The USF men’s and women’s track teams finished up the season Saturday in the Conference USA championships at Cardinal Park Track Stadium in Louisville.

The women had the better performance, finishing third in the tournament with a total score of 103.33. Houston finished first with a score of 121 followed by TCU’s 120.The men finished ninth with 48 points. Champion Cincinnati led with 159.5.

The women led the overall standings after the first two days, led by thrower Dayana Octavien. Octavien won the hammer throw (209 feet 10 inches) and the discus (191 feet 9 inches) and finished second in the shot put (49 feet .25 inches). In recognition of her performance, she was named the C-USA Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.

The women also recorded top performances in the 400-meter hurdles and the shot put.

Amber Delpino finished first overall in the 400 hurdles with a time of 58.55, almost a full minute ahead of 2nd place Alicia Cave of the University of Houston (59.54). Claire Ragot finished 5th and Symone Whittaker finished ninth.

In the shot put, USF took the top two spots, with Chandra Brewer finishing first ahead of Octavien.

On the men’s side, Jonathan Miller set a USF and Conference USA record in the pole vault with a vault of 17-4.5. Jimmy Baxter finished his career at USF with a 2nd place finish in the high jump, an event in which he holds two Conference USA titles.

Men’s basketball adds former Howard assistant

USF named Julius Allen as its new assistant men’s basketball coach on Friday.

Allen spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Howard University.

His NCAA coaching career has also included stops at Long Island University, McNeese St. University, Towson University, and Northeastern University.

He also spent two seasons as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Cavalry of the CBA, and four years with the Westchester Stallions of the USBL.

Hodge is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, OK.

Giants sign former USF kicker Grammatica

Former USF kicker Bill Grammatica was signed by the New York Giants on Friday.

The Giants see Grammatica as training camp competition for veteran starter Matt Bryant.

Grammatica has made 75 percent of his field goal attempts in his three seasons in the NFL, and has converted all 60 of his PATs.

Grammatica is the older brother of current USF kicker Santiago Grammatica, and his older brother Martin kicks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brad Jackson