USC Track & Field's Impressive 2022-23 Newcomers

The USC track and field program has added a stellar recruiting class and group of transfer athletes to the 2022-23 team. The following is a quick recap of all the additions to the program.

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Chris Borzor (grad transfer from Cincinnati)
Borzor, from Uniondale, N.Y., transfers to USC from Cincinnati where he graduated in 2022. He has PRs of 10.33 in the 100m, 20.55 in the 200m and 46.15 in the 400m races. Borzor won the American Indoor 200m title in 2020 with a Cincinnati school-record time of 20.84. Was third in the 100m (10.15w) and eighth in the 200m at the 2022 American Championships, but a leg injury kept him out of the NCAA Championships

Johnny Brackins Jr. (transfer from Baylor)
Brackins, from Kansas City, Mo., transfers to USC after a season at Baylor where he set the school long jump record with a wind-aided best of 26-9.75/8.17m (+3.7w) and a legal best of 26-6.50/8.06m (+0.9). After beginning summer school at USC, Brackins won the USA U20 long jump title with the fifth-farthest jump in USC history of 26-4.25/8.03m. He won the 2022 Big 12 long jump title with a PR of 26-5.50/8.06m and placed third in the 110m hurdles with a PR of 13.62. He advanced to the NCAA Championships in both events and earned honorable mention All-America honors. This summer he earned a bronze medal with USA's 4x100m relay team and placed sixth in the long jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships. Brackins Jr. also has a best triple jump of 51-5.75 (15.69m).

Justin Braun
Braun, from Columbus, Ohio, is a 2022 graduate of Westerville Central where he had a PR of 45.65 in the 400m dash, which was best among all high school runners last season and the second-fastest ever by an Ohio high schooler. He also has PRs of 10.43 in the 100m and 20.87 in the 200m dashes. He was a scratch due to a leg issue at the 2022 Ohio state meet, but at the regional ran 45.65 in the 400m and 20.94 in the 200m, which were both meet records. In 2021 he was named the Ohio Gatorade Boy's Track Athlete of the Year. In 2021, he won the sprint Triple Crown at the Ohio Division I state track and field championships with a time of 10.47 (-0.9) in the 100m, 21.13 (-1.0) in the 200m and 46.14 in the 400m, becoming just the second Ohio men's Division I high school athlete to accomplish the feat and the first in over 30 years.

Bryce Brock
Brock, from Oceanside, Calif., is a 2022 graduate of Cathedral HS in San Diego, Calif. He won the CIF San Diego Section 100m title with a time of 10.61 and the 200m title with a PR of 21.40. He has a best 100m time of 10.56.

Elias Gerald
Gerald, from Saratoga Springs, Utah, is a 2022 graduate of Westlake HS in Saratoga Springs, Utah. He was named the 2022 Gatorade Utah Boy's Track & Field Player of the Year. He won the Utah high jump and long jump titles the last two seasons. He also placed second in the 110m hurdles. His outdoor PR of 7-0.25 is a Utah 6A state record. He won the NIKE Indoors high jump title. He jumped 7-2 indoors to rank No.1 among high school athletes. His long jump best is 23-3.50 (7.09m).

William Jones
Jones, from Overland Park, Kan., is a 2022 graduate of Blue Valley HS in Overland Park, Kan. He placed second at the New Balance Indoor Nationals with a time of 46.76. He ran a PR of 46.29 during the outdoor season which ranked No. 7 among high school athletes and set the Kansas high school record.

Jaelen Knox
Knox, from Long Beach, Calif., is a 2022 graduate of Long Beach Poly HS. He has personal bests of 10.53/10.39w in the 100m and 21.13/20.77w in the 200m dash. He placed fifth in the 200m and eighth in the 100m at the CIF Championships. He won the 200m title at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays.

Malik Mixon
Mixon, from College Park, Ga., is a 2022 graduate of Westlake HS in Atlanta, Ga who owns PRs of 13.27 in the 110m hurdles and 51.90 in the 400m hurdles, making him one of the greatest double hurdlers to ever have come out of the high school ranks. In 2022, his 300m hurdle time of 35.84 led all high schoolers. He won the 110m hurdles at the U.S. U20 Championships with a time of 13.28w. He was named the Georgia 2021 Gatorade Boy's Track & Field Athlete of the Year. This summer he set his 110m hurdles PR of 13.27 (+0.2) in placing second at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia.

Tamaal Myers
Myer, from Detroit, Michigan, is a 2022 graduate of Cass Technical HS in Detroit, MI. He has bests of 51.46 in the 400m hurdles, 37.35 in the 300m hurdles, 13.93 in the 110m hurdles and 7.88 in the 60m hurdles. He placed second in the 300m hurdles with a time of 37.53 at the MHSAA Division I finals. In 2021 Tamaal Myers was the No. 1 returning high school 400 hurdler in the nation. In 2022 he was hampered by a hamstring injury most of the season, but was able to end the year running a season's best of 51.70.

Michael Phillippy
Phillippy, from Laguna Niguel, Calif., comes to USC as a graduate transfer from Princeton where he posted a school record of 45.93 in the 400m and a PR of 21.30 in the 200m. He placed 21st in the 400m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and placed fourth in the DMR at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships. He ran on Princeton's DMR which set the school indoor record with a time of 9:23.30. He is a 2018 graduate of Aliso Niguel HS in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Darius Rainey
Rainey, from Humble, Texas, is a 2022 graduate of Summer Creek HS in Humble, Texas where he led them to the 2021 and 2022 Texas 6A team title. For the second consecutive season, Rainey won the state 6A 400m and 800m titles. He has PRs of 45.92 in the 400m and 1:50.63 in the 800m. His 400m time ranked fourth in the country and was set while finishing fourth at the USATF U20 Championships. His 800m time was just outside of the top 10 among high schoolers.

Chrystn John "JC" Stevenson
Stevenson, from Temecula, Calif., is a 2022 graduate of Great Oak HS in Temecula, Calif. He has bests in the long jump of 24-9.50 and in the triple jump of 48-10.50. Stevenson placed second in the triple jump and third in the long jump at the 2022 CIF state championships. He won the 2022 Southwestern League 100m, long jump and triple jump titles.

Max Thomas
Thomas, from Long Beach, Calif., is a 2022 graduate of Servite HS in Anaheim, Calif. He has a 100m PR of 10.35w/10.40 and 20.68 in the 200m, which ranked seventh nationally. He finished third at the CIF State Championships with a time of 10.44 (+2.5w). Thomas was named the 2021 Orange County Register Track & Field Athlete of the Year after his junior year when he won both the 100m and 200m titles.

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Nyagoa Bayak (transfer from LSU)
Bayak, from Westbrook, Me., transfers to USC following two seasons at LSU where she was a 4-time high jump All-American. Bayak tied for sixth in the high jump at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a clearance of 6-0.00 (1.83m) and was fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a clearance of 6-1.25 (1.86m). She ranks third on LSU's all-time outdoor high jump list.

Jassani Carter
Carter, from Pembroke, Florida, has bests of 11.53 in the 100m and 23.43 (23.31w) in the 200m. She attends Flanagan high and won the 100m and 200m dashes as a junior and senior at the Florida High School state meet (FHSAA). Carter won the 2022 100m title with a wind-legal PR of 11.59 and the 200m with a PR of 23.43. Carter is ranked No. 16 on the MileSplit 50 recruit rankings for the 2022 class.

Takiya Cenci
Cenci, from Fresno, Calif., graduated in 2022 from Clovis North HS in Fresno, Calif. Cenci ran a 400m PR of 53.19 at the West Coast Relays on April 2 which ranked eighth among all high school runners in 2022. Cenci won her second consecutive California state title in the 400m with a time of 54.01 in the final and 53.72 in the semifinal. She then went on to place third in the 400m with a time of 53.38 at the Brooks PR Invitational on June 15. She also was second in the 400m at the 2022 New Balance Nationals and won the 400m at the Arcadia Invitational. Cenci helped lead Clovis North to a second-place finish at the 2022 CIF Championships by taking second in the 200m (23.78w) and running a leg on the winning 4x400m relay. She also hold the Clovis North record in the 400, 200, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay.

Caisja Chandler (grad transfer from Cincinnati)
Chandler, from Cleveland, Ohio, transfers to USC following two seasons at Cincinnati. She has outdoor PRs of 11.26 in the 100m, 22.79 in the 200m and indoor PRs of 7.30 in the 60m, 23.22 in the 200m, all Cincinnati school records. She won the American Outdoor Track & Field Championships 100m dash title with a time of 11.33 (-0.4) and the 200m title with a time of 22.88 (+1.9). She advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in both of the events. She was a team USA U20 gold medalist and qualified in the 200m for the 2021 Olympic Trials.

Jada Foreman
Foreman, from Mechanicsville, Va., is a 2022 graduate of Atlee HS in Mechanicsville, Va. She has a triple jump PR of 40-0.5 outdoors and 41-11.50 indoors. Her indoor triple jump PR was set in winning the New Balance Indoor title. She won both the long jump and triple jump at the 2022 VHSL Class 4 State Championships, as well as taking second in the high jump and 100m hurdles. Her HJ personal best is 5-6 and her 100m hurdles best is 14.85. During the 2022 indoor season she won five individual titles (55m, 55H, LJ, TJ, HJ) to lead Atlee to a second-place finish at the state region 5B Championships.

Ashlee Gallegos
Gallegos, from Ladera Ranch, Calif., is a 2022 graduate of JSerra Catholic HS in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.. She has an 800m PR of 2:10.18 set in winning the Stanford Invitational on April 1 and a 1600m best of 4:55.51 set in winning at the Orange County Championships on March 26. Her 1500m PR is 4:35.81 and her cross country 5K best is 18:58.30. She won the 2022 Arcadia Distance Challenge 1-mile race with a time of 4:53.27.

Vienna Gao
Gao, from Hillsborough, Calif., is a 2021 graduate of Nueva Upper School in San Mateo, Calif. She had a cross country 5K best of 20:39.90 to place 13th at the Crystal Springs Invitational on Oct. 12, 2019. She competed in both cross country and track and field. She also has a marathon best of 3:23.58 and a half-marathon best of 1:25.09.

Allie Jones (grad transfer from Stanford)
Jones, from Santa Barbara, Calif., graduated from Stanford in 2022 and will attend USC as a graduate student. Jones was the 2022 Pac-12 heptathlon champion and she finished fourth in the event at the NCAA Championships. She has a PR of 5,832 which is the Stanford record in the event. Jones also has a personal best of 13.37 in the 100m hurdles and 19-6.75 in the long jump.

Liyat Kebbede
Kebbede, from Niskayuna, N.Y., is a 2022 graduate of Niskayuna HS. She posted a cross country 5K best of 18:12.30. As a junior in XC, she won three of the four Section 2 Duals and placed second in the other one. Kebbede qualified for the 2018 NYS Cross Country Championships. She also had a time of 19:38.20 to place 34th at the Nike Cross Country New York Regional. In track, Kebbede had PRs of 2:29.77 in the 800m and 4:44.28 in the 1500m. She was an All-American in the 4x1 Mile relay at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in 2018. She holds the freshman school record in the 3000m with a time of 10:08.

Christine Mallard
Mallard, from Mansfield, Texas is a 2022 graduate of Mansfield Legacy High School. She set her 400m PR of 52.12 at the Brooks PR Invitational, where she was crowned champion, No. 2 all time in the state of Texas. This 400m time led all high school women in 2022. In 2021 she won the AAU Junior Olympics in the 400m with a time of 52.66 setting a national record which had stood for nine years. Mallard also captured the 2022 UIL Texas 5A State Championships in the 400m winning with a time of 53.63. She placed second in the 200m running a time of 23.50. At the 2022 New Balance Nationals she placed second in the 200m with a time of 23.50 and third in the 100m with at time of 11.69. Christine has PRs of 11.47 in the 100m, 23.22 in the 200m and 19-6.75 in the long jump.

Lauren Reed
Reed, from Carson, Calif, graduated from Long Beach Poly HS in 2022. She placed seventh in the triple jump at the 2022 CIF State Meet and reached the finals in the long jump. She has bests of 19-6.25 in the long jump and 39-7.50 in the triple jump.

Dominique Ruotolo (tranfer from Oregon)
Ruotolo, from Newport Beach, Calif., transfers to USC after competing three seasons at Oregon. She was a 2022 triple jump All-American, placing seventh at the NCAA Championships with a jump of 43-6.50/ 13.27m (+0.2). She has a personal best of 44-9.75/13.66m in the triple jump which she posted in winning the 2021 Pac-12 title. She also has a long jump personal best of 20-5.75/6.24m (+0.3). Ruotolo took second in the long jump and third in the triple jump at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships. Ruotolo graduated from Mater Dei High in 2018.

Kiara Strayhorn
Strayhorn, from Jefferson City, Mo., graduated in 2022 from Capital City High School. She set the Missouri women's high school record with a long jump of 20-7.00/6.27m. As a senior she won her second consecutive state 5A long jump title with a jump of 19-8.75/6.01w, won the high jump at 5-6.50/1.69m and placed fourth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.10. As a junior at the 2021 Missouri State 5A Meet, Kiara won the long jump with a mark of 19-10.75 (6.06m) and the 100mH in a time of 13.99, also she took second place in the high jump. She has a PR of 5-9.00 (1.75m) in the high jump and 13.78 in the 100m hurdles. Strayhorn is a 6xAAU All-American, and the 2021 AAU National Runner-up in the long jump. Strayhorn is the Capital City High School record holder in the high jump, long jump, and 100mH and is the first Missouri state champion in track and field from her high school.

Lucy Westlake
Westlake, from Eagle Harbor, Mich., graduated from Naperville HS in Illinois in 2022 where she was a distance runner with bests of 10.57.98 in the 1600m and 17:39.34 in the 5000m races. She also had a cross country PR of 17:22.04 in the 5K race. She is also know for her mountaineering exploits which earned her an ESPY in 2022. Westlake became the youngest American women to reach the top of Mount Everest on May 12, 2022. She has now reached the summit of five of the seven highest mountains on each continent: Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Denali (North America), Aconcagua (South America), and Everest (Asia).

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