BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF track and field team used a trio of podium finishes to earn its highest team finish since 2017 at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships on Saturday.
“I was pleased with the way we competed today,” UCF head coach Dana Boone said. “We had a few mishaps and injuries, but we fought hard. We improved our conference finish from a year ago, but there is more work to be done. The bright side is we had some podium finishes, lifetime bests and personal bests. We are a young team but gained some valuable experience today that will help in the future and set us up for outdoor season. We will regroup and get better from here.”
The Knights nearly doubled their point total from last season’s indoor championship and came up just five points shy of UConn to finish sixth overall in the field with 54 points.
Daneesha Davidson earned UCF’s highest finish of the weekend, taking second in the triple jump. The sophomore turned in a personal best performance, landing at 42-6.75/12.97m on her first attempt of the afternoon.
Shian Hyde turned in a pair of podium performances in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Hyde started the day by tying her personal best mark in the 60-meter, finishing third in 7.42. The Jamaican junior followed that outing by setting a personal best time of 23.63 in the 200-meter on her way to a third place finish.
The Knights amassed 13 points in the 60-meter dash, finishing third, fifth, seventh and eighth. UCF added 11 points to its team score in the 200-meter with third, fifth and eighth place finishes.
Zharia Moore chipped in five points with a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles.
The 4x400 relay squad added a pair of points, turning in a season-best 3:43.66 mark for seventh.
The Knights also added three points to UCF’s War on I-4 total, finishing six spots higher than South Florida in the team standings. UCF now leads the rivalry series 36-6.
UCF opens outdoor action on March 15 as the Knights host the two-day Black and Gold Invitational at the UCF Track Complex.
Results
60m
3. Shian Hyde 7.42
5. Ciara Holback 7.49
7. Nelda Huggins 7.50
8. Imani Clark 8.17
60m Hurdles
4. Zharia Moore 8.51
200m
3. Shian Hyde 23.63
5. Ciara Holback 24.16
8. Imani Clark 40.92
Triple Jump
2. Daneesha Davidson 42-6.75/12.97m
11. Briana Potter 39-2.5/11.95m
Shot Put
9. Jhane’ Carter 46-11.75/14.32m
12. Shanell Atkins 45-0.5/13.73m
16. Gabby Durant 43-6/13.26m
17. Soteria Russell 43-2.5/13.17m
4X400 Relay
7. Devin D’Oliveira, Ciara Holback, Shian Hyde, Loren Gallmon 3:43.66
3000M
17. Charlotte Crook 9:59.24
36. Victoria Jung 10:16.58
Team Standings
1. Houston 98
2. Cincinnati 94.5
3. Wichita State 84
4. SMU 78
5. Connecticut 59
6. UCF 54
7. ECU 43
8. Memphis 36.5
9. Tulane 35
10. Temple 31.5
11. Tulsa 24
12. USF 23.5