Friday, January 17
Spokane, Wash.
TBA
USC
vs
Spokane Sports Showcase (Indoors)
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
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Sprints
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Jumps/Hurdles
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Jumps
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Sprints
/ Track & Field
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Jumps
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Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multis
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distances
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
USC T&F Opens With An Impressive Nine Wins At Spokane Sports Showcase
January 17, 2025 | Track & Field
Brackins Jr. sets school 60m H record, 5 Trojans post NCAA-leading marks
The USC track and field team sprung out of the 2025 indoor season starting blocks to win nine events, set a school record, a facility record and post five NCAA leading marks at the Spokane Sports Showcase today (Jan. 17). In all, 10 different Trojans posted USC all-time top 10 times or marks. Trojans winning events today were Johnnie Blockburger (M-200m), Johnny Brackins Jr. (M-60m H), Dajaz DeFrand (W-60m), William Jones (M-600m), Gigi Maccagnini (W-1000m), Christine M. Mallard (W-300m), Alfredo Reina Corona (M-3000m), JC Stevenson (M-LJ) and Max Thomas (M-60m).
"This was a great opportunity for us to compete here at The Podium," said USC Director of Track & Field and Cross-Country Quincy Watts. "We have 33 new student-athletes, so it's a great opportunity for the athletes and coaches to develop relationships. I thought we did really well today in terms of execution. We could have done better, but overall, very pleased with how the team competed. It was a terrific effort by all, and I am very excited about the future."
"Johnny Brackins Jr. is a remarkable athlete," added Watts when talking about Brackins Jr.'s 60m hurdles time. "It has been special watching him compete this fall and through training and I knew something special would happen, I just didn't realize it would happen so soon. The sixth-fastest collegiate 60m hurdler of all time, wow. A special kudos goes out to our coaches Stephanie Williams and Brenton Emanuel for their work with him."
"We had so many terrific performances," added Watts. "Nonah (Waldron) and Laysi (Smith) did a great job in the hurdles, too. I'm also very excited about what Max Thomas did in the 60m today and Johnnie Blockburger had a huge PR in the 200m. The high jumpers Elias Gerald and Brady Palen both had their best season openers ever. I'm looking forward to their progress."
"This was a great performance to springboard us into the season," concluded Watts.
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"This was a great opportunity for us to compete here at The Podium," said USC Director of Track & Field and Cross-Country Quincy Watts. "We have 33 new student-athletes, so it's a great opportunity for the athletes and coaches to develop relationships. I thought we did really well today in terms of execution. We could have done better, but overall, very pleased with how the team competed. It was a terrific effort by all, and I am very excited about the future."
"Johnny Brackins Jr. is a remarkable athlete," added Watts when talking about Brackins Jr.'s 60m hurdles time. "It has been special watching him compete this fall and through training and I knew something special would happen, I just didn't realize it would happen so soon. The sixth-fastest collegiate 60m hurdler of all time, wow. A special kudos goes out to our coaches Stephanie Williams and Brenton Emanuel for their work with him."
"We had so many terrific performances," added Watts. "Nonah (Waldron) and Laysi (Smith) did a great job in the hurdles, too. I'm also very excited about what Max Thomas did in the 60m today and Johnnie Blockburger had a huge PR in the 200m. The high jumpers Elias Gerald and Brady Palen both had their best season openers ever. I'm looking forward to their progress."
"This was a great performance to springboard us into the season," concluded Watts.
- Senior Johnny Brackins Jr. won the men's 60m hurdles with a personal-best, NCAA-leading and school-record time of 7.49. He broke the previous USC record of 7.53 set by Tade Ojora in 2023. Brackins actually tied the school record with a time of 7.53 in the prelims, then broke it in the finals. He now is tied for the sixth-fastest collegiate 60m hurdler in history, trailing only Grant Holloway (7.35), Trey Cunningham (7.38), Daniel Roberts (7.41), Omar McLeod (7.45) and Reggie Torian (7.47). His 7.49 time was the fastest 60m hurdles time by a college athlete since Cunningham clocked 7.38 on March 12, 2022.Â
- Junior Max Thomas won the men's 60m dash with a PR and collegiate-leading time of 6.53. His time moved him to third on USC's all-time list in the event. Senior Travis Williams placed fourth in the 60m final with a time of 6.60 and graduate student Taylor Banks was sixth with a time of 6.72.Â
- Junior Dajaz DeFrand won the women's 60m dash with a time of 7.21, senior Samirah Moody took second with a time of 7.26, junior Jassani Carter placed third with a time of 7.33 and sophomore Madison Whyte was seventh with a time of 7.41. DeFrand qualified first to the final with a time of 7.20 which ties her for the NCAA lead in the event and moves her into a fifth-place tie on USC's all-time list. Moody had a time of 7.22 in the prelims which is the third-fastest NCAA women's time in the event in the early season.
- Junior JC Stevenson won the men's long jump with an NCAA-leading jump of 25-10.75 (7.89m). He was in fourth place entering the fifth round, when he landed his winning jump.
- Grad student Johnnie Blockburger won the men's 200m race with a PR, facility-record and NCAA-leading time of 20.69. His time moved him into eighth on USC's all-time list. Junior Jaelen Knox placed fifth in the 200m with an indoor PR of 21.23 and freshman Jazonte Levan took ninth with a time of 21.57.
- Senior Gigi Maccagnini won the women's 1000m race with a time of 2:55.23. It was her first collegiate 1000m race.
- The Trojans went 1-2-3-4 in the women's 300m race, led by junior Christine M. Mallard who won with a time of 37.86. Carter was second in the 300m (38.43), DeFrand was third (38.74) and freshman Maira Scott was fourth (38.79).
- Junior William Jones won the men's 600m race with a PR of 1:17.52. Right behind him in second was sophomore Yougendy Mauricette with a time of 1:17.63 and sophomore Nathan Cumberbatch in third with a PR of 1:17.70. Sophomore Jacob Andrews placed seventh in the 600m with a time of 1:19.43.
- Grad transfer Alfredo Reina Corona won the men's 3000m race with a time of 8:30.04. That time moves him into third on USC's all-time list in the event.
- Sophomore Nonah Waldron placed second in the women's 60m hurdles final with a PR of 8.17 which ties her for ninth on USC's all-time list. Senior Jalaysiya Smith placed third with a PR of 8.28. Waldron had a time of 8.44 and Smith a time of 8.49 in the prelims to advance fifth and sixth respectively to the final.
- Junior Elias Gerald placed second and graduate transfer Brady Palen third in the men's high jump, both with a clearance of 7-0.25 (2.14m). Palen moves into an eighth-place tie on USC's all-time indoor list.
- Junior Lauren Reed placed second in the women's triple jump with a sixth-round PR of 41-1.00 (12.52m) which moved her to 10th on USC's all-time indoor list in the event. Senior Ahnyx Bush took third in the long jump with a PR of 40-6.75 (12.36m).
- Freshman Falyn Lott took third in the women's high jump with a clearance of 5-7.75 (1.72m). She moves into ninth on USC's all-time indoor list.
- Sophomore Alyssa Hope placed fourth and freshman Falyn Lott fifth in the women's long jump. Hope had a jump of 19-6.00 (5.94m) and Lott an indoor PR of 19-3.25 (5.87m).
- Graduate transfer Helena Teixeira-Dasilva placed eighth with a time of 10:36.55 and senior Giovanna Pisano placed 10th with a time of 11:51.33 in the women's 3000m race. Those times move them into fifth and 11th all-time on USC's indoor 3000m list.
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