University Southern California Trojans
Women of Troy Finish Close Second At NCAAs
June 03, 2000 | Track & Field
June 3, 2000
Durham, N.C. - The Women of Troy track and field team made it a nailbiter, but couldn't hold off a surging LSU team and had to settle for second--the best finish in Women of Troy history--as the 2000 NCAA Track and Field Championships held at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., came to a close on Saturday (June 3).
It's the third-consecutive top five finish for the USC women under coach Ron Allice. With 48 points heading into the final event--the 4x400m relay--USC needed 10 points to have a chance for its first-ever team title. LSU entered the event with 56 points. The meet was delayed for 110 minutes prior to the 4x400 due to storms. With the track still soaked and under a light drizzle, USC's relay finished third to favored South Carolina and Texas and collected six points, while LSU finished seventh and collected 2 points. The final margin was in favor of LSU, 58-54.
On the men's side, USC had 25 points for its seventh straight top-10 finish--sixth-in-a-row under Allice.
"Our athletes performed admirably," said Allice. "They gave it their all. I've been around this meet too often not to know that strange things can happen. We had a great chance to take this meet, but we took some hits, especially in the 800m. I'm happy for (LSU coach) Pat Henry and (Stanford coach) Vin Lanannna. But I am very proud of our teams, both the men's and the women's. If anything, it proves once and for all that USC track is back. We're not going away and we're going to be in it every year. Our goal every year is to win the national championship. Next year, we're going after it."
Highlights from the final day:
Final Top 10 Team Scores: Women- 1. LSU 58, 2. USC 54, 3. UCLA 47, 4. BYU 46, 5. Texas 39, 6. Arkansas/South Carolina 36 8. Colorado/Nebraska/Houston 26. Men- 1. Stanford 72, 2. Arkansas, 3. Auburn 51, 4. Florida 50, 5. LSU 36, 6. Arizona 26, 7. USC 25/Alabama 25, 9. Baylor 24, 10. Clemson 21.
Stanford snaps Arkansas' streak of eight consecutive NCAA Outdoor championships (the record is nine straight by USC in `35-'43). The Cardinal is the first Pac-10 school to win the Outdoor crown since UCLA in 1987 and '88.
NCAA Champions: USC Women (3) - Angela Williams (100m), Natasha Danvers (400m hurdles), 4x100 Relay, USC Men (1) - Felix Sanchez (400m hurdles)
All-Americans: USC Women - Angela Williams (100m, 4x100 relay), Candace Young (4x100 relay), Kinshasa Davis (200m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay), Natasha Danvers (400m hurdles, 4x400m relay), Anna Lopaciuch (1,500m), Brigita Langerholc (800m, 4x400 relay), Malika Edmonson (4x400 relay, 4x100 relay), Jennifer Vail (hammer).
USC Men - Felix Sanchez (400m hurdles, 4x400 relay), Vince Williams (4x400 relay, 4x100 relay), Andre Ammons (4x400 relay, 4x100 relay), Sultan McCullough (100m, 4x100 relay), Darrell Rideaux (4x100 relay), Norbert Horvath (hammer), Leroy Jordan (4x400 relay).
USC Women-Saturday recaps(all finals)
Field Events: Triple Jump - Freshman Tatyana Obukhova finished 10th with a jump of 42-4 ?.
Track Events: 100m - Sophomore Angela Williams saved her best race of the season for last, running 11.12 to successfully defend her NCAA 100m title and give the Women of Troy 10 key team points. Williams got off to a sluggish start but put the race away after 60 meters and coasted to an easy win. She becomes the first Pac-10 woman (and fourth in NCAA history) to win consecutive NCAA 100m titles. She also ties Patty Van Wolvelaere (100m hurdles champ- 1977-78) and Yvette Bates (triple jump champ- 1987-88) for most NCAA titles by a Trojan woman (2).
"When I was doing my runouts before the race, I got anxious," said Williams. "When the gun went off, I popped up and realized that I couldn't run like that. I dropped down and got right back into it. It was like I started my race for the second time. I guess when you're anxious, you don't get what you want. It was not a perfect start. I don't think I got as much drive at the beginning."
200m - Sophomore Kinshasa Davis started slow out of the blocks and closed in dramatic fashion, but couldn't catch LSU's Peta-Gaye Dowdie and finished second in the finals of the 200m. Davis ran 22.79--her fourth sub-23-second 200m race this year--and picked up eight big team points for the Women of Troy. It's the highest finish ever for a USC woman in the 200m.
1500m - Senior Anna Lopaciuch ran 4:16.75--just .26 off her personal-best--to finish third in the 1,500 meters final and claim six clutch team points for the Women of Troy. She is now a two-time All-American in the 1500m (she finished fifth in 1998) and it's the fourth-consecutive year that a Trojan woman has finished in the top five at the NCAAs in this event.
4x400 relay - USC had a chance to win the meet with a win in the 4x400m relay, but could only muster a third place against co-event favorites South Carolina and Texas. The race was run on a wet track and took place at 11:30 p.m. The Women of Troy ran a season-best 3:30.89--third-best in school history.
USC Men-Saturday recaps(all finals) Field Events: No events. Track Events: 100m - Sophomore Sultan McCullough ran 10.38 to finish eighth in the 100m dash. He becomes USC's first 100m All-American since Jason Shelton in 1996. Overall, USC men have now garnered All-American honors in the 100m 49 times since 1930.
4X400m Relay - The Trojans finished third and picked up six points in a time of 3:04.22
