BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Cincinnati Bearcats women and the Memphis Tigers men paced the field after day one of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships on Friday at South Florida’s USF Track Complex.
 
Due to lightning in the Tampa area, the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter run was postponed until 8 a.m. tomorrow morning to begin day two of the 2023 American Track & Field Championship.
 
Samantha Lenton of Memphis was the first athlete to bring home a medal during the championships, winning the women’s hammer throw with a toss of 61.57 meters. Cincinnati’s Hannah Jackson finished in second place with a throw of 60.62 meters, while Houston’s Priscilla Adejokun took home the bronze medal with a throw of 59.45 meters.
 
Memphis took home the gold medal in the men’s hammer throw as well, as Oliver Tomann won with a throw of 57.97 meters. Teammate Will Dibo came in third place in the event with a throw of 55.41 meters, while Wichita State’s Creighton Camp claimed the silver medal with a distance of 56.55 meters.
 
The heptathlon saw meet records fall in three of the four events ran, as Tulane’s Kristen O’Handley takes a commanding point lead into the final three events for day two, sitting with 3,630 points. O’Handley set the meet records in the 100-meter hurdles (13.56) and the 200-meter dash (23.48). Destiny Masters set the meet record in high jump, clearing 1.80 meters. Tulane’s Margot Temines sits in second place with 3,418 points and UCF’s Natalia Madison heads into the final three events in third place with 3,411 points.
 
Cincinnati’s Leonie Troeger set a meet record in javelin with a throw of 55.31 meters on her third attempt of the day to take home the gold medal.  Wichita State’s Samantha Marx finished in second place with a throw of 46.82 meters on her final attempt.  East Carolina’s Ansley Frady took home the third-place medal with a throw of 45.87 meters.
 
Cincinnati’s Dominique Hall heads into the second day of the decathlon in first place with a point total of 3,944. Hall set a meet record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.86.  Wichita State teammates Nathan Vann (3.870) and Adria Navajon (3,793) sit in second and third place.
 
Memphis continued to take home medals in men’s javelin, taking first and second place in the event. Vitaliy Favorov threw a distance of 71.09 meters for the gold medal, while Just Miller took silver with a throw of 59.47 meters.  South Florida’s Romaine Beckford came in third place with a throw of 59.38 meters.
 
Rylee Penn of Cincinnati put forth the top time in the 1,500-meter prelims with a time of 4:26.56.  Laura Nicholson of Temple was the second-fastest with a time of 2:26.56, while Wichita State’s Abeba Sullivan clocked a 4:26.90 for the third best preliminary time.
 
Tulane’s Aaron Gilliam ran the top preliminary time in the men’s 1,500-meter run with a 3:50.66.  Tulsa’s Christian Baker will be the second seed with a 3:51.01, while Cincinnati’s Tyler Wirth rounds out the top three preliminary times with a 3:50.73.
 
UCF qualified five athletes in the 200-meter dash finals, led by Latasha Smith’s leading time of 23.03. Houston’s Cecilia Tamayo-Garza (3^rd; 23.25), East Carolina’s Melicia Mouzzon (5^th; 23.54) and South Florida’s Shaniya Benjamin (8^th; 23.58) each qualified for the finals.
 
In the men’s 200-meter dash, Houston qualified three athletes, led by top seeded Shaun Maswanganyi with a time of 20.63. South Florida added two in Shevioe Reid and Jaleel Croal, placing second and fourth with times of 20.71 and 20.87, respectively. Cincinnati’s Naquille Harris (21.10) and Tulsa’s Joshua Sutton (21.18) were the final qualifiers.
 
Houston’s Sydni Townsend claimed the top seed in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.15, while South Florida added three qualifiers in Sanique Walker (57.36), Madeline Abega (59.46) and Chakiya Plummer (59.95).  Cincinnati had two qualifiers with Nyile Facey (58.66) and Victoria Abunaw (1:00.48), while Tulsa and SMU both had one with Anna Mager (1:00.19) and Nea Sanders (1:01.45).
 
South Florida captured the top seed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with Michael Bourne III’s 51.17.  Houston and Wichita State both added three qualifiers. Houston’s De’Vion Wilson (52.01), Dillon Leacock (52.16) and DJ Akindele (52.65), and Wichita State’s Yuben Goncalves (52.38), Toby Penner (52.57) and Bryan Haney (52.66) all qualified. Cincinnati’s Camden Beatty was the final qualifier for the event with a time of 53.21.
 
The 2023 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships will return for day two tomorrow, May 13 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on ESPN+ with the women’s 10,000-meter run.
 
The latest information on the 2023 American Outdoor Track & Field Championships can be found on the conference's Championship Central site.
 
 
2023 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
 
Men’s Teams Scores (through day one)
1. Memphis – 36
2. Wichita State – 17
3. Cincinnati – 10
4. South Florida – 6
5. Tulane – 5
6. Houston - 4
 
Women’s Teams Scores (through day one)
1. Cincinnati – 23
2. East Carolina – 13
3. Wichita State – 11
4. Memphis – 10
5. Houston – 6
6. UCF – 6
7. Tulane – 5
8. SMU - 4
 
 
2023 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
 
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE (All times are Eastern)

FRIDAY, MAY 12

Field Events

11:00 a.m. Hammer Throw – Samantha Lenton (Memphis) – 61.57m
1:00 p.m. Hammer Throw – Oliver Tomann (Memphis) – 57.97m
3:00 p.m. Javelin – Leonie Troeger (Cincinnati) – 55.31m
5:00 p.m. Javelin – Vitaliy Favorov (Memphis) – 71.09m

Heptathlon

11:00 a.m. 100-Meter Hurdles – Kristen O’Handley (Tulane) – 13.56 *meet record*
11:40 a.m. High Jump – Destiny Masters (Wichita State) – 1.80m *meet record*
1:30 p.m. Shot Put – Olivia Dobson (SMU) – 13.88m
2:30 p.m. 200-Meter Dash – Kristen O’Handley (Tulane) – 23.48 *meet record*

Decathlon

10:30 a.m. 100-Meter Dash – Adria Navajon (Wichita State) – 10.82
11:10 a.m. Long Jump – Nathan Vann (Wichita State) – 7.11m
12:10 p.m. Shot Put – Nathan Vann (Wichita State) – 12.49m
1:15 p.m. High Jump – Hudson Bailey (Wichita State) – 2.07m
2:30 p.m. 400-Meter Dash – Dominique Hall (Cincinnati) – 47.86 *meet record*

Track Events

6:30 p.m. 1500-Meter Run – Top Prelim: Rylee Penn (Cincinnati) – 4:26.56
6:45 p.m. 1500-Meter Run – Top Prelim: Aaron Gilliam (Tulane) – 3:50.66
7:00 p.m. 200-Meter Dash – Top Prelim: Latasha Smith (UCF) – 23.03
7:15 p.m. 200-Meter Dash – Top Prelim: Shaun Maswanganyi (Houston) – 20.63
7:30 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles – Top Prelim: Sydni Townsend (Houston) – 57.15
7:40 p.m. 400-Meter Hurdles – Top Prelim: Michael Bourne III (South Florida) – 51.17

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

8:00 a.m. 10,000-Meter Run - Finals
8:45 a.m. 10,000-Meter Run - Finals
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