University Southern California Trojans
Players Mentioned
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Track & Field
400m
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
Norman & Benjamin Named Semifinalists For The Bowerman
June 14, 2018 | Track & Field, Features
USC's Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin were named semifinalists for The Bowerman, announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) today (June 14). The Bowerman is awarded annually at the end of the track and field season to the most outstanding track and field athlete.
Norman, a sophomore from Murrieta, Calif. was undefeated in every 400m, 200m, 4x100m & 4x400m final he ran this season. He won the NCAA title in the 400m dash and was part of USC's winning 4x400m relay, with both setting collegiate records at the just concluded 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Norman helped lead the Trojans to a fourth-place finish as a team.
Norman stormed around the track to victory in the 400m dash with a collegiate-record time of 43.61, breaking the record of 43.70 set by Fred Kerley last season. Norman's time also broke the NCAA finals record of 44.00 set by his coach Quincy Watts in 1992. He also bettered the Hayward Field record of 43.74 set by Michael Johnson in 1993. Norman's time is also the current world leader and he becomes the sixth best performer ever and the fastest American since Jeremy Wariner ran 43.45 in 2007.
Norman and his teammates Ricky Morgan Jr., Benjamin and Zach Shinnick closed out the men's championships by winning the 4x400m relay with a collegiate, NCAA meet, Hayward Field and school record time of 2:59.00. The previous NCAA record and NCAA championship record was 2:59.59 set by LSU in 2005. USC's previous school record in the men's 4x400m relay was 3:00.58 set in 1992.
Norman also captured the Pac-12 400m title with a time of 44.40. He won the 200m with a time of 19.84 (+2.8w), the fastest time in the country this season. The Bowerman candidate became the third male to win the Pac-12 200m & 400m titles in the same season.
Norman was the star at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10, as he broke the world record in the 400m and ran the anchor leg of the Trojans' 4×400m relay team that set an all-time world best time. Norman won the 400m with a time of 44.52, breaking the previous world record of 44.57 set by USA's Kerron Clement in 2005. He then split the same time anchoring USC's record-setting relay which ran 3:00.77.
The junior from Mount Vernon, N.Y. Benjamin had a dominant victory in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships with a collegiate, meet and facility record of 47.02. His time is tied with Edwin Moses (1983) for the second-fastest men's 400m hurdles race ever recorded and shattered the previous collegiate record of 47.56 set by Kerron Clement in 2005. Benjamin's time was the fastest 400m hurdles race run since Kevin Young set the world record with a time of 46.78 in 1992. Benjamin broke his own school record of 47.98 and broke the USC 400m hurdles finals record of 48.41 set by two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez in 2000. Benjamin also ran the second leg for USC's 4x400m relay team which won the 2018 NCAA title in the event with a collegiate-record time of 2:59.00.
In his first season as a Trojan, Benjamin also won the conference 400m hurdles title with a time of 48.46 at the Pac-12 Championships on May 13. He originally broke Sanchez' school 400m hurdles record when he 47.98 at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds on May 25.
Benjamin also had an outstanding indoor campaign. He ran a 200m PR of 20.34 to place third at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10, which ranks second on USC's all-time indoor list. He also ran the third-fastest indoor 400m race all-time by a Trojan of 45.94. Benjamin ran the second leg on USC's 4x400m relay which won the NCAA title and posted the world's fastest time ever of 3:00.77. He was credited with the fastest split time in the world of 44.35.
The finalists for The Bowerman will be announced on June 21 and the winner will be awarded in San Antonio on December 20 at the USTFCCCA Convention.
Norman, a sophomore from Murrieta, Calif. was undefeated in every 400m, 200m, 4x100m & 4x400m final he ran this season. He won the NCAA title in the 400m dash and was part of USC's winning 4x400m relay, with both setting collegiate records at the just concluded 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Norman helped lead the Trojans to a fourth-place finish as a team.
Norman stormed around the track to victory in the 400m dash with a collegiate-record time of 43.61, breaking the record of 43.70 set by Fred Kerley last season. Norman's time also broke the NCAA finals record of 44.00 set by his coach Quincy Watts in 1992. He also bettered the Hayward Field record of 43.74 set by Michael Johnson in 1993. Norman's time is also the current world leader and he becomes the sixth best performer ever and the fastest American since Jeremy Wariner ran 43.45 in 2007.
Norman and his teammates Ricky Morgan Jr., Benjamin and Zach Shinnick closed out the men's championships by winning the 4x400m relay with a collegiate, NCAA meet, Hayward Field and school record time of 2:59.00. The previous NCAA record and NCAA championship record was 2:59.59 set by LSU in 2005. USC's previous school record in the men's 4x400m relay was 3:00.58 set in 1992.
Norman also captured the Pac-12 400m title with a time of 44.40. He won the 200m with a time of 19.84 (+2.8w), the fastest time in the country this season. The Bowerman candidate became the third male to win the Pac-12 200m & 400m titles in the same season.
Norman was the star at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10, as he broke the world record in the 400m and ran the anchor leg of the Trojans' 4×400m relay team that set an all-time world best time. Norman won the 400m with a time of 44.52, breaking the previous world record of 44.57 set by USA's Kerron Clement in 2005. He then split the same time anchoring USC's record-setting relay which ran 3:00.77.
The junior from Mount Vernon, N.Y. Benjamin had a dominant victory in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships with a collegiate, meet and facility record of 47.02. His time is tied with Edwin Moses (1983) for the second-fastest men's 400m hurdles race ever recorded and shattered the previous collegiate record of 47.56 set by Kerron Clement in 2005. Benjamin's time was the fastest 400m hurdles race run since Kevin Young set the world record with a time of 46.78 in 1992. Benjamin broke his own school record of 47.98 and broke the USC 400m hurdles finals record of 48.41 set by two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez in 2000. Benjamin also ran the second leg for USC's 4x400m relay team which won the 2018 NCAA title in the event with a collegiate-record time of 2:59.00.
In his first season as a Trojan, Benjamin also won the conference 400m hurdles title with a time of 48.46 at the Pac-12 Championships on May 13. He originally broke Sanchez' school 400m hurdles record when he 47.98 at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds on May 25.
Benjamin also had an outstanding indoor campaign. He ran a 200m PR of 20.34 to place third at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10, which ranks second on USC's all-time indoor list. He also ran the third-fastest indoor 400m race all-time by a Trojan of 45.94. Benjamin ran the second leg on USC's 4x400m relay which won the NCAA title and posted the world's fastest time ever of 3:00.77. He was credited with the fastest split time in the world of 44.35.
The finalists for The Bowerman will be announced on June 21 and the winner will be awarded in San Antonio on December 20 at the USTFCCCA Convention.
Wednesday, June 17
Sunday, May 17
Thursday, May 14
Saturday, March 28
