University Southern California Trojans
Sunday, May 14
Walnut, Calif.
All Day
USC
vs
Pac-12 Championships
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Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
USC Men’s & Women’s Track & Field Teams Place Second At Pac-12 Championships
May 14, 2023 | Track & Field
Tade Ojora, William Jones, Jan’Taijah Jones, Caisja Chandler and 2 relays win event titles
The USC men's team placed second with 137 points and the women's team placed second with 127 points at the Pac-12 Track & Field Championships held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calf. today (May 14). USC won six events on the final day with the men's 4x100m relay, the women's 4x400m relay, Tade Ojora in the 110m hurdles, William Jones in the men's 400m, Jan'Taijah Jones in the women's 400m and Caisja Chandler in the women's 200m dash earning Pac-12 individual titles on the final day of action.
Johnny Brackins Jr. was named the Male Athlete of the Meet as he accounted for a total of 22.0points. USC's men's and women's teams combined for 264 points during the three days, more than another competing school.
Final Team Scores: Women: Oregon – 158.5, 2.) USC – 127, 3.) Washington – 85.5, 4.) Stanford – 84, 5.) UCLA – 61.5, 6.) California – 60, 7.) Colorado – 57, 8.) Oregon State – 55, 9.) Utah – 45, 10.) Arizona – 39, 11.) Arizona State – 31, 12.) Washington State – 15.5.
The USC Track & Field team will next be in action at the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds held at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif. from May 24-27.
Johnny Brackins Jr. was named the Male Athlete of the Meet as he accounted for a total of 22.0points. USC's men's and women's teams combined for 264 points during the three days, more than another competing school.
- The men's 4x100m relay team of Johnny Brackins Jr, Ashton Allen, Chris Borzor and Johnnie Blockburger opened the running action by winning the title with a season-best time of 39.05. It was USC's conference-leading 19th title in the event and third straight. USC picked up 10 points in the team competition.
- Tade Ojora and Johnny Brackins Jr. went 1-2 in the men's 110m hurdles to earn the Trojan men 18 points. Ojora won with a time of 13.48 (-1.3) and Brackins Jr. was second with a time of 13.75 (-1.3). The Pac-12 title was the first for Ojora and the first by a Trojan in the event since Marquis Morris won in 2015. It was also USC's Pac-12 leading 16th win in the event.
- William Jones and Johnnie Blockburger went 1-2 in an exciting men's 400m race to earn the USC men another 18 points. Jones stormed down the stretch to edge his teammate with a PR of 44.65, just off the USC freshman record of 44.60 set by Michael Norman in 2017. His time moved him to fifth on USC's all-time list. Blockburger, the two-time defending champion, took second with his best time as a Trojan of 44.80. His time moved him to eighth on USC's all-time list. The Pac-12 400m title was USC's 19th, the most by any conference school. Entering this weekend's action, Jones' time and Blockburger's times would rank fourth and seventh on the NCAA descending order list.
- USC's women then dominated the 400m dash with Trojans going 1-2-3 and 5 to earn 28 points. Jan'Taijah Jones defended her conference 400m title with a PR of 50.44, which moved her from seventh to second on USC's all-time list. Jones' time ranks third among NCAA runner entering this weekend's action. Bailey Lear placed second with a season-best time of 51.11. Christine M. Mallard finished third with a PR of 51.41, just .08 seconds off the USC freshman record of 51.33 set by Kaelin Roberts in 2018. Mallard also moved to ninth on USC's all-time list. Yemi John placed fifth with a time of 51.83.
- USC's women also had a great 200m final with Caisja Chandler winning the title with a PR of 22.38 (+1.9) which moved her to fourth on USC's all-time list in the event. Samirah Moody also had a PR of 22.50 (+1.9) to place fourth and moved to sixth on USC's all-time list in the event. Jassani Carter had a PR of 20.80 (+1.9) to finish fifth. Jan'Taijah Jones placed sixth with a time of 23.23 (+1.9) and Christine M. Mallard took eighth with a time of 23.51. The five Trojans earned 23 points in the team competition. Chandler's win was USC's 15th in the Pac-12 200m final, the most of any conference team.
- The women's 4x400m relay team of Bailey Lear, Yemi John, Caisja Chandler and Jan'Taijah Jones closed out the meet in style by winning the title with a time of 3:30.83 to earn 10 more points. USC has now won the event nine of the last 10 seasons and a conference leading 13 times overall.
- The first event of the day for USC was the men's triple jump and Dallas Wise and JC Stevenson combined to earn the Trojans 12 points. Wise placed second in a back-and-fourth competition with a best jump of 49-10.50 (15.20m) and Stevenson placed fifth with a best jump of 49-2.50 (15.00m). Just like in the long jump, Stevenson need to land a clean jump in the third round after two fouls and hit a 47-6.50 to qualify seventh to the final.
- Samirah Moody finished second with a time of 11.26 (-0.7), Caisja Chandler third with a time of 11.27 (-0.7) and Jassani Carter fourth with a time of 11.44 (-0.7) in the women's 100m dash final. The Trojan woman earned 19 points in the event.
- Bobby Poynter placed second in the men's 800m final with a time of 1:47.79. Josh Ligas ran a PR of 1:50.41 to place seventh in the event. USC's men earned the team 10 more points.
- Temi Ojora placed second in the women's triple jump with a best leap of 44-5.50/13.55m (+1.7). Dominique Ruotolo placed fourth with a best jump of 43-1.75/13.15m (+1.5) and Lauren Reed took sixth in the triple jump with a PR of 42-1.50/12.84m (+1.6) coming in her last attempt. The trio earned the USC women's team 16 points.
- Jalaysiya Smith placed third in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 13.11 (-0.1). Smith earned USC's women six points in the team competition. Smith finished sixth in the event last year as a freshman.
- Chris Borzor placed third in the men's 100m dash final with a time of 10.34 (-1.1), Brendon Stewart was fourth with a time of 10.44 (-1.1) and Matthew Okonkwo took eighth with a time of 10.57 (-1.1). The trio earned the USC men 12 more team points.
- The men's 4x400m relay team of Johnny Brackins Jr, Ashton Allen, William Jones and Johnnie Blockburger placed third to end the meet for the men with a time of 3:05.05.
- Ashton Allen took fifth in the men's 200m final with a PR of 20.59 (+0.9) and Matthew Okonkwo placed sixth with a PR of 20.62 (+0.9). The pair earned USC seven points.
- Maci Simmons drew the inside lane and placed seventh in the women's 400m hurdles with a time of 60.00. She earned the Trojan women two more points.
- The women's 4x100m relay team of Caisja Chandler, Samirah Moody, Jan'Taijah Jones and Jassani Carter did not finish as there was trouble on the handoff between the third and fourth leg.
Final Team Scores: Women: Oregon – 158.5, 2.) USC – 127, 3.) Washington – 85.5, 4.) Stanford – 84, 5.) UCLA – 61.5, 6.) California – 60, 7.) Colorado – 57, 8.) Oregon State – 55, 9.) Utah – 45, 10.) Arizona – 39, 11.) Arizona State – 31, 12.) Washington State – 15.5.
The USC Track & Field team will next be in action at the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds held at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif. from May 24-27.
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