BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships are set to return to the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. The 2024 American championships are scheduled for Feb. 23-24 on ESPN+ with Hayden Cox and Trevor Fulkerson on the call and Breanna Sorensen as the reporter.
AMERICAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO THE BIRMINGHAM CROSSPLEX
The American Indoor Track & Field Championships will return to the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. for an eighth straight championship. The American Indoor Track & Field Championships have been held at the CrossPlex for each season dating back to 2016. It was held in New York in 2014 and 2015, while 2020 was canceled. 2023 NCAA competitors expected in the 2024 American championship field are Wichita State’s Brady Pale (7th in high jump; 2.18m) and Rice’s Tara Simpson-Sullivan (14th in weight throw; 20.47m) and Alexander Slinkman (10th in pole vault; 5.51m)
NEW CHAMPIONS WILL BE CROWNED
In both the men’s and women’s championships, a new champion will be determined. The winner of the men’s championship is guaranteed to win its first American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship, while SMU is the lone women’s program to have won a title in the past, winning the inaugural championship in 2014. Charlotte took home the crown in both the men’s and women’s Conference USA indoor championship a season ago. The 49ers won four straight C-USA titles on the men’s side (2020-2023) and will look to win their first American Athletic Conference Championships in their first year in the league.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE RECORDS BROKEN
Several American Athletic Conference all-time records have been broken this season so far. In pole vault, Charlotte Riley Felts shattered the previous record of 4.33 meters held by Rebekah Markel of Tulane, as Felts cleared 4.46 meters on February 17 at the USC Indoor Open. In women’s long jump, UTSA freshman Ida Breigan broke the conference record during her first career meet, only to break it again on February 9 at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. Her mark of 6.52 meters bested South Florida’s Nia Robinson’s mark of 6.42 meters, set last season. It also set the Norwegian National Indoor record that had been held since 1967. In women’s shot put, North Texas’ KeAyla Dove broke the conference record twice, as well. Her final mark of 17.85 meters at the Robert Platt Invitational on January 26 topped Houston’s Nu’uausala Tuilefano mark of 17.46 meters that was set last season.
AMERICAN ATHLETES IN THE NCAA DIVISION I RANKINGS
The latest NCAA DI indoor performance list features many American athletes included among the nation’s best entering this week’s indoor track & field conference championships. On the men’s side, three athletes rank in the top 50 in the 60-meter dash. South Florida’s Saminu Abdul-Rasheed is ranked 16th in the NCAA with a top time of 6.61, while teammate Jaleel Croal is 46th in the country with at top time of 6.66. UTSA’s Dennis Phillips ran a season-best 6.65, which ranks 40th in the NCAA. In the 200-meter dash, South Florida teammates Shevioe Reid (11th, 20.67) and Zayquan Lincoln (46th, 20.95) both enter in the top 50, while UTSA’s Brice Chabot comes in at 44 with a time of 20.94. Michael Roth of UTSA enters the championships with the 30th’s best time in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.45 seconds. Tulsa teammates Malte Propp and Shuaib Aljabaly are ranked in the 3,000-meter run and 5,000 meter run, respectively. Propp is 37th in the 3,000 with a time of 7:52.47, while Aljabaly is 43rd in the 5,000 with a time of 13:45.44. Wichita State’s Jaleel Montgomery is 43rd in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a top time of 7.79 seconds. The South Florida 4×400 team is ranked 34th in the NCAA with a time of 3:07.59, while Charlottes distance medley team comes in ranked at 39th with a time of 9:48.33. In field events, Rice’s Ese Amata (17th, 2.18m) and Wichita State’s Brady Palen (25th, 2.17m) both enter in the top 25 in high jump. Rice’s Alexander Slinkman is ranked 8th in the country in pole vault, clearing a best 5.55 meters. UTSA’s Gabriel Binion is 21st in the nation in long jump (7.77m) and 18th in the nation in triple jump (15.89m). Teammate Dylan James is 33rd in the country in triple jump (15.64m), while South Florida’s Goodness Iredia is 15th (15.92m) and East Carolina’s Nathaniel Williams is 50th (15.42m). Two athletes rank in the top 50 in weight throw, Memphis’ Wil Dibo is 19th in the country with a throw of 21.82m, while Rice’s Cal Abdulky is 31st in the country with a throw of 21.36m. Finally, Rice’s freshman heptathlete Vincent Arousell is 42nd in the country with a season-best 5,352 points.
For the women, East Carolina’s Melicia Mouzzon has the top time in the American and 38th best in the country in the 60-meter dash at 7.29 seconds. Charlotte teammates Joyasia Smith (30th, 23.30) and Ta-halia Fairman (35th, .23.36) are both in the top 35 in the 200-meter dash. Fairman is also ranked 48th in the country in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.44. Sydni McMillan of East Carolina comes into the meet with the 48th best time in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.27 seconds. South Florida’s 4×400 team has the top time in the conference and 30th best time in the nation at 3:35.19. Three athletes are in the top 50 in high jump, led by Wichita State’s Destiny Masters (11th, 1.85m), followed by Rice teammates Jose Taylor (29th, 1.81m) and Eliza Kraule (45th, 1.79m). In pole vault, Charlotte teammate have the top marks with Riley Felts ranked 3rd in the country at 4.46 meters, while Sarah Brown is 43rd at 4.17 meters. Five athletes rank in the top 50 in the long jump, led by UTSA freshman Ida Breigan at 6th in the country with a jump of 6.52 meters. Teammate Mia Lien is 43rd in the nation with a jump of 6.21 meters. SMU’s Olajide Funminiyi is 20th (6.37 meters, while South Florida’s Shaniya Benjamin is 35th (6.24 meters) and Rice’s Eliza Kraule is 37th (6.22 meters). North Texas’ KeAyla Dove has the 6th best throw in shot put at 17.85 meters, while Charlottes’s Patience Marshall is 47th at 15.99 meters. Rice’s Tara Simpson-Sullivan enters ranked 16th in weight throw with a top mark of 21.73 meters. Finally, Rice’s Eliza Kraule come one point shy of the American Conference record in the pentathlon with a high score of 4,276 points, which ranks 4th in the country. Wichita State’s Destiny Masters is not far behind, ranking 7th in the pentathlon with 4,211 points.
2024 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, February 23 (ESPN+)
Women’s Pentathlon
9:00 a.m. W-Pentathlon 60m Hurdles
9:45 a.m. W-Pentathlon High Jump (2 pits)
11:30 a.m. W-Pentathlon Shot Put
12:45 p.m. W-Pentathlon Long Jump (pit A)
2:00 p.m. W-Pentathlon 800m Run
Men’s Heptathlon
11:00 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Dash
11:45 a.m. M-Heptathlon Long Jump (pit B)
1:00 p.m. M-Heptathlon Shot Put
3:20 p.m. M-Heptathlon High Jump
Field Events
12:00 p.m. High Jump – Men’s Trials & FINAL
12:00 p.m. Pole Vault – Men’s Trials & FINAL
2:00 p.m. Long Jump – Women’s Trials & FINAL
2:15 p.m. Weight Throw – Men’s Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Pole Vault – Women’s Trials & FINAL
4:00 p.m. Long Jump – Men’s Trials & FINAL
4:15 p.. Weight Throw – Women’s Trials & FINAL
Track Events
1:05 p.m.Mile Run – Women’s Trials
1:20 p.m. Mile Run – Men’s Trials
1:35 p.m. 400m Dash – Women’s Trials
1:50 p.m. 400m Dash – Men’s Trials
2:05 p.m. 60m Hurdles – Women’s Trials
2:15 p.m. 60m Hurdles – Men’s Trials
2:25 p.m. 60m Dash – Women’s Trials
2:35 p.m. 60m Dash – Men’s Trials
2:50 p.m. 800m Dash – Women’s Trials
3:05 p.m. 800m Dash – Men’s Trials
3:20 p.m. 200m Dash – Women’s Trials
3:40 p.m. 200m Dash – Men’s Trials
3:55 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s FINAL
4:35 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded – Women’s FINAL
5:00 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded – Men’s FINAL
5:20 p.m. Distance Medley Relay – Women’s FINAL
5:40 p.m. Distance Medley Relay – Men’s FINAL
Saturday, February 24 (ESPN+)
Men’s Heptathlon
9:45 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Hurdles
10:45 a.m. M-Heptathlon Pole Vault
2:20 p.m. M-Heptathlon 1000m Run
Field Events
10:30 a.m. High Jump – Women’s Trials & FINAL
10:45 a.m. Shot Put – Men’s Trials & FINAL
11:45 a.m. Triple Jump – Women’s Trials & FINAL (pit A)
1:15 p.m. Shot Put – Women’s Trials & FINAL
1:45 p.m. Triple Jump – Men’s Trials & FINAL (pit B)
Track Events
12:05 p.m. Mile Run – Women’s FINAL
12:15 p.m. Mile Run – Men’s FINAL
12:25 p.m. 400m Dash – Women’s (2-section final)
12:35 p.m. 400m Dash – Men’s (2-section final)
12:45 p.m. 60m Hudles – Women’s FINAL
12:55 p.m. 60m Hurdles – Men’s FINAL
1:05 p.m. 60m Dash – Women’s FINAL
1:15 p.m. 60m Dash – Men’s FINAL
1:25 p.m. 800m Run – Women’s FINAL
1:35 p.m. 800m Run – Men’s FINAL
1:45 p.m. 200m Dash – Women’s (2-section final)
1:55 p.m. 200m Dash – Men’s (2-section final)
2:05 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s
2:20 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Men’s
2:30 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s
2:45 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Men’s
2:55 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – Women’s FINAL
3:10 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – Men’s FINAL
3:25 p.m. 4x400m Relay – Women’s FINAL
3:35 p.m. 4×400 Relay – Men’s FINAL
3:50 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY
