David Ajama was third at 15.75m (51-8.25).
 
Cincinnati’s Taylor Beard captured gold in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.82m (5-11.5). Runner-up Destiny Masters of Wichita State cleared 1.79m (5-10.5) and Memphis’ Ladasia Walton was third with a 1.76m (5-9.25).
 
Christyan Sampy secured a gold medal in the men’s pole vault for Houston, clearing the 5.37m (17-7.25) mark for the victory. Antonio Ruiz (5.37m, 17-7.25) and Ben Percefull (5.27m, 17-3.50) capped a 1-2-3 showing in the event for the Cougars, with Memphis Robin Nool sharing third place with Percefull at 5.27m (17-3.50).
 
Houston’s 4x100-meter women’s relay entry of Camille Rutherford, Brianne Bethel, Cecilia Tamayo-Garza and Tristan Evelyn shattered the meet record in the event with a time of 42.84. USF’s Zahria Allers-Liburd, Shaniya Benjamin, Gabrielle DesRosiers and Kadesha Prescott were second in 44.37 and Cincinnati’s Calista Mann, Tiona Lattimore, Faith Banks and Caisja Chandler clocked in with bronze at 45.12.
 
The Cougars swept the 4x100 relay with a win on the men’s side, as Jordan Booker, Travis Collins, Christian Hamberlin and Shaun Maswanganyi paced the field with a time of 39.42. Tulsa’s Joshua Sutton, Zachary Adee, Henry Visser and Kyran Lacy claimed the silver in 40.22 and Cincinnati’s Isaiah McCall, Chris Borzor, LaCarr Trent and Austin Edwards were third with a time of 40.71.
 
Ellie Leather broke through for the first Cincinnati win in the women’s 1500-meter run, winning a spirited battle with Temple’s Grace Moore in a meet record 4:18.64. Moore clocked a 4:20.68 for the silver medal and UCF’s Charlotte Cook closed strong in third place with a time of 4:21.64.
 
Tulsa’s Patrick Dever ran a facility record time of 3:41.18 to also establish a meet record in a victorious men’s 1500-meter championship heat. Teammate Isaac Akers was second with a time of 3:43.19 and Wichita State’s Jed Helker crossed the finish line third with a time of 3:43.98.
 
UCF’s Rayniah Jones notched the first win for the Knights in the women’s 100-meter hurdles by blazing down the track in 12.76 for a meet record and gold medal. USF’s Shaneylix Davila was the runner-up in 13.17 and SMU’s Jernaya Sharp checked in third with a time of 13.18.
 
The Akindele brothers went 1-2 for Houston in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, with Dayo Akindele extending the Cougar dominance in the event with a seventh straight gold medal following a first-place time of 13.57. DJ Akindele was the runner-up at the line with a 13.78 showing and Wichita State’s Antonio Norman finished third in 13.81.
 
Brianne Bethel narrowly missed claiming another meet record in the women’s 400-meter dash, darting through the line with a winning time of 51.77 for Houston. SMU’s Chika Iwuamadi brought home the silver in 52.96 and Cincinnati’s Tiona Lattimore was third with a time of 53.68.
 
Jermaine Holt captured the men’s 400-meter dash title by outlasting Cincinnati’s Chris Borzor at the finish line, logging a winning time of 46.06. Borzor registered a silver finish in 46.15 with Houston’s Tyrell Valentine in third at 46.78.
 
Houston’s Tristan Evelyn flew down the track with a meet record time of 11.14 to win the women’s 100-meter dash. Teammate Cecilia Tamayo-Garza finished second with a time of 11.21 and Cincinnati’s Caisja Chandler completed the race third in 11.28.
 
Shaun Maswanganyi ran a wind-aided but nonetheless impressive time of 9.87 to win the men’s 100-meter dash over Houston teammate Travis Collins (10.09). Jordan Booker completed the Cougar podium sweep with a time of 10.12.
 
Ellie Leather continued her strong meet for Cincinnati with a win in the women’s 800-meter run, taking her second gold of the day in 2:08.62. Temple’s Lea Kerbiriou (2:09.02) and Alanna Lally (2:09.08) crossed side-by-side to round out the podium finishers in second and third, respectively.
 
Zack Penrod won a narrow decision against Wichita State teammate Jed Helker to claim gold in the men’s 800-meter run. Penrod’s championship time of 1:52.14 just outpointed Helker at 1:52.19. Houston’s Christian Gilmore was third with a time of 1:52.38.
 
Jae’Nisa Heckstall etched her name into the meet record book one more time, as the USF product crossed in 56.94 to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles. SMU’s Ashton Woods was second with a time of 57.85, followed by Shaneylix Davila in 58.55.
 
Quivell Jordan picked up another Houston victory, this time in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. Jordan’s time of 50.10 bested USF’s Duncan Agyemang (51.01) and Houston’s DJ Akindele (52.04).
 
Brianne Bethel kept her record-setting meet rolling with a 22.54 finals heat in the women’s 200-meter dash, the fastest time in meet history, for one more gold medal. Cincinnati’s Caisja Chandler finished second in 22.85 and Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza finished third in 23.02.
 
Shaun Maswanganyi flew with the wind once more and threw down a blazing 19.93 in the men’s 200-meter dash in another dynamic performance. Houston teammate Jordan Booker was second with a time of 20.38 and Cincinnati’s Chris Borzor took third with a time of 20.46.
 
Temple’s Michelle Joyce enjoyed a tremendous kick on the back straightaway to vault herself to the top of the field and a gold medal in the women’s 5000-meter run with a time of 16:38.41. Wichita State’s Rebekah Topham was hot on the trail in 16:39.77 and Temple’s Grace Moore placed third with a time of 16:43.98.
 
Tulsa’s Patrick Dever enjoyed a tremendous kick over his final two laps to blow away the meet record in the men’s 5000-meter run, adding a stadium record with a mark of 13:41.68. Cincinnati’s Aaron Bienenfeld was second in 13:46.68 and Tulsa’s Peter Lynch was third in 14:08.78.
 
The USF women’s 4x400-meter relay lineup of Gabrielle DesRosiers, Shaniya Benjamin, Patricija Roshofa and Jae’Nisa Heckstall denied a game Houston squad and took the gold medal in 3:35.03. The Cougar squad of Zarie Dumas, Aliyah Taylor, Payge Side and Brianne Bethel were second in 3:35.84, with SMU’s Ashton Woods, Whitney Williams, Annette Bolomboy and Chika Iwuamadi third with a time of 3:37.15.
 
Houston rolled once more in the men’s 4x400-meter relay to break its own meet record in the event, as Tyrell Valentine, Quivell Jordan, Joshua White and Jordan Booker raced to the winner’s circle in 3:05.51. USF’s Duncan Agyemang, Monte Parker, Toluwani Adebakin and Stefone Moore-Green claimed silver with a time of 3:07.43. Wichita State’s Joakim Genereux, Josh Cable, Zack Penrod and Adam Gauzy took third in 3:14.09.
 
Men’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 221.50
2. Wichita State – 198
3. Cincinnati – 137.50
4. Tulsa – 84
5. Memphis – 73.50
6. USF – 58.50
7. East Carolina – 41
 
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 153
2. Cincinnati – 106.33
3. Temple – 81
4. Wichita State – 79
5. UCF – 71
6. USF – 68
7. Memphis – 67
8. Tulsa – 57
9. SMU – 48.33
10. East Carolina – 43.50
11. Tulane – 42.83
 
Most Valuable Performers
Davis Dubbert, R-Jr., Wichita State (Men’s)
Rebekah Topham, R-Sr., Wichita State (Women’s)
 
Freshmen of the Year
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Men’s)
Rayniah Jones, UCF (Women’s)
 
Coaching Staff of the Year
Leroy Burrell, Houston (Men’s and Women’s)