USC Athletics

The USC Track & Field program will host the annual Trojan Invitational this week on March 15-16. The hammer throw and discus throw competitions will be held at Cal State Northridge beginning at noon on March 15, with the women's 5000m race at Loker Stadium at 5:30 p.m.  The remainder of the meet will be on March 16 at Loker Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. Among the teams expected to compete are USC, Baylor, BYU, Long Beach State, San Diego State, UC Davis and Washington.  The meet will also include high school relay races.  Tickets are $10 for Adults and $5 for Seniors (65+) and Youth.  Student admission is free.

USC WOMEN 2ND, MEN 17TH AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - Chanel Brissett in the 60m hurdles, Kaelin Roberts in the 400m and TeeTee Terry in the 60m all won titles to help lead the USC women's team to a second-place finish, while Earnest Sears III placed fourth in the men's high jump to help lead the Trojan men's team to a 17th place finish at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships being held at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.  on March 8-9.  USC's women scored 51 points and the men's team scored 12 points in the two-day event.  The USC women's three individual titles in the 17 events were more than any other school and only two other teams had two individual champions.  The second-place finish for the women's team tied for its best finish ever at the NCAA Indoor Championships (T-2nd in 1986).  

WHO'S NEW ON THE 2019 TROJANS -  The Trojans lost some key members from the women's 2018 NCAA title team and the men's fourth-place team, but return a strong core of athletes and have added a very strong group of newcomers.  There are 12 new women's athletes on this season's outdoor roster: Breanna Bernard-Joseph (sprints), Alyssa Brewer (distances), Jacquelyn Fields (jumps), Karlee Freeman (throws), Bailey Lear (sprints), Katherine Longjohn (throws), Isabella Marten (jumps), Jemima Russell (distances), Brynn Sauer (distances), Natasha Stamp* (throws), Lanae-Tava Thomas (sprints/jumps) and Lauren Rain Williams (sprints). There are 20 new athletes competing for the men's team this outdoor season: Eric Allen Jr. (sprints), Devin Bright (sprints),  Randall Cunningham* (high jump) Earvin da Silva (sprints), John Dempsey (distances), Noah Green (hurdles), Nicolaus Jakowec (distances), Isaiah Jewett (distances), Mathew Katnik (throws), Dylan Lange (throws), Talin Lewis (jumps), Mitch Libby (distances), Jaydon Logan* (sprints/hurdles), Marquis Morris* (hurdles), Omotade Ojora (hurdles), Ayden Owens (multis), Nathan Patterson (jumps), Daniel Robinson (sprints), Brendon Stewart (sprints) and Sam VanDorpe (distances).            *denotes athlete who redshirted outdoors in 2018

SMITH GILBERT & WATTS EARN USTFCCCA REGIONAL HONORS --  Caryl Smith Gilbert was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) 2019 Indoor West Region Women's Coach of the Year and Quincy Watts was named the 2019 Indoor West Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year on March 1.  Smith Gilbert, in her sixth season as USC Director of Track & Field, led the USC women's team to its fifth MPSF title in six seasons, winning the team title by a whopping 52.5 points. USC's women won five individual events and the 4x400m relay.  USC's hurdlers finished first-fourth and its 60m sprinters also qualified four for the finals, finishing first, second and fifth. USC's No. 2 ranked women's team has 11 individuals in events and the 4x400m relay qualified for the indoor championships. Additionally, 14 individuals posted USC all-time top 10 marks this indoor season.  This is Smith Gilbert's fifth USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Coach of the Year Award.  Watts guided Kyra Constantine to the MPSF 400m title with a time of 52.07, No. 2 in the country.  Kaelin Roberts ran 52.25 to win at the Texas Tech Classic & 52.54 to win at the MLK Invite. Constantine & Roberts now rank No. 2 & No. 4 on USC's all-time indoor 400m list and are 2 of 7 runners to go sub-52.50 this season.  His 4x400m team ranked No. 1 all season, capturing the MPSF title & winning the 4x400m relay at every meet it competed: MLK Invite, Texas Tech Classic, Tyson and MPSFs. This is Watts's second USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

BRISSETT & ROBERTS ON BOWERMAN POST-INDOOR WATCH LIST - USC sophomores Chanel Brissett and Kaelin Roberts were named to the 10-woman Post-Indoor Watch List for the Bowerman.

SCHOOL FRESHMAN OUTDOOR RECORD HOLDERS - Five of USC's athletes hold the school's outdoor freshman record in an event:  Women: Anna Cockrell (400m H), Dior Hall (100m H), Kaelin Roberts (400m) and TeeTee Terry (100, 200m) and Men: Marquis Morris (110m H).

NEXT MEET: POWER 5 CONFERENCE CHALLENGE - USC will be at the Power 5 Conference Challenge in Miami, Fla. on March 23.