Florida A&M dominated the 2026 UAB Blazer Invite on Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, winning six events and collecting multiple podium finishes throughout the one-day indoor meet. The Rattler men and women each claimed three victories while showing strong depth across several events.
The team’s most impressive performance came in the 60-meter hurdles, where Florida A&M swept both the men’s and women’s races. Leonard Mustari led the way by setting a meet record of 7.65 seconds in the men’s event, defeating Markeith Thompson of Southern Miss., who finished a distant second in 7.99 seconds. Wes Egalite of Alabama-Huntsville took third place with a time of 8.11.
On the women’s side, Ty’yanah Adams captured the sprint hurdles title with a time of 8.41 seconds. Her teammate Lauren Thomas added a fourth-place finish at 8.60 seconds. Maya Anderson of Georgia State took second place in 8.46, while Auburn’s Brieanna Boyce finished third at 8.67.
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Florida A&M showed strong middle-distance talent throughout the meet. William Shelton won the men’s 500-meter run with a personal best of 1:03.40, beating Trellas Forrest of Alcorn State, who ran 1:04.19, and Isaiah Thomas of Southern Miss., who crossed in 1:05.42.
The Rattlers went 1-2 in the men’s 600-meter run, with Kirk Dawkins winning in 1:18.39 ahead of teammate Aydan Myers, who finished second at 1:18.86. Saxon Brown of Southern Miss. rounded out the top three with 1:21.65.
Amani Kinon led another Florida A&M 1-2 finish in the women’s 300-meter dash, crossing the line in 38.89 seconds. Her teammate Kirah Copeland earned a personal best of 39.36 for second place, while Amiah Murry of Alabama-Huntsville took third in 39.62.
In the field events, Jade-Ann Smith captured the women’s triple jump with a leap of 12.34 meters (40 feet, 6 inches). Randell Pompey added a second-place finish in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.11 meters (6 feet, 11 inches). The event was won by Southern Miss.’s Maximus Littleton on countback after both athletes cleared the same height.
Florida A&M also collected additional podium places from Mania Tidwell, Diandrenique Gaines, Tara Bert, and Janaree Kinchen. The strong showing at the UAB Blazer Invite demonstrates the team’s depth and sets a positive tone for the indoor season ahead.
The Rattlers will look to build on this momentum as they continue their indoor campaign in the coming weeks. The team returns to action at the Jimmy Carnes Invite at the University of Florida on January 15 and 15 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Click here for complete results from the 2026 AB Blazer Invite.
