USF Bulls Win Three Events to Conclude the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational
Louisville, Ky., January 28, 2022 – The University of South Florida Track and Field returned home with three victories and several top ten marks after competing in the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational held at the University of Louisville’s Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center.
In the men’s pole vault-open section, Kobe Babin topped the competition and claimed a new personal record with 5.23m (17-01.75), moving him to fourth in program history. Stone Baker finished eighth in the seeded section with a mark of 5.03m (16-6.00).
Record-holder Romaine Beckford claimed his second win in a row in the men’s high jump with 2.18m (7-01.75). In the women’s competition, Annie Ashley claimed second position in the with 1.75m (5-8.75), tying her for fifth on the All-Time List. In the men’s triple jump, David Ajama returned to finish in second place with a mark of 15.65m (51-4.25)
Arden La-Rose started the day on the track for the Bulls with a personal record of 5:09.20 in the women’s mile run.
With a time of 47.77, Shevioe Reid placed fifth in the men’s 400m and claimed fifth place on the All-Time list. Senior Elijah Wright trailed closely behind in sixth position at a time of 48.11. Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, Kayla Hugg placed seventh with 56.18, also entering the All-Time list in eighth position.
later in the day Zayquan Lincoln became the second fastest Bull in the program history after his performance in the men’s 200m with a time of 21.52.
The day capped off with the women’s 4×400 relay. For the women, Zahria Allers-Liburd, Je’Nyia Burton, Shaniya Benjaminand Hugg won the event while also running the second fastest time in program history with 3:39.80.
“We learned a lot today,” head coach Erik Jenkins said, “This weekend has been very beneficial to our team’s development. As a team, we achieved multiple personal bests, won several events and had an individual’s debut on the national rankings. We will take the experiences gained and continue to build upon them. “
Up next, the Bulls will continue their northern trek to Boston, Mass., where they compete in the Crimson Elite and Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational on Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4.
About USF Track and Field
The USF track and field team has earned 53 All-America selections and at least one All-American in 10 of the last 12 years, including a record eight athletes claiming 11 honors in 2021. Tampa native Shaniya Benjamin set a program record earning three All-American honors during the 2021 outdoor season, while triple jumper Matthew O’Neal, a 2016 graduate, became USF’s first six-time NCAA All-American. Bulls have posted two NCAA runner-up finishes since 2013 – O’Neal (triple jump, 2016) and Courtney Anderson (high jump, 2013). Head coach Erik Jenkins took over the program in 2020 and in the 2021 outdoor season the Bulls posted seven program records and 40 top 10 all-time program marks. USF hosted the 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary and the 2021 AAC Outdoor Championship at the USF Track and Field Stadium located on the east end of campus.
– #GoBulls –