ORLANDO- UCF track and field returns to Gainesville for the second weekend of its outdoor campaign, competing in the Tom Jones Invitational for the sixth consecutive season. The Black and Gold will take the track at James G. Pressly Stadium beginning Friday, April 17 at noon, with competition continuing through Saturday, April 18.
LAST TIME OUT
The Knights hit the road, traveling into rival territory for the USF Invitational, a one-day meet packed with strong performances and personal bests. Kimberly “Tuti” Smith led the way in the field, placing sixth in the long jump at 5.99m. On the track, Daisy Ross and Emily Wheldon delivered top-10 finishes in the 3000m steeplechase, taking second (11:22.53) and fourth (11:35.46), respectively. Alexandra Raquet continued her standout season, clocking a personal-best 4:25.12 in the 1500m. The time earned her second place and moved her to third all-time in program history. Ese Awusa advanced to the 100m hurdles final, finishing fifth in 13.57 seconds.
In the 100m, Awusa was joined by Khristel Martindak, Aaliyah Gipson and Deja Shaw-Huckaby, where all four secured top-10 finishes. Shaw-Huckaby highlighted the group with a personal best at 11.74s. Raquel Edwards added a personal-best (2:10.82) in the 800m, while Brianna Rodriguez followed with a PR in the 400m hurdles at 1:00.05 to place fourth. Closing out the meet, Madison Patchan snagged second place in the 5000m with a personal-best of 17:41.36, putting an exclamation point on a strong outing for the Knights.