TAMPA, Fla. – For the third time, the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships are back at the USF Track Complex in Tampa, Florida. The 2023 American championships are scheduled for May 12-14, with live coverage on ESPN+.
AMERICAN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO SOUTH FLORIDA
The American Outdoor Track & Field Championships return to the USF Track Complex after most recently being contested in the venue in 2021. The Houston’s men’s program defeated host Wichita State by a record 221.50-198 score during the 2021 championships, while the Cougar women scored 153 points to outpoint Cincinnati (106.33 points) for its second American women’s title.
This will mark the third time (2014, 2021) that the championships will be held at South Florida, with Houston men winning the title during both seasons. The SMU women won the first edition of the American Track Championships in 2014 in Tampa, defeating UCF 153.2-138.6.
WICHITA STATE LOOKS TO DEFEND MEN’S TITLE, UCF WOMEN LOOK TO WIN BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
Wichita State ended the run of the longtime men’s stalwart of the American Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Houston, who had previously won five straight titles. The previous three championships have all been decided with Houston and Wichita State as the top two teams. Cincinnati will look to transfer their success from the 2023 Indoor Track and Field Championships where they wont their first title in February.
In the women’s competition, UCF is coming off a record-breaking 2022 American Outdoor Track & Field Championship where the Knights scored an all-time best 163 points. Cincinnati (2016 and 2017), Houston (2018 and 2021) and SMU (2014 and 2015) have each won the American Outdoor Track & Field Championships twice, to go along with Wichita State’s 2019 crown.
CONFERENCE RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL IN 2023
American Athletic Conference outdoor records have not been safe this spring, as athletes continue to surpass previous high marks. Houston’s De’Vion Wilson broke the non-wind aided record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.41 at the 2023 95
th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Tulsa’s Christian Baker broke the 3,000-meter steeplechase record at the Drake Relays, finishing with a time of 8:38.66. Cincinnati’s Fred Moudani broke the shot put record twice this spring, including the long of 20.03 meters at the Penn Relays.
On the women’s side, Cincinnati’s Rylee Penn set a new conference record in the 800-meter run at the Clark Wood Open 2023, running a time of 2:01.90. She also broke the year-old record in the 1,500-meter run at the Raleigh Relays, clocking a time of 4:10.13. UCF’s Rayniah Jones broke her own 100-meter hurdles record with a time of 12.63 at the UNF East Coast Relays, while the UCF 4x400 team broke the record with a time of 3:31.42. Amber Simpson broke the hammer throw record at the Memphis Tiger Invitational with a throw of 68.13 meters, while Tulane’s Kristen O’Handley crushed the point total record in the heptathlon, scoring 5,802 points at the Virginia Challenge.
AMERICAN ATHLETES IN THE NCAA DIVISION I RANKINGS
The latest NCAA DI outdoor performance list features many American athletes included among the nation’s top 50 performers entering this week’s outdoor track & field conference championships. Houston’s Shaun Maswanganyi was ranked 5
th in the men’s 100-meter dash with a time of 10.01 at the Texas Relays on March 29
th, while teammate Edward Sumler IV is 48
th in the same race with a time of 10.20 ran at the Tom Tellez Invitational. A trio of American athletes rank in the top 50 in the 200-meter dash with Maswanganyi leading the way, ranked 22
nd with a time of 20.41. Just behind him are South Florida’s Shevioe Reid in 33
rd with a time of 20.50 and East Carolina’s Royal Burris in 44
th with a time of 20.61.
Scott Beattie of Tulsa comes in at 13
th in the country in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 13:30.57 and is 4
th in the nation in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 27:58.92. Teammates Cormac Dalton (10
th) and Shuaib Aljabaly (35
th) have times of 28:04.29 and 28:37.67, respectively. Houston teammates De’Vion Wilson and DJ Akindele are both top 15 in the 100 hurdles. Wilson ranks 6
th with a time of 13.41, while Akindele is 12
th with a time of 13.50. Tulsa’s Christian Baker ran the 13
th best time in the country with a 8:38.66 in the steeplechase, while Wichita State’s Clayton Duchatschek ran an 8:45.98 for the 34
th best time.
High jump has a pair of top 10 marks in the nation, including the top overall mark at 2.24 meters by South Florida’s Romaine Beckford at the Pepsi Florida Relays. Wichita State’s Brady Palen cleared 2.19 meters at the Kansas Relays and ranks 9
th in the event. In pole vault, Houston’s Christyan Sampy is 8
th in the country, clearing a height of 5.56 meters at the Tom Tellez Invitational, while South Florida’s Kobe Babin is 48
th with a height of 5.27 meters. Current record hold Fred Moudani of Cincinnati is 9
th in the country in shot put with a throw of 20.03 meters, while teammate Dominique Hall is 39
th in the decathlon with a point total of 7,065. Wichita State’s Matthew Evertt is 38
th in the nation with a throw of 57.38 meters in the discus. Vitally Favorov of Memphis threw the javelin 70.50 meters and ranks 27
th in the event heading into the championships.
Four UCF Knights rank in the top 50 in the women’s 100-meter dash, led by Rayniah Jones in 21
st with a time of 11.17. Beyonce Defreitas (11.23; 25
th), Janyah Jasper (11.28; 35
th) and Daija Lampkin (11.34; 50
th) are also ranked. Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza is top 25 in the 100-meter dash (24
th, 11.22) and the 200 meter dash (25
th, 22.89). UCF’s Defeitas is 41
st in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.13. The Knights at a pair of top 15 times in the 400 meter dash, both ran at the UF Tom Jones Memorial on April 14. Latasha Smith (10
th) ran a 51.47, while Kiah Williams (14
th) clocked a 51.59.
Cincinnati’s Rylee Penn is ranked 6
th in both the 800 meter and 1,500-meter run. Penn ran a 2:01.90 800-meter run and a 4:10.13 in the 1,500-meter run. Tulsa’s Chloe Hershenow is 48
th in the country in the 10,000-meter run after running a 33:21.75 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. UCF’s Rayniah Jones is 4
th in the country in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.63, while teammate Kaylor Harris is tied with Houston’s Destiny Smith at 39
th in the country with a time of 13.26.
South Florida’s Sanique Walker put forth a top 25 time in the 400-meter hurdles, ranking 22
nd in the country with a time of 57.06. Houston’s Sydni Townsend is 27
th in the country in the even with a time of 57.35. Tulsa’s Layla Roebke clocked a 10:07.80 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to rank 34
th in the country.
The American has five athletes in the top 31 in high jump, headlined by Cincinnati’s Taylor Beard who ranks 8
th in the nation with a height of 1.84 meters. Wichita State’s Destiny Masters is just behind Beard in 11
th, clearing a height of 1.83 meters. Teammate Marissa Jenson is tied with Cincinnati’s Annika Kinley and Memphis’ Jada Shanklin at 31
st in the country with a height of 1.78 meters. Alyssa Morello of Memphis is 31
st in the nation in the pole vault, clearing a height of 4.17 meters at the Memphis Tiger Invitational. UCF teammates Jasmine Scott-Kilgo and Asherah Collins are both ranked in the top 26 in long jump, with Scott-Kilgo jumping 6.38 meters (19
th) and Collins jumping 6.34 meters (26
th). South Florida’s Nia Robinson leads the group in long jump with a jump of 6.44 meters, putting her in 13
th in the country. Scott-Kilgo (18
th, 13.29m) and Collins (28
th; 13.15m) are also both ranked in triple jump. Houston’s Destiny Lawrence is 30
th in triple jump with 13.05 meters.
Naadiya Faison of East Carolina comes in at 50
th in the country in shot put with a throw of 16.22 meters, while UCF’s Adrienne Adams (11
th) and Memphis’ Samantha Lenton (16
th) are both ranked in discus with throws of 57.76 meters and 56.93 meters, respectively. In hammer throw, Amber Simpson broke the American record with a throw of 68.13 meters and is ranked 6
th heading into the championship, while teammate Samantha Lenton is 48
th with a throw of 61.08 meters. Houston’s Priscilla Adejokun is 17
th in the event with a long throw of 65.20 meters. Cincinnati’s Leonie Troeger is 19
th in the country in Javelin, throwing a distance of 53.43 meters at the UF Tom Jones Memorial.
Five heptathlon athletes are ranked in the top 50 heading into the weekend, headlined by Tulane’s Kristen O’Handley. After breaking the indoor heptathlon record, O’Handley set a new outdoor record as well, with 5,802 points. Teammate Margot Temines is 33
rd in the country with 5,384 points, while SMU’s Olivia Dobson (5,342 points) is 37
th, Wichita State’s Destiny Masters (5,258 points) is 44
th and UCF’s Natalia Madison (5,234 points) is 46
th in the country.
2023 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE (All times are Eastern)
FRIDAY, MAY 12
Live Coverage on ESPN+
Field Events
11:00 a.m. Hammer Throw - Women's Trials and Final
1:00 p.m. Hammer Throw - Men's Trials and Final
3:00 p.m. Javelin - Women's Trials and Final
5:00 p.m. Javelin - Men's Trials and Final
Heptathlon
11:00 a.m. 100-Meter Hurdles
11:40 a.m. High Jump
1:30 p.m. Shot Put
2:30 p.m. 200-Meter Dash
Decathlon
10:30 a.m. 100-Meter Dash
11:10 a.m. Long Jump
12:10 p.m. Shot Put
1:15 p.m. High Jump
2:30 p.m. 400-Meter Dash
Track Events
6:30 p.m. 1500-Meter Run - Women's Trials
6:45 p.m. 1500-Meter Run - Men's Trials
7:00 p.m. 200-Meter Dash - Women's Trials
7:15 p.m. 200-Meter Dash - Men's Trials
7:30 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles - Women's Trials
7:40 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles - Men's Trials
7:55 p.m. 10,000-Meter Run - Women's Trials
8:35 p.m. 10,000-Meter Run - Men's Trials
SATURDAY, MAY 13
Live Coverage on 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
5:25 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 14
Live Coverage on 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