USC Track and Field Returns to New Mexico, Sends Distance Squad to Washington

Friday, February 13

Albuquerque, NM

USC

Don Kirby Elite Invite

USC Track and Field Returns to New Mexico, Sends Distance Squad to Washington

February 11, 2026 | Track & Field

The Trojans look to secure national championship qualifying spots at the final regular season meet

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The USC track and field team will return to the University of New Mexico for the second weekend in a row for the Don Kirby Elite Invite while distance runners Oluwatosin Awoleye and Chase McCallum head north to the Husky Classic on Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
At the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, the USC Track and Field team took home ten wins, set two facility records, and recorded seven placements in the program top ten all-time list.

On the women's side, Madison Whyte delivered a standout performance in the 400m clocking a time of 50.52, the top time in the NCAA for the event this season. Ashley Erasmus was also a key player on the field side, securing a personal best mark of 17.74m in shot put.

On the men's side, Garrett Kaalund ran a time of 20.12 in the 200m, setting the school record and sixth-fastest time in the world all-time. Another remarkable showing came from Edward Nketia, who had a personal-best time of 6.65 in the 60m to secure his spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

WEEKLY AWARD DOMINATION
After a stellar showing at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, four Trojans have received athlete of the week honors.

Ashley Erasmus, who remains undefeated in shot put this season, earned Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the week, following her personal best mark of 17.74m.

On the track, Garrett Kaalund secured Big Ten Men's Track Athlete of the Week recognition for the second time this season, continuing his standout campaign.

Freshman Oluwatosin Awoleye also received conference honors, earning Big Ten Women's Track Freshman of the Week, following a first place finish in the 600m.

Capping off the honors for the Trojans is Madison Whyte, who has been named both Big Ten Women's Track Athlete of the Week and NCAA D1 National Athlete of the Week. Whyte currently holds the fastest time in the NCAA for the women's 400m this season, solidifying her place at the top of the national leaderboard.

SCOUTING THE FIELD - DON KIRBY ELITE
The Trojans will appear in over 16 events at the Albuquerque Convention Center. They will go head to head once again with Texas A&M in sprints and relays. Other schools in the field include Oregon, Stanford, Clemson, BYU and Virginia Tech.

Reigning 60m national champion Dajaz DeFrand is expected to return to the event while 400m NCAA leader Madison Whyte is moving to the 200m this week. On the men's side, 200m standout Garrett Kaalund will be one to watch in the 60m alongside freshman Cordial Vann who took third place in the event at Texas Tech. Edward Nketia is one to watch in the 200m after taking a top time in the 60m last week.

SCOUTING THE FIELD - HUSKY CLASSIC
Oluwatosin Awoleye and Chase McCallum will appear in the women's 800m and men's 800m, respectively, at the University of Washington on Saturday. They are going up against distance runners from UCLA, Cal, Oregon State and Portland.

2025 SEASON
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, the men's team won the national title for the first time since the 1972 season, winning as a team with no event champions. The women's team placed third for the first time since their second-place finish in 2019. Dajaz DeFrand led the women, winning the women's 60m dash title with a PR and facility-record time of 7.09.

Indoor All-Americans from the 2025 season returning for the 2026 season include Dajaz DeFrand, Elias Gerald, William Jones, Garrett Kaalund, Christine M. Mallard, JC Stevenson, Madison Whyte, Jacob Andrews and Nonah Waldron.

At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, the men placed second while the women's team came in third. Returners Dajaz DeFrand (60m), JC Stevenson (60m) and William Jones (400m) each won the Big Ten title for their respective events.

FOLLOW ALONG
Friday's events will begin at 1 p.m. PT at the Albuquerque Convention Center and continue on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT. Live updates will be made available on usctrojans.com and @usc_track_field on Instagram and X.