ORLANDO – Following two incredible performances to open the season, the UCF track and field team was ranked third in the first NCAA D1 Women's Track and Field National Rating Index of 2023. The ranking is the highest in program history which comes after two meets in which the Knights broke multiple program records along with eight total athletes landing in the top 10 in the nation in their events.
Latasha Smith and Jasmine Scott-Kilgo are both currently second in the nation in the 400-meter dash and the triple jump. Smith's time of 52.70 was the best this weekend as she won the event at the UCF Knights Invite. Scott-Kilgo set a new program record with her 13.29m mark in the triple jump, winning the event. She is the only athlete in the nation to currently be in the top five in both the triple jump and the long jump.
Along with Scott-Kilgo, Asherah Collins won the long jump this weekend with her 6.34m mark which is currently fifth in the nation. Adrienne Adams started her season with two performances that outdid the last as she broke her own school record yet again with her 57.76 mark in the discus which is currently third in the nation. Collins was one of seven Knights to win their event at the UCF Knights Invite. Three Knights are currently in the top 10 in the 200-meter dash as along with Smith, Beyonce Defreitas and Daija Lampkin also showed out as the trio swept the top three. Defreitas is third in the nation with her time of 23.13, followed by Lampkin (23.25) at seventh and Smith (23.26) at eight.
The Knights finished both the 2013 indoor and outdoor seasons fifth in the nation which before today was the highest ranking at any point in a season. Now, head coach Dana Boone and her squad have the highest ranking in program history following the first release of the season. UCF will be back in action this weekend at the Florida Relays in Gainesville.
Knights in the Top 10
Beyonce Defreitas / 200-meter dash (3rd)
Daija Lampkin / 200-meter dash (7th)
Latasha Smith / 400-meter dash (2nd) and 200-meter dash (8th)
Jasmine Scott-Kilgo / Triple Jump (2nd) and Long Jump (4th)
Asherah Collins / Long Jump (5th)
Adrienne Adams / Discus (3rd)
