Scrappy in Second

By Sarah Bergstrom on May 16, 2016 10:21 AM | No Comments

For the second straight year, the USC women's track & field team finished second at the Pac-12 Championships to perennial powerhouse Oregon after a hard-fought meet led by USC senior and 2016 Pac-12 Women's Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Jaide Stepter. The men's team finished fifth, with Adoree' Jackson (long jump) winning the Trojan men's sole Pac-12 individual title.

Click here for a complete recap of Day One at the Pac-12 Championships in Seattle.

And click here for a complete recap of Day Two.

"We had a scrappy weekend, we fought to the bitter end," said USC Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert. "We had a lot of bright spots like Jaide and Adoree'. I was very pleased with all the PRs and performances we were able to come away with... Now we are able to go back and train solely for track & field, get rested, get healthy, put our best foot forward for NCAA Round One."

Stepter took home her third consecutive 400m IH Pac-12 title with a PR of 55.22. She is the second Trojan to win three consecutive conference 400m IH titles, joining Olympic medalist Natasha Danvers who accomplished the feat from 1998-2000. The senior teamed with sophomore Kendall Ellis, junior Cameron Pettigrew and sophomore Deanna Hill to win the 4x400m relay in 3:34.14. It was USC's fourth consecutive Pac-12 title in the event. With a final tally of 111.50, the Women of Troy were the only other team besides Oregon to score 100 points in the meet.

Jackson leaped his way to his second straight Pac-12 long jump title, jumping 25-3.50 to become the first Trojan to win the event title in consecutive seasons since school and conference record holder Randy Williams won it from 1972-1975. The sophomore also scored in the 100m, in which he finished runner-up, the 4x100m relay in which the Trojans ran a season-best 39.74 for the second-place spot, and the 4x400m relay which finished fourth.

USC came in second in seven different events on Sunday, a disappointing outcome but also an encouraging sign for a team that has a lot to look forward to as NCAA competition begins next week. The Trojans will travel to Lawrence, Kansas for NCAA West Prelims from May 26 to May 28. Athletes who advance to the finals will compete at the NCAA Championships in Oregon from June 8 to June 11.

Be sure to follow @USC_Track_Field for meet updates, photos and more!

Check out what Stepter had to say on winning her third hurdles title and Pac-12 Women's T&F Scholar-Athlete of the year...