BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the second year in a row and the third time in program history, the UCF Track and Field team have won the American Athletic Indoor Championship. The squad moved into first place following dominant performances in the sprint/hurdles competitions, headlined by the 60-meter dash where the Knights swept the podium. This marks three consecutive AAC Track and Field titles and gives UCF the most women's indoor titles in the conference's history. Head coach Dana Boone and her staff were awarded with the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year, an incredible accomplishment for her, along with assistance coaches Brian Jackson and Glenn Smith.
"We had a lot of people step up this weekend," said Boone. "What this team showed us was that they had a great amount of fight in them. We had some things happen along the way but someone else just stepped up and picked up the slack. I couldn't be happier for this team. They truly earned this title!"
The Knights entered championship Saturday in seventh with 15 points, meaning the 18 athletes competing in Saturday's finals had plenty of work cut out for them. The whole squad was up for the challenge, with 11 landing on the podium over five events. Rayniah Jones took the first of four events for UCF, defending her crown in the 60-meter hurdles with her 8.10 time. Jones would also come runner up in the 60-meter dash, capping off yet another brilliant conference championship for the All-American. She was trailed by Kaylor Harris who came in second with her time of 8.26, an outstanding performance from the senior.
Three athletes took home their first individual title for the Knights as Kiah Williams, Beyoncé Defreitas, and Janyah Jasper all took home gold. Williams was absolutely spectacular, setting a new personal best with a time of 52.97 and winning the 400-meter dash. From finishing 10th in the event last year to besting the field this time around, Williams then added a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash where she ran a 23.56, also a personal-best.
Defreitas has been on the cusp of gold in the 200-meter dash during her time in Orlando, finishing second in the event last year. Today, she finally got her title, winning the event with a new personal best of 23.34.
Jasper took the crown and set a new personal best in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.29. Knights also came in second, third, and fourth in the event.
Jasmine Scott-Kilgo and Asherah Collins both made it on the podium in the triple jump which gave the Knights 14 points in the event.
In the end, UCF had a dominating performance that saw them bring home the AAC crown with a 132.25 total points. The Knights were the only team to crack triple digits with Cincinnati coming in second with 94 points.
If the conference title wasn't enough, the Black and Gold also picked up three points in the War on I-4 to push the UCF lead to 27-18.
UCF Results
High Jump
8. Kaliah Jones (1.69m/5-08.50)
12. Natalia Madison (1.69m/5-06.50)
19. Holly Cassels (1.59m/5-02.50)
Triple Jump
2. Jasmine Scott-Kilgo (13.07m/42-00.00)
3. Asherah Collins (12.77m/41-10.75)
7. Natalia Madison (12.49m/40-11.75)
Mile (Final)
5. Mariana Rodriguez (4:55.81)
400M Dash (Final)
1. Kiah Williams (52.97)*
3. Latasha Smith (54.20)*
60M Hurdle (Final)
1. Rayniah Jones (8.10)
2. Kaylor Harris (8.26)
6. Alicia Coleman (8.50)*
60M Dash (Final)
1. Janyah Jasper (7.29)*
2. Rayniah Jones (7.35)
3. Beyonce Defreitas (7.36)
4. Daija Lampkin (7.40)
7. I'Asia Wilson (7.49)
8. Ani Wells (7.58)
200M Dash (Final)
1. Beyonce Defreitas (23.34)*
3. Kiah Williams (23.56)*
4. Daija Lampkin (23.64)
5. Rayniah Jones (23.83)
8. Janyah Jasper (24.27)
400M Dash (Final)
1. Kiah Williams (52.97)*
3. Latasha Smith (54.20)
3000M (Final)
12. Penelope Sosa (9:54.48)*
24. Ali Del Re (10:06.29)*
31. Kendall Hughes (10:17.80)
32. Mariana Rodriguez (10:18.26)
33. Paige Jaszczak (10:19.32)*
35. Riley Jaszczak (10:22.96)*
42. Mackenzie Czurak (10:39.64)
4x4 Relay (Final)
7. UCF (Defreitas, Lampkin, Coleman, Williams) (3:45.91)
