WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State and Memphis found themselves at the top of the team leaderboard following the first day of the 2022 American Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium.
 
Wichita State scored 44 points to climb to the top of the men’s standings, with Tulsa (27 points) and Memphis (25 points) inside of striking distance. Cincinnati added 11 points, South Florida tallied six points and Houston collected four points in the opening day. Memphis scored 45 points to take a sizeable lead in the women’s draw over Cincinnati (17 points). Tulsa (16 points), East Carolina (13 points) and Houston (eight points) rounded out the top-five women’s teams from the competitions opening day.
 
Wichita State’s Adria Navajon opened the men’s decathlon with a win in the 100-meter dash, crossing the line with a time of 10.84. Cannon Riddle from Cincinnati took the long jump title by logging a mark of 6.97m (22-10.5). Chonnor Ludolph earned a Wichita State win in the shot put with a first attempt of 13.70m (44-11.5) that bested the field. Riddle, Navajon, Cincinnati’s Damien Berthenet and Wichita State’s Tanner Brown all cleared 1.92m (6-3.5) in the high jump to share top points. Riddle capped the opening day with a 400-meter dash win with a time of 50.44 to take the overnight lead with 3,824 points.
 
Wichita State’s Brianna Utecht kicked the Shockers off in the women’s heptathlon with a record time of 14.04 in the 100-meter hurdles. SMU’s Olivia Dobson, Tulane’s Margot Temines and UCF’s Natalie Madison each cleared 1.70m (5-7.0) in the high jump to share first place. Dobson shattered the previous top mark in the shot put with a 14.41m (47-3.5) second attempt that carried her to victory. Madison finished the first day of competition with a record time of 24:54 to take the 200-meter dash. Temines was first in a crowded field with 3,359 points moving to Saturday events.
 
The first gold medal of the weekend was earned by Memphis’ DeeNia McMiller, who blasted past the previous conference record in the women’s hammer throw with a final attempt of 67.89m (222-9.0), breaking the prior mark of 65.41m (214-7.0) set by Cincinnati’s Annette Echikunwoke in 2019. Houston’s Priscilla Adejokun claimed the silver medal with a sixth-round throw of 65.20m (213-11.0), and Memphis’ Vigdis Jonsdottir placed third with an attempt of 60.57m (198-8.0) in round four.
 
Wichita State’s Michael Bryan, the conference leader throughout the season, captured his first American outdoor hammer throw championship by covering 69.22m (227-1.0) in round four to finish atop the standings. Memphis’ Robert Watson placed second with a closing 66.11m (216-10.0) attempt and South Florida’s Eron Carter took third place with an opening throw of 61.40m (201-5.0).
 
Mona Jaidi brought home the fifth straight Memphis gold in the women’s javelin, repeating as the conference champion with a meet record throw of 55.25m (181-3.0) to surpass former Tiger Ashley Pryke’s meet mark (55.18m/181-0) in 2017. Cincinnati’s Leonie Troeger secured silver with a 53.11m (174-3.0) showing in the final round and Memphis’ Elina Nebl reached the podium in third place with an attempt of 46.41m (152-3.0) in the third round.
 
Taran Taylor defended his men’s javelin championship representing Wichita State, covering 73.93m (242-6.0) in the fifth round to repeat as the conference gold medalist. Memphis’ Vitaliy Favorov was second with a 64.58m (211-10.0) mark and Wichita State’s Davis Dubbert checked in third with a 63.52m (208-4.0) final throw.
 
Steffi Jones from SMU led the way in the prelim heats of the women’s 1500-meter run, clocking a 4:33.24 to earn an auto finals bid. Helene Holm Gottlieb of Temple won heat two with a time of 4:33.97, while conference record holder Ellie Leather from Cincinnati was second in the opening heat with a time of 4:33.37. Temple’s Laura Nicholson (4:34.04), UCF’s Charlotte Crook (4:34.80), Tulsa’s Chloe McEachern (4:36.42), UCF’s Valerie Lastra (4:35.30) and Tulsa’s Keely Jones (4:36.73) all snagged automatic spots in the finals. Tulane’s Therese Olshanski (4:38.51), Memphis’ Brooke Mussche (4:38.72), Cincinnati’s Rylie Penn (4:39.12) and Tulsa’s Tamara Reeves (4:40.40) all advanced on time.
 
Cincinnati’s Caisja Chandler placed at the top of the women’s 200-meter dash prelims, capturing heat one with a time of 23.07. UCF’s Beyonce Defreitas took heat four with a time of 23.20, with teammate Latasha Smith atop heat two in 23.29. Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza won heat five with a time of 23.42 and UCF’s Rayniah Jones was the victor in heat three with a time of 23.78. Also advancing was East Carolina’s Melicia Mouzzon (23.60), Cincinnati’s Faith Banks (23.61) and UCF’s I’Asia Wilson (23.70).
 
Reigning men’s indoor 200-meter dash champion Royal Burris from East Carolina locked up the top outdoor qualifying time, crossing the line in 20.88. Defending event champion Shaun Maswanganyi (21.00) and Edward Sumler IV (21.09) from Houston earned the final two automatic qualifying times. Joining the auto qualifiers in the final heat will be Cincinnati’s Chris Borzor (21.32) and Steven McElroy (21.34), Wichita State’s Joakim Genereux (21.42) and Houston’s Jordan Booker (21.50) and Dylan Brown (21.55).
 
UCF’s Selena Wright paced the women’s 400-meter hurdlers with a heat two time of 57.64 to earn an automatic bid to the final heat. South Florida’s Sanique Walker (58.94) claimed heat one and Chakiya Plummer (1:00.39) captured the third heat to reach the championship heat. South Florida’s Shaneylix Davila (1:00.10), Tulsa’s Anna Mager (1:00.60), Houston’s Imari Chatman (1:00.72), UCF’s Tamia Badal (1:01.12) and SMU’s Emily Waller (1:01.19) all added qualifying times.
 
Quivell Jordan-Bacot of Houston kept his men’s 400-meter hurdles momentum rolling with a top qualifying time of 50.73 in prelim heat one. Teammate De’Vion Wilson was the first to cross in heat two in 51.50. Advancing on time was Tulsa’s Henry Visser (51.29), Memphis’ Adam Yakobi (51.63), Houston’s DJ Akindele (51.83) and Dillon Leacock (52.48), Wichita State’s Yuben Goncalves (52.49) and South Florida’s Michael Bourne III (52.98).
 
Tulsa’s Chloe Hershenow kicked late and gave the Golden Hurricane a second straight women’s 10,000-meter run championship, crossing the finish line with a time of 36:06.60. SMU’s Kaitlyn Gearin placed second in the field with a time of 36:11.45 and Memphis’ Chloe Figgins capped the podium performers with a time of 36:23.02 for third place.
 
Peter Lynch from Tulsa capped the Golden Hurricane sweep with a men’s 10,000-meter run victory, running a solid 30:54.92 to log his first career American outdoor 10K championship. Teammate Malte Propp was the event runner-up with a time of 31:08.44 and Jerik Embleton gained the bronze medal with a time of 31:12.37.
 
2022 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
 
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE (All times are Central)

Saturday, May 14 (ESPN+)

Field Events
 
3:00 p.m. Long Jump - Women's Trials and Final
3:30 p.m. Shot Put - Women's Trials and Final
4:30 p.m. Pole Vault - Women's Trials and Final
5:00 p.m. Long Jump - Men's Trials and Final
5:30 p.m. Shot Put - Men's Trials and Final
 
Heptathlon
 
11:00 a.m. Long Jump
1:00 p.m. Javelin
2:30 p.m. 800-Meter Run
 
Decathlon
 
10:30 a.m. 110-Meter Hurdles
11:20 a.m. Discus
12:30 p.m. Pole Vault
3:30 p.m. Javelin
5:00 p.m. 1500-Meter Run
 
Track Events
 
5:30 p.m. 100-Meter Hurdles - Women's Trials
5:45 p.m. 110-Meter Hurdles - Men's Trials
6:00 p.m. 800-Meter Run - Women's Trials
6:15 p.m. 800-Meter Run - Men's Trials
6:30 p.m. 400-Meter Dash - Women's Trials
6:45 p.m. 400-Meter Dash - Men's Trials
7:00 p.m. 100-Meter Dash - Women's Trials
7:15 p.m. 100-Meter Dash - Men's Trials
7:30 p.m. 3000-Meter Steeplechase - Women's Final
7:45 p.m. 3000-Meter Steeplechase - Men's Final
 
Sunday, May 15 (ESPN+)

Field Events
 
2:30 p.m. High Jump - Men's Trials and Final
2:30 p.m. Triple Jump - Women's Trials and Final
2:30 p.m. Discus - Women's Trials and Final
3:30 p.m. Pole Vault - Men's Trials and Final
4:30 p.m. High Jump - Women's Trials and Final
4:30 p.m. Triple Jump - Men's Trials and Final
4:30 p.m. Discus - Men's Trials and Final
 
Track Events
 
4:30 p.m. 400-Meter Relay - Women's Final
4:40 p.m. 400-Meter Relay - Men's Final
4:50 p.m. 1500-Meter Run - Women's Final
5:00 p.m. 1500-Meter Run - Men's Final
5:10 p.m. 100-Meter Hurdles - Women's Final
5:20 p.m. 110-Meter Hurdles - Men's Final
5:30 p.m. 400-Meter Dash - Women's Final
5:35 p.m. 400-Meter Dash - Men's Final
5:45 p.m. 100-Meter Dash - Women's Final
5:50 p.m. 100-Meter Dash - Men's Final
6:00 p.m. 800-Meter Run - Women's Final
6:05 p.m. 800-Meter Run - Men's Final
6:15 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles - Women's Final
6:20 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles - Men's Final
6:30 p.m. 200-Meter Dash - Women's Final
6:35 p.m. 200-Meter Dash - Men's Final
6:45 p.m. 5000-Meter Run - Women's Final
7:10 p.m. 5000-Meter Run - Men's Final
7:35 p.m. 1600-Meter Relay - Women's Final
7:45 p.m. 1600-Meter Relay - Men's Final
 
8:05 p.m. Awards Ceremony