BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships are set to return to the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. The 2025 American championships are scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 1 on ESPN+ with Noah Frary and Kelly Burke on the call and Maria Trivelpiece 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 a ninth 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. 2024 NCAA competitors expected in the 2025 American championship field are South Florida’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (8th in 60 meter; 6.69) and Shevioe Reid (11th in 200 meter; 20.81), UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6th in long jump; 6.38m) and Wichita State’s Destiny Masters (6th in pentathlon; 4,338 points; 12th in high jump; 1.85m)
SOUTH FLORIDA MEN; CHARLOTTE WOMEN LOOK TO REPEAT
The South Florida Bulls men team is looking to return to the winner’s circle in 2025 after running away with the American Indoor Track & Field Championship a season ago, scoring 156 points. They return the bulk of the team from a season ago, including sprinters Jaleel Croal, Markel Jones, Shevioe Reid and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu. They also return field event athletes in Kobe Babin and Goodness Iredia. No other current men’s team has won a title.
On the women’s side, Charlotte took a narrow two-point victory over Rice in last year’s edition of the championship to earn their first American Indoor Track Championship. The 49ers are the lone current member on the women’s side to have a team American Championship in indoor track & field.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE RECORDS BROKEN
Several American Athletic Conference all-time records have been broken this season so far. In the men’s 60-meter hurdles, South Florida’s Markel Jones broke De’Vion Wilson’s (Houston) 2023 record of 7.69, running a 7.65 at the Windy City Invite. Wichita State’s Yared Kidane set a new record in the 800-meter, running a 1:47.21 at the Arkansas Qualifier to break UConn’s Alvaro Chavez record of 1:47.96 set in 2014. Tulsa’s Shay McEvoy began the season breaking the 1-mile record set in 2016 by Brian Barraza (Houston; 3:58.66) after running a 3:58.48 at the Arkansas Invitational.
On the women’s side, East Carolina freshman Kelly Ufodiama set the 200-meter record with a time of 22.76 at the Tiger Paw Invitational. She broke Houston’s Brianne Bethel’s record of 23.12 set in 2019.
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 women’s side, East Carolina’s Kelly Ufodiama is ranked 9th in the 60-meter dash (7.20) and 5th in the 200-meter dash (22.76). Charlotte’s Joyasia Smith joins her in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.21, the 25th best time in the NCAA. In the 60-meter hurdles, East Carolina’s Kailey Elliott is ranked 23rd in the NCAA with a time of 8.16. South Florida’s 4×400 relay team consisting of Madeline Abega, Shaniya Benjamin, Rushana Dwyer and Skyler Watts is ranked 43rd in the NCAA with a time of 3:36.07. UTSA’s Mia Lien and Wichita State’s Destiny masters are tied for 25th in the nation in high jump with a mark of 1.81 meters. Masters is also ranked 22nd in the pentathlon with 4,083 points, while Lien is ranked 24th with 4,045 points. Joining the two in pentathlon rankings are Wichita State’s Brianna Utecht (44th; 3,854 points), UAB’s Christiana Mudd (49th; 3,832 points) and Rice’s Julia Johannesdottir (50th; 3,829 points). In pole vault, Charlotte’s Sarah Brown is ranked 32nd with a mark of 4.28m. UTSA’s Ida Breigan ranks 13th in the NCAA in long jump with a leap of 6.50 meters. Two athletes rank in the Top 50 in triple jump as East Carolina’s Faith Spencer is ranked 32nd with a leap of 13.03 meters and UTSA’s Rachela Pace is ranked 34th with a leap of 13.01 meters. East Carolina’s Jocelyn Pringle ranks 36th in weight throw with a mark of 20.36 meters.
On the men’s side, South Florida’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and North Texas’ Jaylen Washington are ranked 12th in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.57 seconds. Saminu is also ranked in the 200-meter dash at 16th with a time of 20.72 seconds. In the 400-meter dash, South Florida’s Gabriel Moronta is 21st in the NCAA with a time of 46.04. Wichita State’s Yared Kidane is ranked 25th in the nation in the 800-meter with a time of 1:47.21. Tulsa’s Shay McEvoy ranks 39th in the NCAA in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 7:49.70. In the 5,000-meter run, Tulane’s Illia Kunin is 42nd in the NCAA with a time of 13:37.08. South Florida’s Markel Jones ranks 15th in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.65 seconds, while East Carolina’s Terrence Booth is 49th in the nation with a time of 7.79 seconds. South Florida’s 4×400 meter relay team consisting of Nathan Metelus, Gabrial Moronta, Markel Jones and Antonio Hanson ranks 40th in the nation with a time of 3:07.59. In pole vault, South Florida’s Kobe Babin is 13th in the NCAA with a mark of 5.58 meters. Babin’s teammate Goodness Iredia is ranked 6th in long jump with a leap of 7.90 meters, while UTSA’s Christiaan Le Roux is ranked 25th with a leap of 7.70 meters. Iredia is also ranked 8th in the nation in triple jump with a mark of 16.26 meters. UTSA’s Dylan James is ranked 40th in triple jump with a mark of 15.59 meters. Charlotte’s Jacob Soorus is ranked 50th in shot put with a mark of 18.40 meters, while North Texas’ Jake Parchman is ranked 50th in weight throw with a mark of 20.70 meters. Wichita State’s Hudson Bailey is ranked 41st in the heptathlon with 5,342 points.
2025 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, February 28 (ESPN+)
Women’s Pentathlon
9:00 a.m. W-Pentathlon 60m Hurdles
9:45 a.m. W-Pentathlon High Jump
11:30 a.m. W-Pentathlon Shot Put
12:45 p.m. W-Pentathlon Long Jump
2:00 p.m. W-Pentathlon 800m Run
Men’s Heptathlon
11:30 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Dash
12:15 p.m. M-Heptathlon Long Jump
1:30 p.m. M-Heptathlon Shot Put
3:50 p.m. M-Heptathlon High Jump
Field Events
12:00 p.m. High Jump – Men’s Trials & FINAL
12:30 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
1:35 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
3:35 p.m. 200m Dash – Men’s Trials
3:50 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s FINAL
4:15 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – Men’s FINAL
4:35 p.m. 5,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s FINAL
5:00 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded – Men’s FINAL
5:20 p.m. Distance Medley Relay
5:40 p.m. Distance Medley Relay
Saturday, March 1 (ESPN+)
Men’s Heptathlon
9:15 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Hurdles
10:15 a.m. M-Heptathlon Pole Vault
1:50 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
1:15 p.m. Shot Put – Women’s Trials & FINAL
1:45 p.m. Triple Jump – Men’s Trials & FINAL
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
12:35 p.m. 400m Dash – Men’s
12:45 p.m. 60m Hurdles – 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
1:55 p.m. 200m Dash – Men’s
2:05 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Women’s FINAL
2:20 p.m. 3,000m Run Unseeded – Men’s FINAL
2:35 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – Women’s FINAL
2:50 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded – Men’s FINAL
3:05 p.m. 4x400m Relay – Women’s FINAL
3:15 p.m. 4×400 Relay – Men’s FINAL
