11 Trojans Advance To Semifinals, 2 To Finals At 2024 U.S. Olympic T&F Team Trials

Current Trojans Jasmine Jones, Jassani Carter, Madison Whyte and Max Thomas led 11 Trojans advancing to event semifinals during the fifth day of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. today (June 27). Also, Earnest Sears III in the men's high jump and Madisen Richards in the women's long jump advanced to finals.

Senior Jasmine Jones won her women's 400m hurdles first-round heat with a time of 55.54 to automatically advance to the semifinal in the event on Saturday at 5:41 p.m. Anna Cockrell (USC, 2021) won her heat with a time of 54.71 and Dalilah Muhammad (USC, 2012) took second in her heat with a time of 55.51 to both automatically advance. Cockrell was second, Muhammad fifth and Jones sixth on time advancing to the semifinal.
All four Trojan women in the 200m first round advanced to Friday's event semifinal at 7:06 p.m. Freshman Madison Whyte went first and she had a time of 22.93 (+0.5) to finish fifth in her heat and automatically advance, as the top five in each heat would move on. Sophomore Jassani Carter was next and had a time of 22.85 (+0.2) fourth in her heat to automatically advance. TeeTee Terry (USC, 2021) had a time of 22.71 (+0.1) to finish fourth in the final heat and Caisja Chandler (USC, 2023) had a time of 23.06 (+0.1) to finish sixth in the same heat, but advanced on time. Due to scratches, it turned out that all 27 runners advanced to the semifinal and the Trojans' finish on time in the first round were Terry 10^th, Carter 12^th, Whyte 15^th and Chandler 20^th.
Sophomore Max Thomas took fourth in his men's 200m first-round heat with a time of 20.73 (+1.1) to automatically advance to the semifinal. The men's 200m semifinal is scheduled for Friday at 7:28 p.m. Thomas was 20^th on time among the qualifiers to the semifinal.
Rai Benjamin (USC, 2018) cruised to victory in his men's 400m hurdles first-round heat with a time of 49.56. After the five heats were complete, Benjamin advanced third on time to the semifinal on Friday at 6:16 p.m.
Isaiah Jewett (USC, 2021) and Bobby Poynter (USC, 2023) both advanced to the men's 800m semifinals on Friday at 6:39 p.m. The top six in each heat plus the next three fastest times advanced. Jewett had a time of 1:46.84 to take fourth in his heat and was 11^th overall. Poynter had a time of 1:46.95 to finish seventh in his heat, but he had the top nonautomatic qualifying time and advanced 14^th overall.
Earnest Sears III (USC, 2022) cleared both of the first two heights of 7-0.25 (2.14m) and 7-2.25 (2.19m) in the first round of the men's high jump to advance to the final tied for first. The top 12 competitors will compete in the men's high jump final on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Madisen Richards (USC, 2018) saved her best jump for last, going 21-5.25/6.53m (+1.2) in the third round of the women's long jump to leap from 11^th to seventh and safely through to the final on Saturday at 5:20 p.m.
Junior Di'Niko Bates placed seventh in his men's 110m hurdles semifinal heat and finished 22^nd overall with a time of 13.72 (-0.2).

Current and graduated Trojans expected to be in action on Friday are Nia Ali (W – 100m H 1^st round), Rai Benjamin (M – 400m H semis), Jassani Carter (W – 200m semis), Caisja Chandler (W – 200m semis), Isaiah Jewett (M – 800m semis), Bobby Poynter (M – 800m semis), Jalaysiya Smith (W – 100m H 1^st round), TeeTee Terry (W – 200m semis), Max Thomas (M – 200m semis), Madison Whyte (W – 200m semis).

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Players Mentioned

Di'Niko Bates

Jassani Carter

Caisja Chandler

Jasmine Jones

Bobby Poynter

Jalaysiya Smith

Max Thomas

Madison Whyte