USC Track & Field To Face Top Competion At LSU This Weekend

Friday, March 28

Baton Rouge, L.A.

TBA

USC

Battle on the Bayou

Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics

USC Track & Field To Face Top Competion At LSU This Weekend

March 26, 2025 | Track & Field

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Battle on the Bayou to feature strong 13-team field

The USC Track and Field team will be part of a strong 13-team field at the Battle on the Bayou hosted by LSU in Baton Rouge, La. on March 28-29. Teams joining USC and host LSU are expected to be Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Mississippi, Penn State and Texas A&M.

TRAVELING TROJANS: The USC track and field program is scheduled to send 34 athletes to the Battle on the Bayou.

Women: Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Ahnyx Bush, Jassani Carter, Takiya Cenci, Dajaz DeFrand, Tiana Eyakpobeyan, Jada Foreman, Yemi John, Avery Lewis, Falyn Lott, Christine M. Mallard, Samirah Moody, Oliva Pace, Maira Scott, Brianna Selby, Jalaysiya Smith, Nonah Waldron and Madison Whyte.

Men: Taylor Banks, Johnny Brackins Jr., Jack Carter, Nathan Cumberbatch, Ezra Frech, Elias Gerald, Jaren Holmes, William Jones, Garrett Kaalund, Jaelen Knox, Jazonte Levan, Yougendy Mauricette, Edward Nketia, JC Stevenson, Max Thomas and Travis Williams.

ANOTHER MEET, ANOTHER RECORD: A USC athlete has set or tied a school record in 10 consecutive meets, dating back to the 2024 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds: 2024 NCAA West Prelims (Temi Ojora - W-LJ), 2024 NCAA Championships (Jasmine Jones - W-400m H), Spokane Sports Showcase (Johnny Brackins Jr. - M-60m H), Red Raider Invite (JC Stevenson - M-60m, William Jones - M-600y, Yemi John - W-600y), Collegiate Classic (Falyn Lott - Freshman pentathlon record), Tiger Paw Invitational (Brackins Jr. - M-60m H), USATF Indoors (M-60m H, USC & Big Ten record), Big Ten Indoor Championships (Falyn Lott- Freshman pentathlon record), NCAA Indoor Championships (W-4x400m - John, Carter, Mallard, Whyte and JC Stevenson - M-60m) and Trojan Invitational (Erasmus - W-SP and Broderick - M-DT).

BRODERICK BREAKS USC RECORD WITH FIRST TOSS OF THE SEASON : USC sophomore Racquil Broderick set the USC men's discus throw record with his first throw of the season of 207-0 (63.09m) to win at the Trojan Invitational on March 21. He broke the longest-standing USC men's record of 206-0 (62.78m) set by Gary Carlsen in 1967, 58 years ago. Carlsen was at the meet to congratulate Broderick and present him with a small statue of a Greek discus thrower.

ERASMUS ERASES USC SHOT PUT RECORD: Freshman Ashley Erasmus set the USC freshman women's shot put record with her second throw of the season of 56-10 (17.32m), then broke the school record with a mark of 58-5.75 (17.82m) in her third attempt at the Trojan Invitational on March 22. Her shot put mark currently leads all NCAA throwers. Then on March 22, Erasmus placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 173-11 (53.10m) which moved her into eighth place on USC's all-time women's discus throw list.

MEN'S TEAM WINS NCAA INDOOR TITLE, WOMEN TAKE THIRD: The USC men's team won the team title and the women's team placed third at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Va. on March 14-15. Junior Dajaz DeFrand was the only individual event-winner, taking home the crown in the women's 60m dash. USC was one of two schools to have both the men's and women's teams finish in the top three and its 74 combined points were more than any other program. The USC men's team title was its third NCAA Indoor team title in program history and its first since the 1972 season (also won in 1967). The men used a complete team effort to win the team title, as they did not win any individual events. The women's team's third-place finish was its highest since it placed second in 2019 and the 35 points scored were its most since also scoring 35 points to place fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2021.

DYNAMIC DUAL-THREAT DUO: Trojan junior JC Stevenson and senior Johnny Brackins Jr. both earned indoor All-America honors in two events. Stevenson placed sixth in the 60m dash and sixth in the long jump. He set the USC 60m dash record with a time of 6.46 in the NCAA Indoor Championships semifinals. He also led the country with an indoor long jump of 26-9.75 (8.17m). Brackins Jr. placed fourth in the 60m hurdles and eighth in the long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships. During the indoor season he set the USC record of 7.43 in the 60m hurdles and ranked No. 4 in the long jump. He also placed third in the 60m hurdles at the USATF Indoor Championships with his PR of 7.43.

BRACKINS JR. HURDLES INTO RECORD BOOKS AT USATFs: Johnny Brackins Jr. placed third in the 60m H at the USATF Indoor Championships on Feb. 22 with a PR, USC-record, Big Ten-record and NCAA-leading time of 7.43. He also advanced to the final earlier in the day with a time of 7.44. The previous Big Ten record was 7.47 set by Wisconsin's Reggie Torian in 1997. Brackins Jr. becomes the fourth-fastest collegiate 60m hurdler of all-time, trailing only Grant Holloway (7.35), Trey Cunningham (7.38) and Daniel Roberts (7.41).

FOLLOW THE TROJANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA - Keep up with everything USC track & field this year by following @USC_Track_Field on Instagram, X and TikTok.

NEXT MEET: USC will be competing next on April 4 at the Battle at the Beach in Long Beach, Calif. Also, the throwers will compete on April 5 at the Triton Invitational in San Diego, Calif.