Benjamin leaps 21-5 ¾ inches to finish fifth and punch her ticket to Eugene, Ore.;
Shaneylix Davila advances to 100M hurdles quarterfinals with a school-record time; Jae’Nisa Heckstall advances to the quarterfinals of the 400M hurdles.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., MAY 27, 2021 – USF freshman long jumper, and reigning American Athletic Conference champion, Shaniya Benjamin became the second Bull to qualify for the NCAA Track and Field Championships, punching her ticket in school-record fashion at the NCAA East Regional Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla. on Thursday. Benjamin joins pole vaulter Stone Baker, who advanced on Wednesday to the championships in Eugene, Ore. June 9-12.
Benjamin, who hails from Tampa and attended Alonso High School, leaped a personal best – and school record – 21-5 ¾ inches on her third and final attempt to secure her spot in the championships. Her record, jump surpasses the previous mark, of 21-4 inches, that she set at the AAC Championships and held with USF Hall of Famer Kerine Black.
Benjamin, along with Baker, will now travel to Eugene for the championships at the University of Oregon’s historic Hayward Field. Benjamin is scheduled to compete on Thursday, June 10, at 8 p.m. ET.
Junior Shaneylix Davila (Kissimmee, Fla.) posted USF’s second school record of the day while advancing to the quarterfinals of the 100M hurdles. Davila ran to a fourth-place finish in a time of 13.13. She will now return to the track in the quarters on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.
Junior Jae’Nisa Heckstall (Phoenix, Ariz.) rounded out the day for the Bulls advancing to the quarterfinals of the 400M hurdles. The junior posted a time of 58.48 and will now race on Saturday at 7:55 p.m.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF track and field news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter / Instagram).
About USF Track and Field
The USF track and field team has produced 22 All-America selections since 2008 and at least one All-American in nine of the last 11 years. 2016 graduate Matthew O’Neal is USF’s first six-time NCAA All-American. USF has posted two NCAA runner-up finishes since 2013 – O’Neal (triple jump, 2016) and Courtney Anderson (high jump, 2013). The Bulls hosted the 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary at the USF Track and Field Stadium and will host the 2021 AAC Outdoor Championships.
– #GoBulls –
