University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, May 13
Walnut, Calif.
All Day
USC
vs
Pac-12 Championships
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Multi-Events
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
USC Track & Field Wins Three Events During Day 2 Of The Pac-12 Championships
May 13, 2023 | Track & Field
Title winners were Jones with a USC heptathlon record, Brackins Jr. in the LJ and Gerald in the HJ
Allie Jones won the heptathlon with a school record, Johnny Brackins Jr. won the men's long jump and Elias Gerald won the men's high jump to lead the Trojans during the second day of the Pac-12 Track & Field Championships held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calf. today (May 13). After two days, the USC men's team has 44 points and are in third place and the Trojan women have 23 points and are in seventh place. Eight of the 21 events have been scored, with 13 more finals tomorrow. USC also had 17 athletes today who advanced to event finals tomorrow.
- Jones won the women's heptathlon for the second consecutive year by scoring a school-record 6234 points, breaking her mark of 6217 points set on April 13 at the Mt. SAC Relays. She won four events during the two days and bettered her third-place standing on the Pac-12 all-time list behind only Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Brianne Theisen. Jones became the first person to win the event in consecutive seasons since Alissa Brooks-Johnson of Washington State did it in 2017 and 2018. Jones also became USC's first Pac-12 heptathlon winner since Amalie Iuel won in 2014 and 2016. USC's other champions in the event are Wendy Brown (twice) and Nicole Haynes.
- Jones began the day by winning the women's heptathlon long jump with a legal PR of 20-5.25/6.23m (+1.7), which came in her final round. That jump matched her windy-best set at the Mt. SAC Heptathlon in April when she set the school heptathlon record with 6217 points. Jones scored 921 points in the event to push her total to 4661 points, back in the lead by 24 points.
- Jones then set two PRs in the javelin throw with a best mark of 133-3 (40.63m) to finish third in the heptathlon javelin throw and earn 679 points. Jones now had 5340 points and was in second place, 178 points behind Ida Eikeng of Washington. Jones was actually 44 points ahead of her pace in winning the Mt. SAC Heptathlon on April 13, when she had 5296 points through six events and trailed Eikeng by 309 points.
- Jones left no doubt as to who the champion would be as she won the women's heptathlon 800m race with a time of 2:14.89 to earn 894 points. She finished with 6234 points, 120 points ahead of Eikeng. Jones earned USC 10 points in the team competition.
- Johnny Brackins Jr. won the men's long jump with a wind-aided PR of 27-2.75/8.30m (+4.0w) to earn USC 10 points in the team competition. He also matched his USC legal-best of 26-4.25/8.03m (+0.9) in the second round, which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list. JC Stevenson took second to earn eight more points for the Trojans, saving his best for last with a wind-aided jump of 26.6.25/8.08m (+4.2w). Stevenson had fouls in his first two jumps before calmly landing a jump of 25-4 to advance to the final in third place. Brackins Jr. became USC's first Pac-12 long jump champion since Adoree Jackson won the title in 2015 and 2016. The pair earned the Trojan men 18 points in the team competition.
- Elias Gerald won the men's high jump title with a season-best clearance of 6-11.50 (2.12m) and Dallas Wise finished second with a clearance of 6-10.25 (2.09m). Together they earned the USC men 18 points in the team competition. It was the fourth time in the last five meets that a Trojan won the Pac-12 men's high jump title.
- The final event of the day was the women's long jump and it was a good one for the Trojans as the USC women picked up 10 points in the event. Temi Ojora placed third with a best jump of 20-10.50 (6.36m) and Dominique Ruotolo placed fifth with a best jump of 20-5.25 (6.23m).
- Summer Mosley placed sixth in the women's hammer throw with a best mark of 190-9 (58.14m) to earn the USC women's team its first three points in the team competition. She had a strong series, finishing with four-straight legal throws over 180 feet.
- Tade Ojora and Johnny Brackins Jr. advanced 1-2 to tomorrow's men's 110m hurdles final with Ojora winning the first heat with a time of 13.41 (+1.6) and Brackins Jr. taking the second heat with a time of 13.68 (+1.1). Both runners posted season-best wind-legal times.
- Jalaysiya Smith placed second in her women's 100m hurdles heat and third overall with a PR of 12.93 (+1.7) to automatically advance to the final. She moved from 10th to 9th on USC's all-time 100m hurdles list, as she had dropped to 10th yesterday when Allie Jones ran 12.81 in the heptathlon hurdles race.
- Johnnie Blockburger won the first men's 400m heat to automatically advance to the final tomorrow with a time of 45.68, tying his season best. He qualified second to the final behind only teammate William Jones who ran a PR of 45.22 to win the fourth heat with the fastest time of the day. Blockburger is the two-time defending Pac-12 400m champion.
- USC qualified four athletes to the women's 400m final tomorrow, with the four fastest-times among the qualifiers. Defending champion Jan'Taijah Jones won her heat with a time of 51.21, to finish first overall. Bailey Lear won her heat with a time of 52.12 to qualify second overall. Yemi John won her qualifying heat with a time of 52.52 to qualify fourth and Christine M. Mallard was second to Lear in her heat and third overall with a time of 52.28.
- USC qualified three men to the 100m dash final tomorrow. Brendon Stewart had a season-best time of 10.21 (+0.3) to qualify third to the final, Matthew Okonkwo had a PR of 10.31 (+2.0) to qualify eight and grabbing the ninth and final spot in the final was Chris Borzor, who had a time of 10.34 (+2.1w).
- The USC women also qualified three athletes to the 100m dash final. Caisja Chandler had the fastest time of the day of 11.16 (+1.9), Samirah Moody the second-fastest time of 11.24 (+0.7) and they were both heat winners. Jassani Carter had a slight PR of 11.42 (+1.9) to finish third in her heat and qualify ninth overall to the final.
- Bobby Poynter and Josh Ligas qualified for the men's 800m final tomorrow. Poynter won his heat with a time of 1:51.42 to automatically advance with the second-fastest qualifying time. Ligas had a time of 1:52.35 to take third in his heat and grab the ninth and final qualifying spot for the final
# # # # #
Wednesday, June 17
Sunday, May 17
Thursday, May 14
Saturday, March 28
