Track and Field Primed for Big 12 Outdoor Championship Debut

WACO, Texas – The UCF track and field team is set for its debut appearance at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship this weekend at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium. From May 9-11, the Knights will compete alongside 13 other programs to begin an eventful postseason for head coach Dana Boone and her squad.

All three days will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. James Wrestling will be providing play-by-play and will be accompanied by analyst John Nownes.

In February, the Knights saw multiple performances to be proud of, headlined by Rayniah Jones’ and Adaobi Tabugbo’s second and third-place finishes in the 60m hurdles. This weekend, the former will look to translate her blistering outdoor campaign into her fourth-consecutive conference title in the 100m hurdles.

A three-time winner in The American, Jones’ current season-best of 12.77 leads the conference and once again, puts the graduate in a strong position to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship once again. The aforementioned time, secured in the regular-season finale at the East Coast Relays, qualified Jones for her second United States Olympic Trials this summer, a remarkable feat for the eight-time All-America honoree.

Below is a breakdown of each day along with a schedule of events. All times listed in EST.

Thursday

The heptathlon will take center stage during day one of the Big 12 Outdoor Championship, as Holly Cassels and Natalia Madison will commence the Knights’ weekend with the first of seven events across Thursday and Friday. The tandem offered a promising pentathlon performance during the Indoor Championship and will look to set the tone for UCF on the scoresheet.

• 1 p.m. – 100m Hurdles
• 1:45 p.m. – High Jump
• 3:45 p.m. – Shot Put
• 5 p.m. – 200m Dash

A pair of prelims will conclude the evening on the track as Kiah Williams will highlight the Knights’ 200m field looking to advance to Saturday’s finals. The senior currently sits third in the conference and 22nd in the nation in the event. Paige Archer and I’Asia Wilson, who each sit among the top 20 will round out the field. Freshmen Y’Vette Harris and Brianna Rodriguez will cap day one off in the 400m hurdles prelims.

• 8:05 p.m. – 200m Dash
• 8:50 p.m. – 400m Hurdles

Friday

Cassels and Madison will conclude their heptathlon slate with the final three events to begin an action-packed second day in Waco.

• 12:45 p.m. – Long Jump
• 2 p.m. – Javelin
• 3:30 p.m. – 800m Run

Asherah Collins, who placed eighth in the Long Jump at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, will look to once again make an impact for the Knights as she currently sits fifth in the conference. Leiya Green will join her in the lone field event of the day.

• 5 p.m. – Long Jump

In the first of four prelims on the track, Jones will be joined by Harris in the 100m hurdles, as the latter currently sits ninth in the Big 12 and will look to make the jump into the finals. Freshman Karin Dobiasch will compete in the 800m, UCF’s first distance event of the weekend.

• 6:15 p.m. – 100m Hurdles
• 7 p.m. – 800m

Williams will embark on her second prelims of the weekend in the 400m, in which she currently leads the conference and remains in a strong position to claim the program record. Four Knights will line up for the 100m dash prelims, headlined by I’Asia Wilson who has had a breakout outdoor season and currently sits 11th in the conference.

• 7:45 p.m. – 400m Dash
• 8:35 p.m. – 100m Dash

The first track final of the weekend for UCF will see Brenna Mullaney compete in the 3000m steeplechase, her premier event in Black and Gold. The junior holds the second-best time in program history (10:47.59).

• 9:20 – 3000m Steeplechase

Saturday

Preceding an action-packed day on the track, Collins and Alexis Waller will compete in the triple jump finals to begin Saturday’s slate. Collins placed sixth in the event during indoors and in 2023, won the triple jump at the AAC Outdoor Championship en route to her second-team All-America nod at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

• 4:30 p.m. – Triple Jump

The 4x100m relay will be the first of 10 finals on the track and will serve as a promising opportunity for UCF to score, as the squad sits fourth in the conference entering the championship. Ali Del Re and Isabella Richardson will compete in the 5000m before the 4x400m relay concludes this weekend’s action.

• 6:15 – 4x100m Relay
• 6:55 – 100m Hurdles
• 7:15 – 400m Dash
• 7:35 – 100m Dash
• 7:55 – 800m Run
• 8:15 – 400m Hurdles
• 8:35 – 200m Dash
• 9:05 – 5000m Run
• 9:40 – 4x400m Relay