MIAMI — FIU's track and field program makes its way to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for the 2025 Conference USA (CUSA) Outdoor Championships this weekend, hosted by Middle Tennessee.
The Panthers head to the Volunteer State for the CUSA Championships, which run May 16-18 at MTSU's Dean A. Hayes Stadium. A complete list of events, along with links to live meet results and live coverage via ESPN+ can be found here.
FIU's women's program finished third at this season's indoor championships and will look to improve on last year's fifth place finish at the outdoor meet. The Panthers enter this weekend's competition with several athletes among the conference's best in their respective events.
FIU's women are led once again by Michaelle Valentin, the 2024 CUSA Outdoor Discus Gold medalist, whom has collected a total of three outdoor medals during her decorated career. The Haitian-national record holder enters the meet with the top CUSA marks in both the hammer (67.51 meters) and discus (62.17 meters). Janiya Cesar could also earn a spot on the medal stand in the hammer, sitting fourth-best in CUSA with a throw of 59.05 meters.
The Panthers have a solid crop of competitors in the women's javelin, holding three of the top five spots in CUSA. Arndis Oskarsdottir is the current conference leader with her mark of 51.97 meters, of which is over two meters further than the field.
In the jumping events, Danielle McGonigle sits second in the triple jump with her distance cleared of 12.50 meters. FIU's trio of high jumpers swept the podium at the indoor championships and is once again set to be a major factor. Amaya Bien-Aime is the CUSA-leader with a mark clear of 1.78 meters. Freshman teammates Luca Keszthelyi (tied-second) and Gabrielle Flores (tied-fifth) are also both poised for a top-three finish.
Luciana Gomez-Iriondo is currently fourth in the pole vault, clearing a mark of 4.00 meters at USF's Invite. In the distance events, Valerie Lastra was the silver medalist at last year's outdoor meet and sits sixth in the event entering the weekend (16:40.38). In the 10,000 meters, Lisa Redlinger is fourth and Leonora Lynn is sixth in the ultimate distance event.
On the men's side, Raynell Chambers leads FIU's runners with the second-best time in CUSA in the 400 meters (46.42). Alex Gabossy currently sits tied-third among CUSA high-jumpers, clearing a mark of 2.05 meters.
The Panther men's strength lies in the throwing events as Isaiah Tavo is third in CUSA in the discus with his season-best throw of 54.55 meters. Cole Crkvenac (1st) and Blake Orr (3rd) make up a formidable FIU duo as two of CUSA's best in the javelin.
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