University of South Florida track and field student-athlete Romaine Beckford won the men's high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, concluding his undefeated 2023 campaign, while the Bulls finished 25th in the country as a team overall.

"What a great way to conclude our season," head coach Erik Jenkins said, "We had a very small group earn a spot in this meet. We gained valuable experience and had a national champion in the high jump. Romaine earned his second national championship in dramatic fashion against very elite competitors. It was fun to watch and we are very happy for his success."Beckford finished with a jump of 2.27 meters (7-5.25), claiming the first-place position and a new program record. He also received the gold in the indoor season championship earlier in the season. Oklahoma's Vernon Turner was the only other competitor to clear the height, but had taken one more attempt than Beckford to clear the previous bar (2.24), so when Turner failed on his final try at 2.30, Beckford was officially the champ.

Even though his missed his own third shot at 2.30, Beckford raised his arms, clapping in triumph and then did a backflip knowing he had won.

Beckford entered the NCAA championships seeded fourth after winning back-to-back American Athletic Conference High Jump Championships with a leap of 2.17 meters (7-1.50) recently. In the indoor season, he won th AAC Championships with 2.26m (7-4.25) - that mark is now the AAC and USF program record as well.

Beckford is the Bulls' first national champion since 1993, when Jon Dennis claimed the title in the outdoor 5K. He was also named the American Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week twice earlier this season.