USC Track & Field Heads To Triton Invitational In San Diego
The USC Track & Field team will be competing this week at the Triton Invitational hosted by UC San Diego in San Diego, Calif. on April 8. USC has 33 athletes scheduled to compete this weekend, 21 women and 12 men.
TRAVELING TROJANS -- Trojans expected to be competing this weekend are: Women: Breanna Bernard-Joseph, Julia Bounds, Janiah Brown, Isabelle Cairns, Jan'Taijah Ford, Karlee Freeman, Jasmine Jones, Abbey Knoll, Bailey Lear, Joy McArthur, Makhaila Mills, Mihajla Milovanovic, Summer Mosley, Chioma Okonkwo, Giovanna Pisano, Kaelin Roberts, Brooke Rodi, Rae-Anne Serville, Maci Simmons, Ritika Singh, Jalaysiya Smith. Men: Ashton Allen, Eric Allen Jr., Johnnie Blockburger, Jack Carter, Morgan Fierro, Zion Gordon, Curtis Johnson III, Tade Ojora, Bobby Poynter, Nicholas Ramey, Daniel Robinson, Dallas Wise.
CSUN & STANFORD INVITATIONAL RECAP -- At Stanford, Janiah Brown continued her strong early-season running, taking fifth in the 400m dash with a PR. Sam VanDorpe won the men's 800m with a time of 1:49.65 and the women's 4x400m relay team made up of 800m runners won with a time of 3:41.51. Gigi Maccagnini opened her USC 800m career by winning her heat and finishing 10th overall with a time of 2:06.78. Jalyn Jackson took second in the men's triple jump and Temi Ojora placed third in the women's triple jump. At CSUN, Eric Allen Jr. won the men's 200m with a time of 20.68 (+2.0), his fastest opening season time. Joy McArthur won the women's hammer throw and Summer Mosley was second with a PR of 18 feet. Mihajla Milovanic won the 1500m in her USC T&F debut with a time of 4:43.60 and Giovanna PIsano had a PR of 4:50.38 to take third. Karlee Freeman won the women's discus throw with a mark of 168-4, with Mosley taking second. Isabelle Cairns won the women's 800m with a time of 2:14.87. All but one USC distance runner ran a personal best in their event.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS -- USC has eight returning outdoor All-Americans who scored at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Women: The USC xxxx Jasmine Jones (4x100m), Bailey Lear (400m, 4x400m), Temi Ojora (TJ), Kaelin Roberts (4x400m). Men: Davonte Burnett (100m, 200m), Tade Ojora (110m H), Nicholas Ramey (4x400m), Earnest Sears III (HJ).
BARNES STILL ON TOP OF THE WORLD -- Celera Barnes 10.82 (+2.8w) in the 100m run in winning at the Texas Relays on March 26 still ranks as the fastest any condition women's 100m dash in the world this season. It also ranks fifth all-time under any condition by a college runner. Barnes' wind-legal 11.07 on March 25 ranks fourth on USC's all-time list and tied for fifth in the world this season.
TOP 30 TROJANS - The Trojans have 17 athletes and three relays which rank in the top 30 among performances during the early 2022 outdoor season. They are:
Women: Celera Barnes (1st - 100m), Karlee Freeman (11th - DT), Jasmine Jones (5th - 100m H), Bailey Lear (14th - 400m), Joy McArthur (19th - HT), Samirah Moody (4th - 100m), Jalaysiya Smith (21st - 100m H) and 4x100m (13th)
Men: Eric Allen, Jr. (24th - 200m), Blockbrger (23rd - 200m), Jalynu Jackson (9th - TJ), Christian Johnson (30th - HT), Trey Knight (2nd - HT), Tade Ojora (4th - 110m H), Nikolas Polychroniou (29th - HT), Earnest Sears III (2nd - HJ), Zach Shinnick (14th - 200m), Sam VanDorpe (22nd - 800m), 4x100m (T-11th) and 4x400m (16th).
50-YEAR/25-YEAR REUNIONS AT DUAL MEET -- As always, the 50-year and 25-year anniversary USC teams will be honored at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet, this year hosted by the Trojans on May 1. This year three teams from each category will be honored due to the alternating site of the meet and due to the cancellation of the 2020 meet due to COVID-19. The 50-year teams to be honored this year will be the the 1971-1972-1973 teams and for the 25-year teams being honored are the 1995-1996-1997 teams.
NEXT MEET: STANFORD INVITATIONAL -- USC will next be in action at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. on April 15-16 and at the Beach Invitational on April 15-16.