Friday, May 14
Tampa, Fla.
University of Houston
vs
American Athletic Conference Championships
PREVIEW: American Athletic Conference Championships
5/13/2021 12:08:00 PM | Track and Field
Cougars open postseason at AAC Championships
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Track & Field program will begin the postseason when it travels to Tampa for the 2021 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is set to take place at the USF Track & Field Stadium on the campus of USF from May 14-16.
The Houston men will be in pursuit of their fifth consecutive American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field title, as the women look to win their first since the 2018 championships. The Cougars have won a combined six American Athletic Conference titles since joining the league.
Each day of meet action will be streamed live via ESPN+. Links for both results and the stream can be found below:
Friday Broadcast
Saturday Broadcast
Sunday Broadcast
Live Results
Men's Heat Sheets
Women's Heat Sheets
WOMEN'S TRACK PREVIEW
The Cougar women enter the meet ranked 35th in the Pre-Conference USTFCCCA rankings and the highest ranked team in The American. In the 100-meter, freshman Camille Rutherford holds the top time in the league this season (11.32), followed by senior Tristan Evelyn at No. 3 (11.33).
Cecilia Tamayo-Garza will highlight the 200-meter race for UH, along with Evelyn and Brianne Bethel as the trio holds three of the top-five times in The American this season in the event. Bethel holds the meet record in the 200-meter (22.74) and will make her second appearance of the weekend in the 400-meter as the top-seed.
Naomi Taylor will look to win her second consecutive title in the 100-meter hurdles. Taylor holds the fastest time in the league and the sixth fastest in the NCAA this season. The Cougars will have three competitors in the 400-meter hurdles, highlighted by appearances from Imari Chatman and Erin Derrow.
Meredith Sorensen holds the fifth-fastest time in UH history in the 3000-meter Steeplechase (10:40.34) and will compete in the race this weekend, alongside Madeline Castleberry. Castleberry and Regan Lobodzinski will highlight the 5000-meter for UH.
The Houston relay teams are in good shape heading into the meet as the Cougars holds the top seed in the 4x100-meter relay (43.68) and the second-fastest time in the 4x400-meter relay (3:34.91).
WOMEN'S FIELD PREVIEW
The Houston throwers look to have continued success in the postseason. Nu'uausala Tuilefano is the favorite in the Shot Put after posting a program-best mark of 16.49m (54-1.25) earlier this season. Nora Monie has won five consecutive Discus competitions leading up to this meet and holds the program record and top performance in The American at 58.05m (190-5). Monie has already achieved an Olympic Trials standard in the event and holds the 10th-best throw in the NCAA this season. Mikaila Martin and Taylor Scaife will highlight a strong field in the Hammer Throw as Martin heads into the meet as the favorite with the 10th-best throw in the NCAA this year at 66.89m (219-5).
Samiyah Samuels has won two outdoor titles during her Cougar career and looks to add another. She already has secured the second-best jump in the league this season at 6.27m (20-7) and is the owner of the meet record in the event. Destiny Lawrence is among the top-five in the league this season in the Triple Jump having already secured a program top-five mark after a stellar performance at the Texas Relays.
In the pole vault, UH will have several competitors anchored by Sarah Howe. The senior heads into the meet with the third-highest clearance in the league this season at 4.05m (13-3.5).
MEN'S TRACK PREVIEW
The Cougar men enter the meet ranked 12th in the latest USTFCCCA rankings as they look to capture their fifth consecutive title at The American Championships.
Houston men hold the top-six times in the league this season in the 100-meter, including the No. 4 time in the NCAA held by UH freshman Shaun Maswanganyi (10.04). Travis Collins is second in The American in the event at 10.16 and is ranked 10th in the NCAA this season. Houston has won four of the last five titles in the event.
Maswanganyi also leads UH in the 200-meter with the fourth best time this year among collegians and the top time in The American at 20.14. Christian Hamberlin adds to the long list of Cougar standouts in the 200-meter with the second fastest time in the league at 20.51, as UH looks to win its fifth consecutive title in the event.
Three Cougars are set to compete in the 400-meter race, as the Cougars hold two of the last three titles in the event.
The 110-meter hurdles will be highlighted by an appearance from Dayo Akindele who holds the top-seed in the event with a lifetime best time of 13.51. He will be joined by his brother DJ Akindele in the event and is the owner of the third-best time in the field. Quivell Jordan will represent UH in the 400-meter hurdles alongside David Marquis Patrick. Jordan is the favorite in the event with a seed time of 50.50.
Christian Gilmore will look to finish on the podium in Tampa as the long UH competitor in the 800-meter run. Devin Vallejo-Bannister will represent UH in both the 1500-meter and the 5000-meter run this weekend.
In the relays, UH holds the top-seed in both the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay UH has held the NCAA-lead in the 4x100-meter relay since clocking a time of 38.49 at the Texas Relays.
MEN'S FIELD PREVIEW
Triston Gibbons holds the top spot in the league this season in the Shot Put and looks to be the second Cougar to win the event in as many seasons. Gibbons ranks third in the league in the Discus and hopes to become the first UH thrower to win the event on the men's side since the program joined The American. Miles Marhofer will compete in his first outdoor championships as a Cougar, entering this weekend with the fourth-best throw in the conference this season.
The Houston pole vaulters will look to duplicate their success from the 2019 Indoor Championships as Houston enters the meet with three of the top-five clearances in the league this year. Antonio Ruiz is coming off a program record breaking performance at the Tom Tellez Invitational a week removed from Christyan Sampy's shattering of the then 34-year-old program record in the same event.
In the horizontal jumps, Benjamin Okafor paces UH in the long jump, as Jadon Brome is the league leader in the Triple Jump.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the Track & Field team has established its own official Facebook (facebook.com/UHCougarTF) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTF).
SUPPORTING HOUSTON TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track & Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the UH Track & Field and Cross Country programs for needs beyond their operating budgets. Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the Head Coach.
Houston supporters interested in joining the Podium Club or for more information, please click here.
--UHCougars.com--
The Houston men will be in pursuit of their fifth consecutive American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field title, as the women look to win their first since the 2018 championships. The Cougars have won a combined six American Athletic Conference titles since joining the league.
Each day of meet action will be streamed live via ESPN+. Links for both results and the stream can be found below:
Friday Broadcast
Saturday Broadcast
Sunday Broadcast
Live Results
Men's Heat Sheets
Women's Heat Sheets
WOMEN'S TRACK PREVIEW
The Cougar women enter the meet ranked 35th in the Pre-Conference USTFCCCA rankings and the highest ranked team in The American. In the 100-meter, freshman Camille Rutherford holds the top time in the league this season (11.32), followed by senior Tristan Evelyn at No. 3 (11.33).
Cecilia Tamayo-Garza will highlight the 200-meter race for UH, along with Evelyn and Brianne Bethel as the trio holds three of the top-five times in The American this season in the event. Bethel holds the meet record in the 200-meter (22.74) and will make her second appearance of the weekend in the 400-meter as the top-seed.
Naomi Taylor will look to win her second consecutive title in the 100-meter hurdles. Taylor holds the fastest time in the league and the sixth fastest in the NCAA this season. The Cougars will have three competitors in the 400-meter hurdles, highlighted by appearances from Imari Chatman and Erin Derrow.
Meredith Sorensen holds the fifth-fastest time in UH history in the 3000-meter Steeplechase (10:40.34) and will compete in the race this weekend, alongside Madeline Castleberry. Castleberry and Regan Lobodzinski will highlight the 5000-meter for UH.
The Houston relay teams are in good shape heading into the meet as the Cougars holds the top seed in the 4x100-meter relay (43.68) and the second-fastest time in the 4x400-meter relay (3:34.91).
WOMEN'S FIELD PREVIEW
The Houston throwers look to have continued success in the postseason. Nu'uausala Tuilefano is the favorite in the Shot Put after posting a program-best mark of 16.49m (54-1.25) earlier this season. Nora Monie has won five consecutive Discus competitions leading up to this meet and holds the program record and top performance in The American at 58.05m (190-5). Monie has already achieved an Olympic Trials standard in the event and holds the 10th-best throw in the NCAA this season. Mikaila Martin and Taylor Scaife will highlight a strong field in the Hammer Throw as Martin heads into the meet as the favorite with the 10th-best throw in the NCAA this year at 66.89m (219-5).
Samiyah Samuels has won two outdoor titles during her Cougar career and looks to add another. She already has secured the second-best jump in the league this season at 6.27m (20-7) and is the owner of the meet record in the event. Destiny Lawrence is among the top-five in the league this season in the Triple Jump having already secured a program top-five mark after a stellar performance at the Texas Relays.
In the pole vault, UH will have several competitors anchored by Sarah Howe. The senior heads into the meet with the third-highest clearance in the league this season at 4.05m (13-3.5).
MEN'S TRACK PREVIEW
The Cougar men enter the meet ranked 12th in the latest USTFCCCA rankings as they look to capture their fifth consecutive title at The American Championships.
Houston men hold the top-six times in the league this season in the 100-meter, including the No. 4 time in the NCAA held by UH freshman Shaun Maswanganyi (10.04). Travis Collins is second in The American in the event at 10.16 and is ranked 10th in the NCAA this season. Houston has won four of the last five titles in the event.
Maswanganyi also leads UH in the 200-meter with the fourth best time this year among collegians and the top time in The American at 20.14. Christian Hamberlin adds to the long list of Cougar standouts in the 200-meter with the second fastest time in the league at 20.51, as UH looks to win its fifth consecutive title in the event.
Three Cougars are set to compete in the 400-meter race, as the Cougars hold two of the last three titles in the event.
The 110-meter hurdles will be highlighted by an appearance from Dayo Akindele who holds the top-seed in the event with a lifetime best time of 13.51. He will be joined by his brother DJ Akindele in the event and is the owner of the third-best time in the field. Quivell Jordan will represent UH in the 400-meter hurdles alongside David Marquis Patrick. Jordan is the favorite in the event with a seed time of 50.50.
Christian Gilmore will look to finish on the podium in Tampa as the long UH competitor in the 800-meter run. Devin Vallejo-Bannister will represent UH in both the 1500-meter and the 5000-meter run this weekend.
In the relays, UH holds the top-seed in both the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay UH has held the NCAA-lead in the 4x100-meter relay since clocking a time of 38.49 at the Texas Relays.
MEN'S FIELD PREVIEW
Triston Gibbons holds the top spot in the league this season in the Shot Put and looks to be the second Cougar to win the event in as many seasons. Gibbons ranks third in the league in the Discus and hopes to become the first UH thrower to win the event on the men's side since the program joined The American. Miles Marhofer will compete in his first outdoor championships as a Cougar, entering this weekend with the fourth-best throw in the conference this season.
The Houston pole vaulters will look to duplicate their success from the 2019 Indoor Championships as Houston enters the meet with three of the top-five clearances in the league this year. Antonio Ruiz is coming off a program record breaking performance at the Tom Tellez Invitational a week removed from Christyan Sampy's shattering of the then 34-year-old program record in the same event.
In the horizontal jumps, Benjamin Okafor paces UH in the long jump, as Jadon Brome is the league leader in the Triple Jump.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the Track & Field team has established its own official Facebook (facebook.com/UHCougarTF) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTF).
SUPPORTING HOUSTON TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track & Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the UH Track & Field and Cross Country programs for needs beyond their operating budgets. Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the Head Coach.
Houston supporters interested in joining the Podium Club or for more information, please click here.
--UHCougars.com--
Players Mentioned
Hurdles/Jumps
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Sprints/Hurdles
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Sprints/Jumps
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Hurdles
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Sprints
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Hurdles
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Sprints
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Throws
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Distance
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Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
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Jumps
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Distance
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Throws
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Throws
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Throws
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Jumps
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Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints
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Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and FieldInterview - Shaun Maswanganyi
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