ORLANDO – The UCF track and field team heads across the state for the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship this weekend.
The three-day meet, hosted by South Florida, will stream on ESPN+. Links to the live stream and live results can be found at the championship central.
The Knights open the three-day competition on Friday at 11 a.m. with the hammer throw and the heptathlon.
On the track, the 1500m trials start at 6:30 p.m. The 200m and 400m hurdle trials will follow at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. The final event of the opening day is the 10,000-meter run at 7:55 p.m.
The final three heptathlon events open Saturday action at 11 a.m. The Knights open field event action with the long jump at 3 p.m. At 5:25 p.m., track trials begin for the 100-meter hurdles. The Black and Gold have competitors in the trials for the 800m (6 p.m.), 400m (6:30 p.m.) and 100m (7 p.m.) and close out the day in the 3000m steeplechase at 7:30 p.m.
The final day of action begins at 2:30 p.m. with the triple jump and discus. The 4x100 relay squad will kick off the track events at 4:30 p.m. as the field events round out with the high jump. Finals will take place for the 1500m (4:50 p.m.), 100H (5:10 p.m.), 400m (5:30 p.m.), 100m (5:45 p.m.), 800m (6 p.m.), 400H (6:15 p.m.), 200m (6:30 p.m.) and 5000 (6:40 p.m.). The 4x400 relay closes out the weekend at 7:45 p.m.
Entering the championship, UCF holds 26 of The American's top 10 marks in 15 events, with one Knight among the top 10 in nearly every event in which they have a competitor this weekend.
With the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season, UCF fields a young squad in 2021. In all, 23 Knights will make their outdoor championship debuts. Seven Knights competing in Tampa this weekend have experience at the conference outdoor championship.
Rayniah Jones enters her first outdoor championship with the league-leading mark in the 100-meter hurdles. Her 12.73 ranks third nationally and is the UCF school record in the event. Jones also ranks fourth in the 100-meter dash and seventh in the 200.
Latasha Smith has the third-best 400m mark enter the weekend at 53.88. Danielle Bess ranks fifth in the 200m (23.71) and sixth in the 100m (11.64).
Katie Pinnell enters the weekend with the second-best mark in the 800-meter run with her personal best 2:07.28. Charlotte Crook ranks fourth in the 800m (2:07.64) and fifth in the 1500m (4:23.43) and Valerie Lastra's freshman record 4:26.75 ranks sixth in the 1500m.
Jones has company in the 100H, as Alexis Woodley's 13.33 ranks fifth on the league performance list and Selena Wright's 13.60 ranks eighth.
UCF's freshman triple jump record holder Asherah Collins enters her first outdoor championship with the second-best mark in the league (13.05m), while teammate Kiara Lee ranks fifth (12.81m) entering her first outdoor championship.
The meet also serves as the final event in the 2020-21 War on I-4 rivalry series. Six points are up for grabs for the team with the higher conference finish. UCF has already clinched the overall series victory and leads 53.25-24.75.
UCF Schedule
Friday, May 14
11 a.m. - Hammer Throw – Chloe Hill
11 a.m. - Heptathlon – Holly Cassels, Kennedie Reese
6:30 p.m. - 1500m Trials – Charlotte Crook, Kaitlyn Soltis, Valerie Lastra, Mariana Rodriguez, Victoria Jung
7:00 p.m. - 200m Trials – Ani Wells, Beyonce Defreitas, Rayniah Jones, Danielle Bess
7:30 p.m. – 400H Trials – Selena Wright, Alicia Coleman
7:55 p.m. – 10,0000m – Alexandra Del Re
Saturday, May 15
11 a.m. – Heptathlon – Holly Cassels, Kennedie Reese
3 p.m. - Long Jump – Jasmine Scott-Kilgo, Kiara Lee, Leiya Green
5:25 p.m. - 100H Trials – Rayniah Jones, Alicia Coleman, Selena Wright, Alexis Woodley
6 p.m. - 800m Trials – Cydni Turner, Jadae Barrett, Katie Pinnell
6:30 p.m. - 400m Trials – Kai'lyn Kirkland, Latasha Smith, Kiah Williams, Samieryah Bradwell
7 p.m. - 100m Trials – Beyonce Defreitas, Ani Wells, Ciara Holback, Danielle Bess, Rayniah Jones
7:30 p.m. - 3000m Steeplechase – Victoria Jung
Sunday, May 16
2:30 p.m. - Triple Jump – Kiara Lee, Asherah Collins
2:30 p.m. - Discus – Adrienne Adams
4:30 p.m. - High Jump – Kaliah Jones, Holly Cassels
4:30 p.m. - 4x100 Relay
4:50 p.m. - 1500m Final
5:10 p.m. – 100H Final
5:30 p.m. - 400m Final
5:45 p.m. - 100m Final
6 p.m. - 800m Final
6:15 p.m. – 400H Final
6:30 p.m. - 200m Final
6:40 p.m. - 5000m Final – Victoria Jung, Charlotte Crook, Valerie Lastra, Alexandra Del Re
7:45 p.m. - 4x400 Relay
