University Southern California Trojans
1998 Season Outlook
June 21, 1999 | Track & Field
Ron Allice, who was hired as Troys director of track and field in June of 1994, knows this all too well.
"My office is like the collegiate track and field Hall of Fame," says Allice, sitting among piles of trophies in his Heritage Hall office. "I always say that I have an obligation, a responsibility and a mandate to develop a total program at USC. That means balanced programs with depth on both the track and field."
Nowhere else in the country is the measure of success higher than in Troy. Consider USCs past successes in track and field: 28 NCAA mens championships (including two indoor titles), 61 world records, 87 Olympic team members, 34 Olympic gold medals and 14 inductees in the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
"It is our goal and aspiration to maintain the tradition that was established before us," Allice says. "There is such great history and tradition here at USC in track and field and we are always trying to live up to the goals that are expected of us."
Allice has done very well for himself so far, pointing the Trojan mens and womens programs toward future glory that will remind many of ones in the past.
In his first three seasons in Troy, Allice has breathed considerable life back into USCs most successful athletic program.
Last season, he led the Trojan mens team to its first Pacific-10 Conference title since 1977 (and 30th overall) before finishing third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In his second season in 1996, Allice guided the USC womens team to its first-ever Pac-10 championship and directed the mens squad to a 10th-place finish at the NCAAs. And in his first year at USC in 1995, he led the mens team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAAs.
"We have been going in the right direction and are demonstrating growth," Allice says. "However, you are only as good as the people around you. So I like to surround myself with quality coaches and weve done that here, putting together an outstanding staff to work with our athletes."
Allice, a prep standout at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High, is well known for his ability to win. His overall dual meet coaching mark is 156-26-1 in 30 years at five schools, including 11 state championships in 16 years at Long Beach City College, his previous stop before landing at Troy. Allices programs have produced more than 200 All-Americans, plus 16 Olympians, four world record holders and seven American record holders. He has coached at his high school, junior college and college alma maters on the way to compiling his outstanding coaching statistics.
This year, Trojan fans can expect more of the same and maybe even a strong run at USCs first track and field national championship - on either the mens or womens side - in more than 20 years.
The Trojan mens team is led by a solid corps of sprinters and defending NCAA hammer champion Bengt Johansson, who stretched USCs streak of national champion hammer throwers to five (1996 Olympic gold medalist Balazs Kiss won the first four).
Leading the charge on the track is All-American Jerome Davis, the two-time defending Pac-10 400m
champion who is also a premier 200m and relay runner. Along with Marques Holiwell (100m), William Erese (defending Pac-10 110m HH champion), Edgardo Serpas (100m and 200m), DeJon Joyner (400m IH), and junior college transfers Charles Lee (100m and 200m) and Felix Sanchez (400m IH), Troy will be well represented in the sprints, hurdles and relays.
"Over the years at USC, the sprint corps has been the main focus and that will always be our mainstay here," Allice says. "However, I have a mandate to develop balance in this program. It says track and field, and thats what it will be."
The Trojans are also strong in the field. In addition to Johansson, Kedjeloba Mambo is back after winning the Pac-10 triple jump title (52-11) last season as a true freshman and will be joined on the team by his younger brother, Djeke Mambo, who excels in both the long and triple jumps and will also team with Erese in a powerful one-two punch in the 110m HH.
Troys efforts in the field will also will be boosted by the addition of pole vaulter Dennis Kholev of Israel (17-6) and freshman decathlete Daniel Haag (7,468), who could score crucial points for USC in several individual events as well. On the other hand, the Trojans are hurt by a shoulder injury that could keep Henrik Kjaereng, who established himself as one of USCs best-ever javelin throwers last season as a freshman, out for the year.
"In my first year, I was left with a talented all-senior mens team, which finished fourth at the NCAAs," Allice says. "Last year, we had a young team that had everything go right and we finished third. This years team is probably a better balanced one than either of those squads."
The Women of Troy, fielding perhaps the schools strongest team ever, have their sights set on getting back the Pac-10 title they won in 1996 and then contending for the big prize at seasons end. One would be foolish to count out the Women of Troy, who are now bolstered by the nations No. 1 recruiting class, according to Track and Field News.
USC has a mix of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers who fully cover the sprints, hurdles and intermediate distances impressively.
Led by Torri Edwards (the 1996 Pac-10 champion in the 100m and 200m), Esi Benyarku (the defending Pac-10 100m champ), Tai-Ne Gibson (100m and 200m), Asha Jayasinghe (400m) and true freshmen Kinshasa Davis, Malika Edmonson, Candace Young and Carla Estes, USC could be as formidable in the sprints and relays as anyone in the country.
Over the longer distances, the Women of Troy are in good hands with juniors Grazyna Penc (a two-time All-American and the defending Pac-10 800m and 1,500m champion) and Kristie Johnston, and true freshmen Anna Lopaciuch of Poland and Brigita Langerholc of Slovenia.
"We are extremely strong at 800m, having four women who have run 2:06 or better," Allice says. "They also have the versatility to swing down to the 400m and help us in the 4x400m relay or swing up to the 1,500m and possibly the 3,000m."
In the hurdle events, Myriam Tschomba-Fariala (No. 3 all-time at USC in the 100m HH) and Natasha Danvers (No. 4 all-time at USC in the 400m IH) are back after impressive showings as true freshmen last season.
In the field, the Women of Troy are also no slouches. Junior Pam Simpson is an All-American and the defending Pac-10 champion in the long jump (20-11 1/4). Carrie Martin, who is well represented on three of USCs all-time charts, is back for her senior season, her second as Troys top performer in the throws. And freshman Cynthia Ademiluyi was the California state champion in the shot put last season.
However, Emelie Fardigh, who established herself as the best high jumper in Women of Troy history early last season as a true freshman with a leap of 6-2, will not compete this season due to a family obligation in her native Sweden.
"This is potentially one of the best womens teams USC has ever had," Allice says. "Our depth is extremely good all the way from 100 to 1,500 meters. We certainly hope the womens team is able to break into the Top 5 at the NCAAs and that the mens team maintains its position."
