BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Tulane Green Wave women’s team and South Florida’s men’s team took home the team championships at the 2025 American Athletic Conference Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday. It marks the first American Indoor Track & Field Championship for Tulane, while South Florida won their second straight championship.
Tulane took home the team championship, scoring 96 points to outscore UTSA who finished with 92.5 points. Charlotte finished with 84.5 points for third place, followed by South Florida (83), East Carolina (74), Rice (59.5), North Texas (44), Memphis (43), Wichita State (39), Tulsa (15), UAB (13.5), Florida Atlantic (11) and Temple (7).
South Florida won their second straight championship scoring 167.5 points to win the title. Tulsa finished in second place with 94 points, followed by Wichita State (90.16), North Texas (81), Memphis (66.5), Charlotte (50.83), UTSA (50), Rice (39), East Carolina (23).
South Florida’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu earned the men’s Most Valuable Performer after winning the 60-meter and 200-meter dash, finishing with 20 total points. Kelly Ufodiama of East Carolina won the women’s Most Valuable Performer and Freshman of the Year, scoring 21.25 points while winning the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, and finishing fourth as a member of the 4×400 relay team. She becomes the first female to win both awards in the same meet. South Florida’s Nikodem Pochopien and Tulsa’s Levi Rowen tied for the men’s Freshman of the Year, both finishing with 8 points from runner-up finishes in their events. Adrian Myers and his staff earned their first women’s Coaching Staff of the Year in The American. Erik Jenkins and his staff won their second straight men’s Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Wichita State’s Destiny Masters earned the first gold medal of day two, clearing 1.83 meters in women’s high jump to take first place for a second straight season. UTSA’s Mia Lien earned silver, clearing 1.79 meters, while Rice’s Alice Taylor earned third place with a mark of 1.75 meters.
Tulane swept the women’s one mile run with Dorcas Naibei leading the way with a time of 4:42.88. Danna Diaz took home the silver medal with a time of 4:43.20, while Reese Ragland earned bronze with a time of 4:48.46.
East Carolina’s Alex Sawyer won the men’s mile with a time of 4:08.54. South Florida’s Karim Belmahdi took home the silver medal, out leaning Memphis’ Vincent Chenier. Belmahdi ran a 4:08.81, while Chenier ran a 4:08.85.
South Florida took two of the top three spots in the women’s 400-meter with Rushana Dwyer (52.94) taking first place and Amenda Saint Louis (53.97) taking home third place. UTSA’s Shadae Findley earned silver with a time of 53.96.
In men’s shot put, Sascha Schmidt of Memphis earned the gold medal with a throw of 18.03 meters. Charlotte’s Jacob Soorus earned silver with a mark of 17.77 meters, while teammate Junior Payton-Kimble earned bronze with a mark of 17.67 meters.
In the men’s 400-meter, South Florida’s Gabriel Moronta won the gold medal with a time of 46.24, while UTSA’s Michael Roth earned silver at 46.48. Devontie Archer of South Florida earned the bronze medal at 46.97.
In a photo-finish women’s 60-meter hurdle race, East Carolina’s Kailey Elliot took home the gold at 8.19. South Florida’s Doris Quainoo claimed the silver medal at 8.24, while Tyra Thomas of South Florida was the bronze medalist at 8.25.
South Florida’s Markel Jones earned the gold medal in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a meet record of 7.73. North Texas’ Hendrick Hundl came in second with a time of 7.76, while Rice’s Christian Edgar was the bronze medalist at 7.90.
East Carolina’s Kelly Ufodiama broke her own meet record that was set in the prelims in the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.22. Rice’s Saniya Friendly ran a 7.41 for the silver medal, while Charlotte’s Aniya Matthews came in third place at 7.43.
South Florida’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu blazed a 6.58 finish in the 60-meter dash to claim the gold medal. North Texas claimed second and third place with Julian Forde (6.64) and Jaylen Washington (6.68).
Hudson Bailey took home the gold medal in the heptathlon, scoring 5,295 points across the seven events. Teammate Luke Czarnecki finished with 5,178 points for second place, while East Carolina’s Avery Fraley finished with the bronze medal at 5,150 points.
Tulane took home first and second place in the women’s 800-meter with Tharushi Karunarathna (2:06.99) taking the gold medal and Janae Dean (2:07.39) taking the silver. Tulsa’s Sarah Hosey (2:09.04) finished with the bronze medal.
Wichita State’s Yared Kidane set a new meet record in the men’s 800-meter with a time of 1:47.55. North Texas’ Chase Lehr finished with the silver medal at 1:49.12, while Tulsa’s Andrew Lutkenhaus finished with the bronze medal at 1:49.70.
East Carolina’s Kelly Ufodiama set her second meet record of the day in the 200-meter with a time of 23.06. Charlotte’s Aniya Metthews finished in second with a time of 23.68, while East Carolina’s Brianna Clayton took home the bronze at 23.70.
South Florida swept the men’s 200-meter as Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (20.85) took home the gold medal, Shevioe Reid (20.96) was the silver medalist, while Jaleel Croal (21.00) was the bronze medalist.
UTSA took home gold and silver in the women’s triple jump with Rachela Pace (12.93m) and Oreoluwa Adamson (12.63m). North Texas’ Brya Brewer had a mark of 12.54 meters for the bronze medal.
UTSA’s Nyaluet Diew claimed the gold medal in the women’s shot put with a mark of 16.16 meters. Memphi’s Poorna Raorane was the silver medalist with a mark of 15.56 meters, while North Texas’ Ava Roberts with the bronze medalist with a mark of 15.28 meters.
Charlotte’s Ella White won the women’s 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:27.52, while Tulane teammates Dorcas Naibei (9:28.85) and Danna Diaz (9:29.95) earned silver and bronze, respectively.
Tulsa swept the men’s 3,000-meter run with Shay McEvoy taking gold with a time of 8:05.33. Levi Rowan set a personal record for silver at 8:07.14, while freshman Luke Birdseye took the bronze medal with a time of 8:07.61.
South Florida women (Terren Peterson, Skyler Watts, Amenda Saint Louis, Rushana Dwyer) set a new meet record in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:35.24. The UTSA team of Selma Ims, Shadae Findley, Fatoumata Kabo and Ida Breigan took silver with a time of 3:36.32. Memphis’ team of Dejona Simpson, Ivory Davis, Kameron Scille and Gabrielle Cross earned bronze with a time of 3:38.75.
South Florida men (Devontie Archer, Shevioe Reid, Markel Jones, Gabriel Moronta) set a new meet record in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3:07.63 for the gold medal. Wichita State’s team of Joakim Genereux, Josh Parrish, Yared Kidane, and Jason Parrish earned silver with a time of 3:09.11. North Texas (Clarence McGill, Chase Lehr, Makenden Brown, and Chris Johnson) earned bronze with a time of 3:11.72.
Men’s triple jump was the final event of the evening with UTSA’s Dylan James winning gold with a leap of 15.36 meters. Charlotte’s Mikai Hunt earned silver with a mark of 15.32 meters and South Florida’s Javell Brown was third with a jump of 15.23 meters.
2025 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Men’s Teams Scores
1. South Florida – 167.5
2. Tulsa – 94
3. Wichita State – 90.16
4. North Texas – 81
5. Memphis – 66.5
6. Charlotte – 50.83
7. UTSA – 50
8. Rice – 39
9. East Carolina – 23
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Tulane – 96
2. UTSA – 92.5
3. Charlotte – 84.5
4. South Florida – 83
5. East Carolina – 74
6. Rice – 59.5
7. North Texas – 44
8. Memphis – 43
9 . Wichita State – 39
10. Tulsa – 15
11. UAB – 13.5
12. Florida Atlantic – 11
13. Temple – 7
Men’s Most Valuable Performer
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, South Florida
Women’s Most Valuable Performer
Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina
Men’s Freshman of the Year
Nikodem Pochopien, South Florida
Levi Rowan, Tulsa
Women’s Freshman of the Year
Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina
Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year
Erik Jenkins (South Florida)
Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year
Adrian Myers (Tulane)
