Written by Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
Remington Conatser's mark of 66.6m (218-6) puts him in 3rd headed into the finals flight! #hammertime vine.co/v/bLAZmVVYW0O
-- USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 6, 2013
The Trojan men knew they needed stellar performances all around if they wanted a shot at an NCAA title this week, and that's what they got today from Remington Conatser. The junior hammer thrower finished second in the nation with a new personal record mark of 68.3m (224-1). Most importantly, Conatser's finish earned eight points for the men's team, putting the squad in an ideal position heading into the final rounds of track events set for Friday and Saturday.
For a complete recap, click here.
Alexandra Collatz also earned a spot on the podium, finishing fifth overall in the discus. Her longest mark of 55.46m (181-11) is a new collegiate personal record for the sophomore who trails only Kate Hutchingson on the USC all-time discus list.
Both Bryshon Nellum and Aaron Brown came through in a big way in the men's 200m semifinal on Thursday. After qualifying for the 400m on Wednesday, Nellum ran a blazing 19.99 to earn the top spot in the 200m final set for Saturday. Aaron Brown, after qualifying for the 100m a day before, ran a 20.56 to secure a spot alongside his teammate. Both times were wind-aided but the Trojans' performances lit up the track and boosted Nellum and Brown's confidence heading into tomorrow's finals.
"I felt great today. I still have a lot left in the tank. We've been taking it one step at a time, one day at a time, one race at a time. We've got two down and two left. I feel like I've put everything together. Now it's time to go," said Nellum after setting his new 200m PR.
Lauren Blackburn and Melia Cox finished seventh and eighth in their 100m hurdles semifinal heat which ultimately made them 22nd and 23rd overall. Coco Ndipagbor finished eighteenth overall in the 200m. Aleec Harris finished seventh in his 110m hurdles semifinal and 21st overall. To round out the afternoon, the women's 4x400 team (Coco Ndipagbor, Vanessa Jones, Jenna Puterbaugh, Ashley Liverpool) finished third in their heat but were unable to make the cut for the finals on Saturday.
Friday should be an exciting day on the track as the finals begin for half of the sprinting events. First up will be Reggie Wyatt in the 400 hurdles, followed by Aaron Brown in 100m, and Bryshon Nellum in the 400m. Alitta Boyd and Melia Cox will return to competition as they battle the field for a top finish in the triple jump.
USC needs big performances and big points from each sprinter in the next two days to have a shot at a men's NCAA Title. Their main competition comes in the form of Arkansas, Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida State, and LSU, however positioning is hard to determine this early in the meet.
Field action for the Trojans begins at 3:25 p.m. with Alitta Boyd in the triple jump, while the men's 400m hurdles final will start at 4:40 p.m. Stay updated on all USC track finishes by following @USC_Track_Field or watch it live at http://pac12.me/NCAATF13.
