The 4x400m heroics followed a dazzling performance from Adaobi Tabugbo, who retained the 100m hurdles title for the Knights, following in Rayniah Jones' footsteps.
With 41 points to show for, UCF showed everyone else what it already knows... the Knights belong.
Scoring Performances:
A staple in the Boone era at UCF, the Knights opened a busy Saturday night at the Rock Chalk Park with a third-place finish in the 4x100m relay, clocking a season-best 43.74 in lane seven.
Besting a fifth-place outing a year ago, the squad consisting of Tabugbo, Janiah Pulliam, I’Asia Wilson and Jazmen Newberry tallied six points for the team and pushed their East Regional ranking into the top-15.
While UCF entered the championships fourth in the conference, its first sub-44-second outing of the season jumped Utah, a good sign ahead of the NCAA East Preliminary Round later this month.
The first of two finals containing multiple Knights saw history in the 100m hurdles once again. Following in the footsteps of UCF legend Rayniah Jones, Tabugbo retained the Big 12 title with a personal-best 12.87 performance in the fifth lane, leading the field from the starting blocks to the finish line.
One of two Nigerians to run sub-13 seconds this season, Tabugbo topped a second-place finish in the 60m hurdles during the indoor campaign, setting her up for another run at an All-America honor.
Under Boone, the Knights have claimed five consecutive outdoor 100m hurdles titles, a remarkable feat that has spanned across two eras within the program.
Tabugbo’s fellow Nigerian, Ese Awusa, placed eighth with a respective 13.56 to secure her second scoring performance of the season. In the 400m, Kansas State transfer Twanseise Johnson joined her with an eighth-place time of 53.72, continuing UCF’s charge up the leaderboard.
Winding down her fourth year as a Knight, senior I’Asia Wilson broke through in the 100m finals, securing herself a first-career individual medal in the Big 12 as she placed fourth with a personal-best 11.21.
From a First-Team All-America honor in the 4x100m relay during her freshman season to career day in Lawrence, Wilson’s farewell isn’t done just yet, as she’ll compete in Jacksonville later this month.
The 200m saw a pair of Knights hit the starting blocks in their second of three events on the day. After aiding in UCF's third-place 4x100m relay showing, Janiah Pulliam and Jazmen Newberry garnered more points for the squad with podium finishes.
In the lone field event of the evening, Natalia Madison followed up her sixth-place finish in the heptathlon with a strong mark of 12.48m in the triple jump. She was followed closely by Alexis Waller, who notched a personal-best 12.47m jump.
Abby Clements placed 34th in the night’s preliminary event, clocking https://www.youtube.com/a 17:21.21 in the 5000m as the action resumed following a nearly two-hour-long rain delay.
Over two months removed from a memorable indoor title in the 4x400m relay, the departure of Kiah Williams left a hole to be filled. Though it's not about what you've had, it's all about what you have. Y'Vette Harris and Pulliam joined the already established Johnson and Newberry as the squad competed in the last of two heats.
Three legs left the Knights in third entering the final 400m, with Newberry looking for all that was left in the tank after having already raced in two prior events on the day. Her 52.29 split was exactly what was needed, besting the field to complete the 4x400m double for UCF.
