Track and Field Travels North to Gainesville for Florida RelaysTrack and Field Travels North to Gainesville for Florida Relays

Track and Field Travels North to Gainesville for Florida Relays

by Nicolas Hernandez

ORLANDO - The UCF track and field team is set to travel north to compete in this year's Florida Relays in Gainesville after opening its 2025 outdoor campaign at home. The action is set to commence on Friday at the James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track, with the final events concluding on Saturday. 

The Black and Gold took home multiple podium spots at last year's edition, including a first place in the steeplechase event by former Knight Brenna Mullaney. This year, they will hope to find the top spot across 13 events throughout the weekend.

LAST TIME OUT

Two Knights made their debut for UCF at the Black and Gold Invitational with promising performances in the triple jump. Angelina Horn placed 11th with her 12.09m mark, while Alexis Waller led the charge with an eighth-place finish and a debut mark of 12.24m.

A season ago, sophomore Y’Vette Harris made program history, becoming one of two freshmen ever to make it to the NCAA East Preliminaries in the 100m hurdles. Her outdoor opener of 13.69 to place her wasn’t the only sophomore who shined, as Janiah Pulliam broke her record in the 400m with a time of 54.51, which won her the sixth heat and an 11th-place finish.

STARTING BLOCKS

  • Fifth-year Adaobi Tabugbo will take on the 100m hurdles for the first time representing UCF. Her time of 13.08 earned her a third-place finish in the previous edition of the Florida Relays.
  • Only two Knights will be running the 200m this weekend. Coco Branch and Deja Shaw-Huckaby will be shooting for another joint top-10 finish like they did in the 100m at the Black and Gold Invitational.
  • Senior Natalia Madison will be jumping for UCF in the high jump and long jump finals. While she wasn't able to record a mark in the high jump at the Black and Gold Invitational, she secured a first-place finish in the long jump event with a 6.12m jump, a personal best for the senior.

EVENTS TO WATCH

  • 1500m (Friday at 3:50 p.m.)  - Three Knights will race for UCF, including Penelope Sosa and Abby Clements, who had top 25 finishes at the Black and Gold Invitational. They will be accompanied by Kenadall Hughes, who finished behind them in 65th.
  • Triple Jump (Saturday at 4 p.m.) - Alexis Waller returns to the triple jump in Gainesville, having finished 16th in last year's Florida Relays. The Sophomore will hope to improve on her eighth-place finish at the Black and Gold invite.
  • 100m (Saturday at 3:55 p.m.)- UCF will have an experienced line up in senior I’Asia Wilson and junior Khristel Martindale. Wilson ran an 11.39 her last time out at the Pepsi Florida relays to lead the Knights with an eighth-place finish. At this year's Black and Gold Invitational, Martindale finished in the 24th spot with a time of 11.96.