ORLANDO - At the premier outdoor opener in the nation, the UCF track and field team commenced the second half of its 2026 campaign with a strong performance at the Black and Gold Challenge.
Hosted at the UCF track and field complex, head coach Dana Boone and her squad welcomed in top programs from across the country to both enjoy the beautiful blue skies and compete in an action-packed field.
A plethora of Knights (and 'Nauts) set personal records, while the all-time top-10 lists saw multiple breakthroughs and rearranged history. Overall, four facility records were broken, marking another season of premier collegiate track and field making its way to Orlando.
Also of note, for the first time, day two of the Black and Gold challenge was streamed live on ESPN+, signaling another area of growth for the event. Interviews with winning athletes after their competitions and an overall in-depth production gave fans who couldn't make it to the Sunshine State a comprehensive view of Saturday's action.
FRIDAY
A trio of field events opened action at the 2026 Black and Gold Challenge, as the Knights placed multiple athletes among the top-10. Multis athlete Paige Laffoon commenced the day with a 10th-place showing in the javelin, throwing her first attempt 32.90 meters (107’ 11’’) to come within a short distance of her personal best.
An hour later, she was among five Knights who competed in the long jump, and the lone to break her personal record with an impressive 5.87-meter jump on her third attempt of the first flight, and in turn, qualifying her for the final before eventually placing eighth.
However, a pair of Knights secured top-five finishes, including freshman Jasmine Ross, whose 6.03-meter jump on her second attempt placed her third in a stacked field. She was followed closely behind by South Carolina transfer Omaria Gordon, who also jumped 6.03 meters, though placed in fourth due to her next-best attempts. With each competing in their first outdoor collegiate slates, Friday’s marks will serve as a strong foundation for what hopes to be breakout campaigns.
Fellow freshman Kaeli Powe jumped 5.65 meters to place 16th, while multis athlete Eva Bruce sat just a spot behind in 17th with her 5.64-meter jump on her third and final attempt. Bruce’s day wasn’t done, though, as a 10.78-meter throw in the shot put garnered her a personal record in the event to round out the field slate.
Fifteen heats and eight Knights opened track events in the 200m, setting the tone for the weekend with four personal bests and a pair of top-10 finishes. Freshman Samiyah Roberson, competing in the fourth heat, soared down the home stretch to record a 23.16 result and an eye-catching third-place finish in a Power Four heavy field.
The Texas native’s outdoor debut time marked the ninth-best in program history, matching former Knight Daija Lampkin’s 23.16 performance at the 2023 Knights Invite. Fellow freshman and Texas native Datavia Hunter also broke out in the event, clocking a personal-best 23.63 to place eighth and add to an already impressive first-year class in the sprints squad.
The freshman showed out in her outdoor debut 🫨🫨
— UCF Track & Field/XC (@UCF_Track) March 20, 2026
200m ➡️ 23.16 (3rd Overall) pic.twitter.com/n4IxmfEqfw
Ese Awusa (23.70) and Aaliyah Gipson (23.78) each smashed their personal record to finish 12th and 13th, respectively, while Coco Branch ran a promising 24.17 to open her senior season in 30th. Hurdler Antoinette Galloway showed her versatility with a personal-best 24.44 in the 13th heat, before Khristel Martindale (24.53) and Laffoon (25.90) rounded out the field.
The 2000m steeplechase marked the first of two distance events to close the day. Freshman Daisy Ross finished with a time of 7:01.86 in her first time competing in the race. She was followed by Georgia Southern transfer Emily Wheldon’s 7:28.25.
In the 1500m invite, both Ava Quattrocchi (4:36.37) and Paige Jaszczak (4:41.00) topped their personal records to place 23rd and 26th. Also competing in the third section were Madison Patchan, who clocked a 4:42.33, along with freshman Masha Dorofeev’s 4:47.57.