USC TRACK & FIELD
November 7, 2016
VOLUME 23, ISSUE 1
Cunningham Skies To Victory At The 2016 NCAA Championships
Coach Caryl’s Corner
The 2016 season and the 2016 summer provided
us with so many great moments which makes me
so proud to be the USC Director of Track & Field.
Our men’s team battled through an inordinate
amount of injuries, but we were still able to
post some impressive performances including
a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships,
capped by Randall Cunningham’s NCAA title
in the high jump. Our women’s team was also
beset by injuries, but was able to place second
at the Pac-12 Championships and tie for ninth at
the NCAA Championships. Both teams should
do even better this coming season as we have
added some very talented individuals and have a
handful of All-Americans returning from injuries.
Randall Cunningham won the men’s high jump title with ease going perfect on his first five heights
to vitually elimate the competition, finishing with a best clearance of 7-4.50 (2.25m). He became
USC’s 11th NCAA high jump champion, more than any other school. Deanna Hill became a four-time
All-American by taking 6th in the 100m, 7th in the 200m, 2nd in the 4x100m and 8th in the 4x400m.
Randall Cunningham
During the summer the strength and reach of the
USC track and field program was on full display
as Trojan athletes won nine Olympic medals in
Rio, led by the individual gold medal earned by
Dalilah Muhammad (USC 2012) in the 400m IH.
It is hard to imagine it was just over a year ago
we were developing the skills of a little known
sprinter named Andre De Grasse and now he has
established himself as one of the top sprinters
in the world.
There were plenty other successes during the
summer as Amalie Iuel set the Norwegian 400m
IH record, Eric Sloan won the NACAC U23 triple
jump title and Jaide Stepter and Deanna Hill
ran on winning relays at the NACAC U23s. In
addition, incoming freshmen Anna Cockrell
(400m IH) and Michael Norman (200m) won gold
medals at the IAAF World U20 Championships.
We have already begun our Fall workout program
to prepare for the 2017 indoor and outdoor
seasons. We have an experienced group
returning which have posted 18 Trojan all-time
individual top 10 marks. In addition, our incoming
group is very talented and I am positive both of
our teams will be very competitive at the national
level.
I have enjoyed meeting so many of you during my
first three seasons at USC and can think of no
better way to say thank you for all your help and
support than by winning championships. That is
always our goal and with hard work, I believe this
season we will add to the phenomenal heritage
of the USC track and field program.
Fight On!
Coach Caryl
2016 Season Accomplishments
Deanna Hill
Men’s Team:
• NCAA Championships - 12th Place
• NCAA Champions - Randall Cunningham (High Jump)
• NCAA Preliminary Rounds - 4 individuals in 4 events advance to NCAA Championships
• Pac-12 Championships - 5th Place
• First Team All-Americans - Randall Cunningham (HJ), Adoree’ Jackson (LJ), Ricky
Morgan, Jr. (400m)
• Pac-12 Champions - Adoree’ Jackson (LJ)
Women’s Team:
• NCAA Championships - T-9th Place
• NCAA West Regional - 10 individuals in 12 events advance to NCAA Championships
• Pac-12 Championships - 2nd Place
• First Team All-Americans - Destinee Brown (4x100m), Kendall Ellis (4x400m), Alexis
Faulknor (4x100m), Tynia Gaither (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Deanna Hill (100m, 200m,
4x100m, 4x400m), Amalie Iuel (4x400m), Tera Novy (Discus Throw), Jaide Stepter (400m
IH, 4x400m)
• Pac-12 Champions - Kendall Ellis (4x400m), Deanna Hill (4x400m), Amalie Iuel
(Heptathlon), Cameron Pettigrew (4x400m), Jaide Stepter (400m IH, 4x400m)
2016 NCAA Championships Review
Women 2nd, Men’ 5th at Pac-12 Meet
Men 12th, Women T-9th At 2016 NCAAs
Stepter Wins Her Third Consecutive 400m IH Title
USC had 11 individual earn first-team All-America honors in 17
events, led by Randall Cunningham’s high jump title and Deanna Hill
scoring in four events at the 2016 NCAA Track & Field Championships
held in Eugene, Ore. from June 8-11. The men’s team with just four
athletes finshed 12th with 16 points and the women’s team tied for
ninth with 28 points.
USC’s Jaide Stepter won her third consecutive 400m IH title
and the women’s 4x400m relay won its fourth consecutive title
to lead the Trojans on the final day of the Pac-12 Track & Field
Championships hosted by Washington at Husky Track in Seattle,
Wash. on May 15. USC’s women’s team finished second with
111.50 points and the undermanned men’s team placed fifth
with a total of 75 points. USC athletes won three individual and
one relay Pac-12 titles during the two-day competition. The
conditions were cold, windy and rainy, especially on the first day
of the competition.
Cunningham Wins NCAA High Jump Title
Cunningham closed out the men’s competition on June 10 by
winning the men’s high jump with an outdoor PR of 7-4.50 (2.25m)
to become the 11th Trojan to win the event, four more than any other
school. He was flawless through that height, virtually eliminating
the competition before he missed. Ricky Morgan Jr. placed
seventh in the men’s 400m final with a time of 46.63. On June 8,
Adoree’ Jackson placed fifth in the men’s long jump for the second
consecutive season, becoming the first USC back-to-back LJ allAmerican since Ed Tave in 1983 and 1984. Also, Nick Ponzio took
12th in the men’s shot put. The four athletes combined for 16 points
and 12th place, one point outside of a top 10 finish.
The women’s team opened the final day of competition on June 11
with a school-record and second place finish in the 4x100m (Brown,
Hill, Faulknor & Gaither) with a time of 42.90. USC scored eight times
in six different events on the final day with Tynia Gaither finishing
fourth in the 100m and fifth in the 200m, Deanna Hill sixth in the
100m and seventh in the 200m, Tera Novy seventh in the discus
and Jaide Stepter finishing sixth in the 400m IH. USC topped off its
scoring by taking eighth in the 4x400m (Ellis, Iuel, Stepter, Hill) after a
dropped baton on one of the exchanges. USC finished with 28 points
and tied for ninth. USC has scored a total of 77 points in Caryl Smith
Gilberts first three seasons, the most it has scored in a three-season
stretch since 2006-08.
The women’s team finished second for the third consecutive
season as Oregon ran away with the team title. Amalie Iuel got
things started for the Trojans by winning her second conference
heptathlon title on May 8 with 6,011 points, the second-most
in school history. The next week she injured her elbow the day
before the Pac-12 championships and was limited to the high
jump and 400m IH prelims before having to be pulled from the
meet. Lyndsey Lopes also had a PR of 5,277 points to finish fifth,
tops among the freshmen and 10th all-time by a Trojan.
The men’s team had to redshirt Marquis Morris, Just’N Thymes,
Eric Sloan and Alex Rohani due to injuries and the departure of
Andre De Grasse in the Fall semester had left the team depleted.
Still, they fought hard and when they took fourth in the 4x400m
relay, they had grabbed fifth place. Adoree’ Jackson won his
second consecutive Pac-12 long jump title with a leap of 25-3.50
(7.71m) becoming the first Trojan to win consecutive conference
long jump titles since school and Pac-12 record-holder Randy
Williams won it 1972-75.
Trojan men scoring and earning first-team All-America status were:
Randall Cunningham (HJ), Adoree’ Jackson (LJ) and Ricky Morgan,
Jr. (400m).
USC’s women’s first-team All-Americans were: Destinee Brown
(4x100m), Kendall Ellis (4x400m), Alexis Faulknor (4x100m), Tynia
Gaither (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Deanna Hill (100m, 200m, 4x100m,
4x400m), Amalie Iuel (4x400m), Tera Novy (Discus Throw), Jaide
Stepter (400m IH, 4x400m).
Final team scores:
Men:
1.) Florida - 62
2.) Arkansas - 56
3.) Texas A&M - 50
4. Oregon - 48
5. LSU - 41
6.) Tennessee - 30
7.) Virginia - 20
8.) Virginia Tech - 19
9.) Mississippi St. - 18
10.) Nebraska - 17
Houston - 17
12.) USC - 16
Final 2016 Pac-12 Championship Results:
Women:
1.) Arkansas - 72
2.) Oregon - 62
3.) Georgia - 41
4.) Texas - 36
5.) Texas A&M - 35
6.) LSU - 31
7.) Stanford - 29
Kansas St. - 29
9.) USC - 28
Florida - 28
11.) Kentucky - 25
12.) Oklahoma St. - 24
Men:
1.) Oregon - 155.6
2.) Washington - 122
3.) UCLA - 94.2
4.) Arizona St. - 83
5.) USC - 75
6.) Stanford - 74
7.) Colorado - 63
8.) Arizona - 57
9.) California - 50.6
10.) Washington St. - 41.6
Women:
1.) Oregon - 185
2.) USC - 111.5
3.) Stanford - 90
4.) Washington - 82
5.) UCLA - 66.5
6.) Colorado - 66
7.) Arizona - 62
8.) Washington St. - 45
9.) Arizona St. - 41
10.) California - 39.5
11.) Oregon State - 23.5
12.) Utah - 3
Trojans Split Dual Meet with Bruins
USC Wins 9 T&F Medals At Rio Olympics
The USC track and field team posted 21 victories in 38 events to
earn a split in the annual USC-UCLA Dual Meet hosted by the Bruins
in Westwood, Calif. on May 1. The women’s team won 13 of 19
events and outscored the Bruins 97-66, while the men’s team won
eight events and fell 103-60. The USC men’s team leads the all-time
series with the Bruins 43-40, while the USC women have won eight
of the last nine meetings, but trail all-time 22-11.
USC’s track and field program was firmly on display on the world
scene as nine different current and former student-athletes
competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, bringing
home nine medals - 3 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze. The nine medals
won by Trojans was the most-ever by USC in T&F at the Olympics,
surpassing the total of eight earned at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics.
Overall as a university, USC Olympians claimed 21 medals - 9 gold,
5 silver, 7 bronze.
Women’s Team Wins For 8th Time In 9 Seasons
The women’s team trailed 40-14 after six events, but outscored the
Bruins 83-26 the rest of the way. Tynia Gaither won the 100m and
200m dashes and moved into USC’s all-time top 10 in both events.
Other Trojan women winning individual events were Katerina
Berdousi (5000m), Rebekah Ent (1500m), Jasmyne Graham (100m
HH), Amalie Iuel (HJ), Tera Novy (DT), Tanya Sapa (SP), Mikaela
Smith (800m) and Jaide Stepter (400m, 400m IH). The USC women
clinched the meet with a sweep in the 200m as Gaither won with a
then-PR of 22.74, followed by Deanna Hill (22.86) and Kendall Ellis
(23.57).
Muhammad Wins Gold In 400m IH, Felix With USA’s Relays
Allyson Felix (USC 2008) won a gold medal with USA’s 4x100m and
4x400m relays and took second to earn the silver medal in the 400m.
She was nipped at the wire by Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas who
dove across the line. Felix has now claimed nine Olympic medals
tied with Marlene Ottey (Jamaica/Slovenia) for the most ever by
a women’s track and field athlete. Felix’s six gold medals are the
most ever by a women’s track athlete at the Olympics. During the
competition she surpassed Jackie Joyner-Kersee (6) for most
Olympic medals by an American woman.
Adoree’ Jackson and Ricky Morgan Jr. led the men’s team, with
Jackson winning the 100m dash, long jump and running on the
victorious 4x100m relay. Morgan ran on the winning 4x100m and
4x400m relays and captured the 200m and 400m titles. Other USC
men winning Dual Meet titles were Nate Bultman (HT) and Diego
Lopez (JT).
Women: USC - 97
Men:
USC - 60
UCLA - 66
UCLA - 103
USC Grabs 14 Individual Spots at NCAAs
Both Women’s Relays Advance Out of Regional, As 4x400m Sets SR
USC’S 4x400m relay set a school record and joined the women’s
4x100m relay and 14 athletes in 16 events to qualify for the NCAA
T&F Championships during the 2016 NCAA West Preliminary
Rounds at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kan. from May 2628. Weather wreaked havoc with the NCAA Regional as severe
thunderstorms and lightening caused suspension of events early on
the first day which caused a compact schedule and forced several
events indoors. To make matters worse for the Trojans, due to lack
of rooms, the team was forced to stay at a hotel 45 minutes away.
The women’s 4x400m relay team of sophomore Kendall Ellis, junior
Amalie Iuel, junior Cameron Pettigrew and senior Jaide Stepter
closed out the running portion of the meet for the Trojans in
style by winning its heat with a school-record time of 3:26.73 to
automatically advance to the NCAA Championships in the event.
Overall, women qualifying for the NCAA Championships were
Destinee Brown (4x100m), Kendall Ellis (400m, 4x400m), Alexis
Faulknor (Long Jump, 4x100m), Tynia Gaither (100m, 200m,
4x100m), Deanna Hill (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Amalie Iuel (400m
IH, 4x400m), Margaux Jones (Long Jump), Tera Novy (Discus
Throw), Cameron Pettigrew (4x400m),and Jaide Stepter (400m IH,
4x400m).
USC’s men which advanced to the NCAA Championships were
Randall Cunningham (High Jump), Adoree’ Jackson (Long Jump),
Ricky Morgan Jr. (400m) and Nick Ponzio (Shot Put).
Dalilah Muhammad (USC 2012) also claimed gold by dominating
the women’s 400m IH field. Rain began falling at Olympic Stadium
shortly before the women’s 400m IH race, but it didn’t damper the
efforts of Muhammad who stormed to the gold medal with a time
of 53.13, 0.42 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher Sara
Slott Petersen of Denmark. The first five runners to finish behind
Muhammad set season or personal bests, including Petersen
who set the Denmark national record. Muhammad became the
first American woman 400m IH runner to win a gold medal at the
Olympics and the second Trojan to medal in the event, as Natasha
Danvers-Smith earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for
Great Britain.
Andre De Grasse (USC 2016), running for his native Canada, showed
the world that he is a force to be reckoned with in the sprints and the
heir apparent to Usain Bolt. The first of De Grasse’s medals came
in the 100m dash as he took third to earn the bronze medal with
a wind-legal personal best time of 9.91 (+0.2). Bolt won the gold
medal with a time of 9.81, while USA’s Justin Gatlin took the silver
with a time of 9.89. De Grasse became the first Trojan to medal in
the 100m dash since Don Quarrie earned a silver medal in 1976. De
Grasse is also the fifth Trojan to medal in the 100m dash (Charles
Paddock – Gold in 1920, Ralph Metcalfe – Silver in 1932 and 1936,
Lennox Miller – Silver in 1968 and Bronze in 1972 and Quarrie –
Silver in 1976). De Grasse then placed second to Bolt in the 200m
dash with a time of 20.02 (-0.5) to earn a silver medal. De Grasse
had run a PR of 19.80 (-0.3) in the semifinals to break the Canadian
national record in the 200m.
Finally, De Grasse teammed with Aaron Brown (USC 2014) to earn
the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay with a Canadian nationalrecord time of 37.64. They actually finished the race in fourth, .02
seconds behind the USA team and .04 seconds behind the Japan
team, but the U.S. team was disqualified. Canada was slightly
behind the first four teams when De Grasse received the baton, but
he stormed down the stretch passing one team and nearly catching
the Japanese and USA teams at the wire.
Nia Ali (USC 2011) placed second in the women’s 100m HH with
a time of 12.59 (+0.0) to earn the silver medal as part of a USA
sweep in the event as Brianna Rollins won with a time of 12.48 and
Kristi Castlin placed third with a time of 12.61. Ali became USC’s
first medalist in the women’s 100m HH in Olympic competition. The
sweep for USA was the first ever by one country in the event and
just the seventh ever in any Summer Olympic event.
Tynia Gaither (USC 2016) competed for the Bahamas in both the
100m and 200m dashes. She competed in the 100m dash first and
placed fifth in her 100m heat with a time of 11.56 (-0.3) and ended
up 39th overall. She then placed 24th in the women’s 200m dash
with a time of 23.45. She advanced to the semifinals by running
22.90 in the heats to advance 23rd overall.
Amalie Iuel (USC 2017) ran in the women’s 400m IH heats and had
a time of 56.75 to finish sixth in her section and 29th overall, five
spots out of advancing to the Olympic semifinal.
Conor McCullough (USC 2015) placed 16th in the men’s hammer
throw competition after finishing 10th in the Group B qualifying
round with a throw of 239-1 (72.88m), four spots away from
advancing to the final. He began his series with a throw of 231-9
(70.64m), then threw 217-6 (66.30m) and finally his best throw of
239-1. Even though 29 of the 33 throwers in the competition had
thrown at least 77 meters in their careers, only the top qualifier
Wojciech Nowicki of Poland surpassed that mark and only three
surpassed 76 meters. McCullough joined his father, Conor Sr., as
hammer throw Olympians as his dad competed for Ireland in the
1984 and 1988 Olympics.
Zsofia Erdelyi (USC 2012) placed 52nd in the women’s marathon
with a time of 2:39.04, steadily moving up the pack from 112th at
the 5K mark to her final finish of 52nd. Every 5K she ran she had a
better standing in the race. Erdelyi was the top finisher among her
Hungary teammates and improved 40 spots from her finish at the
2012 Olympics in London.
Muhammad & Felix Win Titles USA T&F Championships
Dalilah Muhammad, Allyson Felix, Nia Ali and Conor McCullough
all qualified for the Olympics at the 2016 USA Olympic Track &
Field Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Ore. from July 1-10. USC had
28 current, former and future Trojans competing for a chance to
represent USA at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Muhammad (USC, 2012) blazed to victory in the women’s 400m
IH to make her first Olympic Team by running a PR of 52.88. That
time set the Olympic Trials record, the Hayward Field record and
is the fastest time in the world since 2013. Jaide Stepter (USC,
2016) finished seventh in the final with a PR and USC record-tying
time of 54.95. She tied the record set by Natasha Danvers in 2000.
Incoming freshman Anna Cockrell advanced to the semifinals
placed 11th overall with a time of 56.51.
Felix (USC, 2008) won the 400m title with the fastest time in the
world so far this season of 49.68, but her Olympic dream of a
200m-400m double come to an end when she placed fourth in the
women’s 200m final with a time of 22.54 (-0.6). Felix was just .01
seconds behind the third-place finisher.
Ali (USC, 2011), the 2011 NCAA outdoor 100m HH champion and
two-time world indoor champion in the 60m HH, placed third in the
women’s 100m HH finals to qualify for her first Olympic Team. Ali
had a time of 12.55 (+1.2) to take third in a tight final in which 0.1
seconds separated the second-fifth-place finishers. Three other
Trojans competed in the 100m HH with Melia Cox (USC 2015)
finishing 25th (13.37), Candice Price (USC 2007) 27th (13.39) and
Ginnie Powell (USC 2006) pulling up after hitting the first hurdle.
In the men’s 110m HH, Aleec Harris (USC 2014) placed seventh in the
finals (13.56), Ryan Wilson (USC 2003) was ninth in the semifinals
(13.62) and Logan Taylor (USC 2008) finished 20th overall (13.81).
McCullough (USC 2105) placed third in the men’s hammer throw
with a mark of 243-4 (74.61m) to provisionally make the U.S.
Olympic team, but since none of the American had the Olympic “A
Standard” he had to sweat it out about a week to make sure seven
people did not pass him on the world descending order list. In the
women’s hammer throw, Jade Grace (USC, 2012) had a best throw
of 198-5 (60.48m) to finish 20th.
Eric Sloan (USC, 2017) reached the men’s triple jump finals where
he finished 12th after fouling three times. He reached the finals
with a jump of 53-3.50/16.24 (+1.4) to move him into seventh place
on USC’s all-time triple jump list, the first Trojan to join the top
10 since 2003 when Allen Simms (56-4) and Julien Kapek (56-2)
posted the school’s top two marks. Quite an impressive result for
a college junior to sit out the season with a couple of injuries, then
compete and make it to the triple jump finals at the USA Olympic
Trials. Alitta Boyd (USC, 2013) competed in the women’s triple and
finished 20th overall with a best jump of 43-3.00/13.18 (+2.3w).
Things did not go so well for the Trojans in a strange men’s high jump
qualifying round which featured Jesse Williams (USC, 2006) and
Randall Cunningham (USC, 2018). Williams, a two-time Olympian,
a two-time NCAA indoor and outdoor champion and 2011 world
champion, and Cunningham, the 2016 NCAA outdoor champion,
both went out at the first height of 7-0.25 (2.14m). Surprisingly
that beginning height eliminated 12 of the 26 jumpers, with five
competitors clearing the height on their final attempt.
In other events on the track, BeeJay Lee (USC 2015) finished 16th
in the men’s 100m semifinals (10.16), while Deanna Hill (USC 2018)
finished 27th in the women’s 100m (11.36), Alexis Faulknor (USC
2016) finished 30th (11.42) and Jessica Davis (USC 2014) finished
31st (11.43). A week later, Lee would finish 25th in the men’s 200m
(20.79). Incoming freshman Michael Norman advanced to the
200m final and finished fifth with a wind-legal PR of 20.14. Hill
reached the women’s 200m semifinal and finished 13th with a time
of 23.04, while Faulknor had a time of 23.65 in the heats to finish
31st.
Norman placed 20th in the men’s 400m with a time of 46.20 and
Ricky Morgan Jr. took 24th with a time of 46.46. Joining Felix
who won the women’s 400m, was Stepter who placed ninth in the
semifinals with a time of 51.47 and Vanessa Jones (USC, 2015)
finished 23rd overall with a time of 53.60.
The men’s 800m prelims produced a surprising result as Duane
Solomon (USC, 2008), the fourth-place finisher at the 2012
Olympics and the second-fastest American ever at this distance,
finished 23rd overall with a time of 1:48.71. He was in the first heat,
which was the slowest by far, and had led the race through 600m
with the top three advancing, but he tied up down the stretch and
his fourth-place finish in the slow heat sealed his fate.
Gaither Wins 100m & 200m Titles At Bahamas Senior
Nationals
USC graduated senior Tynia Gaither won both the 100m and 200m
titles at the Bhamas Senior Nationals in Nassau, Bahamas from
June 22-25.
Tera Novy (USC, 2016) competed in the women’s discus throw finals
and had a best mark of 181-3 (55.26m) which earned her an 11th
place finish. Novy reached the finals by finishing fifth in the prelims
with mark of 194-6 (59.28m). Also competing in the prelims was
Alexandra Collatz (USC, 2015) who placed 19th with a best throw
of 174-0 (53.04m).
Adoree’ Jackson (USC, 2018) advanced to the men’s long jump
finals, but finished 10th with a best leap of 25-8.25/7.83 (+1.3), his
best wind-legal jump of the 2016 season.
Gaither won the 100m dash with a time of 11.33 (-0.1) on June 24,
after reaching the finals by running
the top qualifier of 11.56 (-0.2) in the
preliminary round earlier in the day.
The senior All-American then came
back to capture the Bahamas 200m
title with a time of 23.00 (-0.6) on
June 25. Gaither earned the right to
represent the Bahamas at the 2016
Olympics in both events.
Iuel Sets Norwegian 400m Hurdles Record
and De Grasse (10.08/+0.3) won their semifinals heats earlier in the
day and advanced to the finals with the top two qualifying times.
Rising senior Amalie Iuel had a record-setting summer, establishing
the Norwegian 400m IH record, the country’s U23 record in the
400m and representing her country at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
The next day the both also qualified in the 200m dash. Brown took
second with a time of 20.32 (20.315) and De Grasse placed third
with a time of 20.32 (20.318) to make the Canadian Olympic Team
in their second event. In the semifinals earlier in the day, De Grasse
won his heat with a time of 20.56 (-0.3) and Brown won his heat
with a time of 20.95 (-0.2).
Also Sets Norway’s U23 Record In The 400m Race
On June 24 Iuel won the 400m race at the 2016 Norwegian Grand
Prix at Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway with an outdoor PR and
Norwegian U23 record of 52.85. That time also moved her into
10th place on USC’s all-time women’s 400m list. Iuel had to post
a qualifying time in the 400m so that she could run on Norway’s
4x400m relay team at the Olympics should they qualify.
Iuel then reached the European Athletics Championships 400m IH
finals on July 10 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and placed sixth with
a time of 56.24. The previous day she set the Norwegian national
record with a time of 55.79 which moves her into a third-place tie on
USC’s all-time list in the event.
Norway did not qualify in the 4x400m relay for the Olympics, but
Iuel posted a time of 56.75 to finish 29th in the event in Rio.
Sloan Wins Triple Jump At NACAC U23
Championships In El Salvador
USC athletes won three golds and two silver medals at the North
American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association
(NACAC) U23 Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador from
July 15-17.
Eric Sloan won the men’s triple jump with a best leap of 530.00/16.15m (+0.0). Lathone Collie of the Bahamas took the lead
temporarily in his fifth jump with a mark of 51-10.00, but Sloan
responded with his gold-medal-winning jump in the same round.
Jaide Stepter ran the second leg for USA’s 4x400m which took the
gold with a time of 3:28.45. That time was more than a 3.5 seconds
faster than the second-place team Jamaica.
Stepter also earned a silver medal in the women’s 400m race,
running 52.51 in the final on July 16. The winner Chrisann Gordon
of Jamaica won with a NACAC U23 record time of 51.02. Stepter
advanced to the final by running 52.44 in the prelims on July 15,
third-best among the qualifiers.
De Grasse & Brown Qualify For Olympics
At Canadian T&F Championships
Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown qualified to represent Canada
in both the 100m and 200m dashes at the Olympics during the
2016 Canadian Track and Field Championships held in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada from July 7-10.
De Grasse, who turned pro during the fall and bypassed his final
season of eligibility at USC, won the Canadian 100m title with a
time of 9.99 (-0.1) to qualify for the Olympics. Right behind him in
second was fellow Trojan Brown with a time of 10.07 (-0.1) to also
make the Canadian team in the event. Both Brown (10.06/+2.5w)
Also on July 16, Deanna Hill ran the third leg for USA’s winning
4x100m relay which earn gold by running 42.93. That time set a
NACAC U23 record, beating the previous record of 43.07 set in
2010.
Tera Novy placed second in the women’s discus throw on July 15
with a best mark of 182-9 (55.70m).
To keep up with all the action of the USC Track & Field
team and with live updates from meets, follow the Trojans
on Twitter at @USC_Track_Field.
Incoming Freshmen Earns Gold
Medals on International Stage
USC Well Represented At USATF
Junior Championships
Incoming USC freshmen Anna Cockrell in the women’s 400m IH and
Michael Norman in the men’s 200m dash won gold medals at the
IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on July 22.
USC was well represnted at the USATF Junior Championships
in Clovis, Calif. from June 24-26, with incoming freshmen Anna
Cockrell and Michael Norman qualifying for Team USA.
Cockrell cruised to the gold medal in the women’s 400m IH with a PR
of 55.20 to win
the event by
1.34 seconds.
The time run by
Cockrell would
rank
third
on USC’s alltime list if she
were
already
enrolled and is
tied for ninth
all-time
on
the U20 list.
The other two
runners to crack the U20 all-time top 10 in the last five years are
Shamier Little (55.07 in 2014 - 3-time NCAA Champion) and Syndey
McLaughlin (54.15 in 2016, 1st all-time - currently on the USA
Olympic Team for Rio).
Cockrell took second in the women’s 400m IH on June 25 with a
time of 55.89 to make the USA team in that event for the IAAF World
U20 Championships. She just missed out on making the team in the
100m HH also as she had a time of 13.21 (+0.3) in the finals to place
third on June 25. Earlier in the day Cockrell had run 13.17 (+1.2) to
advance to the finals. Jasmyne Graham, who had completed her
freshman season at USC, placed fifth in the 100m HH finals with a
time of 13.25 (+0.3). She had run a season-best 13.21 (+1.2) in the
prelims to advance to the finals.
Cockrell reached the finals by posting the best preliminary rounds
time of 56.85 on July 20 and the top semifinals time of 56.10 on July
21. The native of North Carolina
advanced to the semifinals at the
USA Olympic Trials earlier in the
month and will be a freshman at
USC this coming school year.
Norman dominated the 200m field
by winning with a time of 20.17
today which established a IAAF
U20 championship record. He won
the race by .42 seconds and the
second-eighth place finishers all
were within .35 seconds of each
other. Norman, who placed fifth
in the 200m at the USA Olympic
Trials earlier this month, already
ranks tied for sixth on the U20
all-time list with a time of 20.14,
which would rank fifth on USC’s
all-time list if he were already in
school.
Norman eased into the finals by winning his prelims heat with a
time of 20.74 (+1.3) and semifinals heat with a time of 20.71 (+1.1)
on July 21. He had the fourth-fastest time in the opening round and
sixth-fastest in the semifinals.
The medal won by Norman was the 100th ever at the IAAF U20
Championships by an American.
“I feel great right now,” said Norman. “To win gold in my first
international meet is a truly humbling experience.
“I’m thinking of the next Olympic Games in four years’ time, but I
would like to take it one step at a time. The next goal is next year’s
NCAA Championships
Norman blazed to victory in the 200m dash with a then-PR of 20.15,
.02 seconds off the American Junior record set in 1985. Norman
won the event by .62 seconds to earn his way on the USA Juniors
team. His time is also tied for the sixth-fastest in the U.S. this year
and faster than the winning time at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Lyndsey Lopes, who just completed her freshman season at USC,
took second in the women’s heptathlon with a total of 5,171 points.
Although she finished second, she did not meet the standard of
5,300 points for the IAAF World U20 Championships. She had a best
of 5,277 at the Pac-12 Championships this season.
Just missing out on making the USA team was rising sophomore
long jumper Margaux Jones. Jones had a legal PR of 20-10.50/6.36
(+0.3) in the prelims to take a lead heading into the finals and move
from seventh into a sixth-place tie on USC’s all-time women’s long
jump list. She dropped to third after fouling in the fourth round while
two jumpers passed her. Jones improved to 20-10.75/6.37 (+1.2) in
her fifth jump and moved into sixth place all alone on USC’s all-time
long jump list, but could not catch the leaders and finished third.
Mikaela Smith, who is now a sophomore at USC, took fourth in
the women’s 800m final on June 25 with a time of 2:05.39, just
.06 seconds off her PR. Smith advanced to the finals by running
2:07.54 on June 24 to win her prelims heat and advanced to the
finals with the fourth-fastest time.
Nathan Bultman had a strong and busy first season at USC and
finished it up by competing in the hammer throw, shot put and
discus throw at the USA Juniors, despite being under the weather.
Bultman began by taking fourth in the junior hammer throw with a
mark of 202-5 (61.71m) on June 24. The next day he placed fifth
in the shot put with a top mark of 63-11.00 (19.48m), which came
in his last attempt. Finally on June 26, Bultman took 14th in the
discus throw with a best toss of 165-11 (50.57m).
Norman Named Gatorade National
Boy’s T&F Athlete Of The Year
Becomes First Two-Time Winner For T&F
USC incoming freshman Michael Norman was named the 2016
Gatorade National Boy’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year, becoming
the first two-time winner in track and field, it was announced on
June 28.
Norman won the USA Juniors 200m title with a time of 20.15 on
June 26. That time was the third-fastest in U.S. prep history and
the sixth-fastest by an American this season. He then bettered that
with a time of 20.14 at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Norman also had
times this season of 45.51 in the 400m which was the best high
school time and had a time of 10:27 in the 100m, the second-fastest
high school time at that distance. Norman has a career best of 45.19
in the 400m which ranks seventh all-time by a high schooler and he
is the only high school male to post an all-time top 10 time in both
the 200m and 400m. Norman helped lead his 2016 Vista Murrieta
high school team to its second consecutive California team title.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding
athletic excellence as well as high standards of academic
achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the
track. Norman is the 10th winner of Gatorade national men’s track
and field honor from California, which includes Norman last season
and former Trojan Olympian Bryshon Nellum in 2007.
WOMEN:
Cockrell, from Providence Day HS in Charlotte, N.C., was named the
2015 North Carolina Gatorade Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year
as she won the state 3A title in the 100m with a PR of 11.93, the
100m HH with a time of 13.53 and the 300m IH with a time of 41.31.
She also won the 400m IH with the second-fastest high school time
in the country in 2015 of 56.67. As a senior she was even better
with a time of 55.20 in the 400m IH and 13.17 in the 100m HH,
second and sixth respectively in the country. She then went on to
win the 400m IH at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships.
Constantine, from St. Roch Catholic School in Brampton, Ontario,
Canada, placed fourth with a personal best of 52.44 in the 400m
finals at the 2015 World Youth Championships held in Cali,
Colombia. She was the ninth-fastest U20 women’s 400m runner in
the world that season and the youngest in the top 10. Fellow Trojan
Kendall Ellis was seventh on that list that season with a time of
52.32. Constantine also ran 52.88 in the semifinals at the World
Youth Championships. Constantine won both the 200m (24.17) and
the 400m (53.65) at the 2015 Ontario Federation of School Athletic
Associations (OFSAA) and has a 200m best of 23.90.
Corrin, from Harvard-Westlake HS in Studio City, Calif., won the
2015 CIF state long jump title with a leap of 20-10 (+0.6). She also
won the state title as a freshman in 2013 and placed second as a
sophomore in 2014. Corrin had a best legal jump of 20-11.00 (+2.0)
which ranked third among U.S. high schoolers in 2015, then won
the long jump at the USATF Junior Championships with a windaided mark of 21-6.25/6.56m (+2.5w). Corrin went on to earn the
silver medal with a jump of 20-1.50 (6.13m) at the Pan Am Junior
Championships. She won nine of 10 meets she competed in last
season, including jumping 20 feet or more in the last five and six
times overall. She also owns a 300m IH best of 42.41 and finished
seventh at the state meet with a time of 42.79. She was named the
L.A. Daily News Girls Athlete of the Year three times. Last year her
season was cut short due to injury, but she has returned to health
and is competing with the USC soccer team this Fall.
Francis, from Rio Mesa HS in Oxnard, Calif., won the 2015 CIF state
titles in the 100m with a time of 11.31 and the 200m with a PR
of 23.09, which ranked third among high school women. She then
finished third in 2016 with a time of 11.55 (+1.4) and fourth in the
200m at 23.71 (+2.9w).
McGlaston, from Dublin HS in Dublin, Calif., had a PR and secondfastest 100m HH time by a high schooler in 2015 of 13.18 (+1.4) to
take second at the 2015 CIF state meet to current Trojan teammate
Jasmyne Graham. Her time of 13.18 was the World Junior leader.,
the third-fastest in state history and sixth-fastest ever by a high
school hurdler. McGlaston won the 2014 CIF state title in the 100m
HH with a time of 13.54. Last season, she cautiously came back
from a quadricep injury and had a best 100m HH time of 13.85 and
finished 10th at the CIF Championships.
Strong Freshman Class Ready For Action
USC’s freshman class includes sprinter Michael Norman, sprinter
T.J. Brock, hurdler Anna Cockrell, long jumper Courtney Corrin,
sprinter Zaria Francis, hurdler Mecca McGlaston and sprinter twins
Kayla and Kyla Richardson signed National Letters of Intent (NLIs)
in November and Kyra Constantine who signed an NLI in April. The
athletes combined to win numerous state high school titles and
Norman was named the 2015 and 2016 Gatorade National Boys
Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
MEN:
Norman, from Vista Murrieta HS in Murrieta, Calif., led his team to
its second consecutive California state title by winning the 200m
with a time of 20.42 (+1.4) and the 400m with a time of 45.77.
Brock, from Chaminade HS in Chatsworth, Calif., won the 2015 and
2016 CIF 100m dash title at the state meet with a time of 10.34
(+1.8) as a junior and 10.43 (+0.4) as a senior. He also has run two
10.20 wind-aided 100m dashes. Brock took second to Norman in
the 200m dash at the CIF state meet in 2015 with a time of 21.16.
Kayla Richardson, of Walnut High in Walnut, Calif., has wind-aided
PRs of 11.65 in the 100m and 23.45 in the 200m dashes. Richardson
ran 11.74 to qualify for the 2015 CIF 100m finals with the fourthfastest time and also had the third-fastest 200m qualifying time
of 23.85, but did not run in the finals as she left to compete in
the Southeast Asian Games for the Philippines. She finished as
the runner-up in the 200m with a time of 23.67 at the Southeast
Asian Games in Singapore. She was named the San Gabriel Valley
Tribune Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She also won the 2015
CIF Southern Section 100m and 200m titles and posted a 400m PR
of 56.53. As a sophomore, Richardson posted a long jump best of
20-2.25 (6.15m) to take second in the girls’ high school final at the
2014 Penn Relays.
Kyla Richardson has been battling several injuries the past several
seasons, but as a freshman ran 11.93 in the 100m. She did run a
wind-aided 100m time of 11.83 at the 2015 Mt. SAC Relays in her
first race back from injury.
All-American Mann Transfers To USC
She Is The Two-Time Defending Pac-12 Shot Put Champion
Redshirt senior Brittany Mann transferred
to USC from Oregon with one season of
eligibility remaining. She is a four-time
All-American and two-time defending
champion in the shot put and will be a big
addition to the Trojan program in 2017.
She is the Ducks’ record-holder in the
women’s shot put with a mark of 57-4.75
(17.49m) which she set in placing fifth
at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Last
season she won her second consecutive
Pac-12 shot put title with a mark of 557.00 (16.94m) and also placed eighth in
Brittany Mann
the hammer throw with a mark of 180-4
(54.97m). She also placed fifth in the shot put at the 2015 NCAA
Championships with a mark of 56-6 (17.22m) and won her first Pac12 shot put title with a throw of 56-6.75 (17.24m). She was third
at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the shot put. She also took
seventh in the shot put at the 2014 NCAA Championships in the shot
put with a mark of 56-0 (17.07m).
Harmon-Thomas Also Transfers To
USC From Texas
Redshirt sophomore Alexa HarmonThomas transferred to USC from Texas
with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
She did not compete outdoors at Texas,
but competed indoors both years at Texas.
Harmon-Thomas, the daughter of NFL
great Derrick Thomas, graduated from
Lawrence Free State High in Lawrence,
Kan. in 2014. She won state titles in the
the 100m HH, 300m IH (state record time
of 42.70) and long jump as a junior and in
both hurdles again as a senior.
Alexa Harmon-Thomas
She finished tied for sixth in the high jump
at the Big 12 Championships in 2016 with
a jump of 5-5.25 (1.66m).
Olympic Champion Hayes Added To
USC T&F Coaching Staff
2004 Olympic 100m HH gold
medalist Joanna Hayes has been
hired by USC as an assistant
track and field coach for sprints
and hurdles, it was announced by
Trojan Director of Track & Field
Caryl Smith Gilbert on July 14.
“We are excited to add such a
great teacher and accomplished
athlete in Olympic champion
Joanna Hayes to our staff,”
said Smith Gilbert. “She is an
excellent recruiter, brings a spirit
Joanna Hayes
of competitiveness and I think
she will be a great addition to what I believe is the best track
and field staff in the country.”
Hayes won a gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens, setting an Olympic record with a
time of 12.37. She finished the 2004 season ranked No. 1
in the world and earned USA Track & Field’s Jesse Owens
Award that year. She was also a gold medalist in the 400m
hurdles at the 2003 Pan American Games.
While a collegian at UCLA, Hayes captured the NCAA 400m
Hurdles title as a senior in 1999 and won a total of seven
Pac-10 titles in the hurdles and relays. She was a six-time
All-American and helped lead UCLA to three consecutive Pac10 team titles from 1997-99 and two consecutive runner-up
finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships from 1998-99.
Hayes has served as an assistant coach in the sprints and
hurdles at UCLA the last three seasons, helping the Bruins
earn several All-America honors in the hurdles and 4x100m
relays.
Hayes, who graduated from UCLA in 2001 with a degree in
Sociology, previously had been a track and field coach at
Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles for six seasons and
was a coach at the Brentwood Middle School in 2003.
She is active in the community and started the Joanna
Hayes Foundation, which provides support for programs and
services that work to develop the whole child with healthy
minds, bodies and spirits.
Trojans Enjoy Successful Golf Tourney
at Trump National Golf Club
Homecoming Set for November 5
The USC T&F program would like to thank all of the alumni
and supporters that came out to the annunal fund-raising
tournament at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos
Verdes, Calif. on Oct. 20. The event was a big success...and
a lot of fun!
Among the day’s festivities was a spectacular round of golf,
putting contest, closest to the pin contest, longest drive
contest, raffles, silent auction, cocktail reception and an
awards dinner.
Tip-Off Luncheon to Come
“Out Of The Blocks” on Dec. 4
The USC Track & Field “Out of the Blocks” awards luncheon
and 2017 season preview event will take place on Dec. 4 at
the Town & Gown on the USC campus. A reception will begin
at noon with the event slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. with
USC Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert serving as
the event’s master of ceremonies. Among the day’s festivities
will be the introduction of the 2017 team, awards presented
to the 2016 team and the introduction of the Heritage Award
winners.
Once again the price for a ticket is $80 per person and $800
for a table of 10. If you would like to be a Team Patron, the
cost is $250 for two reservations and for two student-athlete
lunches. To reserve any tickets or to make a donation to the
Track & Field program, make checks out to USC and send
to USC Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, 3501 Watt
Way - HER 203A, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0602. For further
information call (213) 740-4167.
A fast-growing and popular alumni event is the USC Track & Field
homecoming get-together held on campus which this season will
take place on November 5, the day of the USC-Oregon football
game.
The event again this year will take place inside Heritage Hall at
Bashor Lounge, four hours prior to tip-off. Food and drinks will be
served and TV’s will be on so you won’t miss any action in college
football across the nation. It provides a great opportunity for USC
Track & Field alumni and friends to reconnect with teammates and
get to know the current student-athletes.
Last year there was roughly 200 people in attendance for the
event held on campus. Among the notable alumni over the past
few seasons have been Inger Miller, Felix Sanchez, Aaron Brown,
Aleec Harris, Carol Rodriguez, Dalilah Muhammad and Virginia
Crawford.
To order tickets in advance ($25), go to usctrojanforce.com.
2016 OUT OF THE BLOCKS BANQUET
• AWARDS BANQUET HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF
THE 2016 MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD TEAMS •
• ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2016 HERITAGE AWARD WINNERS
AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE 2017 TEAMS •
SUNDAY
DECEMBER 4, 2016
TOWN & GOWN, USC CAMPUS
RECEPTION 12:00 P.M. - LUNCH 12:30 P.M
PLEASE COMPLETE AND MAIL TO:
Becky Gramstup
University of Southern California
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
3501 Watt Way - HER 203B
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0602
_____ I/We plan to attend the 2016 Out of the Blocks Banquet Luncheon. Please reserve ____ tickets at $85.00 each.
_____ I/We would like to be a Team Patron for the Out of the Blocks Banquet Luncheon. Enclosed is a check for
$250.00 for special recognition and reservations for two.
_____ I/We cannot attend this year but please find enclosed my donation of $_____ to help with the budget for
the 2017 Trojan Track and Field teams.
Total Amount Enclosed __________
PLEASE MAKES CHECKS PAYABLE TO USC
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USC Trojan Force
Track & Field
Annual Membership Benefit
Newsletter | Season Pass & Preferred Seating to Home Meets | Media Guide | Sponsorship Recognition
USC Trojan Force Application Form
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TROJAN FORCE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: ____ $5,000.00* - One time donation to an endowment fund.
(*includes team warm up, recognition at annual banquet and luncheon for two guests with Coach Caryl Smith Gilbert)
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XC To Build Upon Foundation
USC Cross Country Team
2016 Season Outlook by Coach David Freeman
This might be the youngest team we have had since my arrival, but it is
potentially the most talented top to bottom.
We are building our cross country program. We are adding onto a foundation that we started last season and are growing and growing. We
mostly have freshmen and sophomores on the team and actually the
only seniors we have are transfers Vivian Grimes and Lorea Ibarzabal.
We are starting to develop some depth on the roster and I think that is
going to help with practice, especially on the competition side to have
quality workouts. I think the biggest benefit is that we have more bodies
out there to challenge each other than we have had previously.
This year we are still a young team, but I think we are learning from our
experiences last year, not only from cross country, but track season
also. We are starting to learn what it takes to be great in the Pac-12
Conference and nationally, so we are going to take those lessons and
really work hard throughout the semester and get ready for the Pac-12
Championships at the end of the semester, that is our goal. We want to
keep improving, getting better day-by-day and be better by the end of
the season, the championship part of the season.
I think we lost a lot of experience with Kat (Berdousi) and Jenna (Tong)
to name a few, but I think the young women who came in this year have
the talent to contribute right away. Hopefully the sophomores who had
that experience last year as freshman can lead them a little bit and
show them what to do, how to compete at this level and speed up the
learning process. I think by running a lot of freshman last year will pay
off this year and in the next couple of years. Our conference is all about
being able to compete with the best both mentally and physically, so
that’s the part we have to keep working on.
We have a few people that I think will really step up this year. One of
them is Amber Gore. She was banged up last year coming into college.
Now with a year under her belt and training at this level and gaining the
experience in cross country and track, she is bringing that confidence.
She did win a state championship in high school, so she knows how to
win. Another one that had a good summer was Madison Ricks. Our
goal with her is to keep improving her day-by-day and limiting the setbacks. She has talent, unfortunately she had some of the setbacks
early in her career. She had a good summer and created a good base
and hopefully can continue that during the fall. Redshirt junior Rebekah
Ent was our No. 2 runner last season and returns to anchor this year’s
squad.
Vivian Grimes is going to be a good contributor to the program. She
and Lorea Ibarzabal are graduate students, so they add the experience
to our young team. Hopefully the lessons Grimes learned at Boston
College, she brings here and hopefully it rubs off with the young athletes. Lorea is from Portland so she has the experience of being part
of a cross country team also. I think she will help the younger athletes
learn what it takes to be great, not only at the meets, but also at the
day in and day out at practice. They both have seen it all and have
experienced the ups and downs of college, so I think they can add a lot
through their experience.
I think we have the most talent on the cross country team since I’ve
been here, it is just that they are young and have to gain that experience and they have to learn what it takes to be great in the Pac-12 and
on the national stage.
The difference with this team is that from our No. 1 to our No. 11 runner
we are closer together. Our competitiveness at practice shows and
they get after it a little more and that is what it takes to build a whole
team. I think we are starting to have that. This season we have added
a few 6K races during the regular season which should help us prepare
for the championship part of the season. We are trying to add to that
experience so one of the things we learned is that we need to run more
6Ks so we are used to it.
Front: Sophia Racette, Kamryn Weber, Lorea Ibarzabal, Amber Gore, Chloe
Berry.
Top: Rebekah Ent, Rachel Glynn, Vivian Grimes, Madison Ricks, Mikaela Smith,
Lauren Maurer, coach David Freeman.
USC Cross Country Wins Season Opener
The USC women’s cross country team opened its season in style by winning
the Pepperdine Invitational (4K), led by a first-place finish for Madison Ricks
and a fourth-place finish for Amber Gore at Alumni Park in Malibu, Calif. on
Sept. 1. The victory was USC’s first overall win since the 2014 season when
it defeated UCLA in a Dual Meet and Ricks was USC’s first individual champ
since Katerina Berdousi won the title at USC-UCLA Dual Meet two years ago.
The five-team meet was actually scored as dual meets with each school with
USC the overall winner, defeating CSU Bakersfield 17-41, Long Beach State
19-37, Pepperdine 19-36 and UC Irvine 25-30.
The redshirt sophomore Ricks won by more than eight seconds with a time of
15:14.37, with Gore close behind in fourth with a time of 15:26.05. Gore went
to the lead by the midway point in the race and was joined shortly by Ricks and
they ran 1-2 most of the second half of the course, then Ricks pulled away from
the top four runners down the stretch.
Also sophomore Mikaela Smith was seventh overall with a time of 15:52.81,
freshman Chloe Berry was 10th with a time of 16:04.29, redshirt senior Lorea
Ibarzabal was 13th with a time of 16:16.10 and freshman Kamryn Weber was
32nd with a time of 17:27.38.
“I think it is a good start because we have a lot of freshman and sophomores
so they don’t know how it used to be, as to not being competitive,” added Freeman. “I think we are changing that mindset and this is a good starting point. We
won the meet and hopefully we can keep that snowball effect going, and our
confidence starts building up and we’ll see where it takes us.”
2016 USC Cross Country Schedule
• Sept. 1 at Pepperdine Invitational (Malibu, Calif.)
• Sept. 17 at UC Riverside Invitational (Riverside, Calif.)
• Oct. 1 at Sac. State Regional Preview (Sacramento, Calif.)
• Oct. 15 at Highlander Invitational (Riverside, Calif.)
• Oct. 21 at Titan Invitational (Fullerton, Calif.)
• Oct. 28 at Pac-12 Championships (Tucson, Ariz.)
• Nov. 11 at NCAA West Regional (Sacramento, Calif.)
• Nov. 19 at NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.)
USC TRACK & FIELD ACADEMIC CORNER
Lopez Receives Pac-12 Postgraduate
Scholarship
14 Trojans Named To Pac-12 2016
T&F All-Academic Teams
USC senior track and field athlete Diego Lopez was selected as one
of 23 Pac-12 student-athletes to receive a conference postgraduate
scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year it was announced today
(July 25). The scholarships, worth $9,000 each, are awarded to up
to two student-athletes from each Pac-12 school annually. These
worthy student-athletes maintained a minimum 3.0 grade point
average and demonstrated a commitment to education, campus and
community involvement, and leadership.
Jaide Stepter was named first team and Erika Peyton and
Nick Ponzio second team to lead a group of 14 USC studentathletes named 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic for the track and
field season it was announced by Commissioner Larry Scott
today (June 9). To be selected, an athlete must maintain
at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, be at least
a sophomore academically, be a significant contributor
and have completed at least one full academic year at the
institutions.
“This year’s recipients are excellent representatives of the Pac-12
and wonderful examples of the power of collegiate sports to help
young people reach their goals,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry
Scott. “We are honored to help these student-athletes continue their
education and look forward to watching them positively impact their
communities.”
Lopez, who majored in Human Biology and continues on at USC in
graduate school in Occupational Therapy, maintains a 3.35 GPA.
Lopez was a co-captain on USC’s men’s track and field team which
finished 12th at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Lopez threw the
javelin for USC and had a personal-best of 195-1 (59.47m) to win the
USC-UCLA Dual Meet on May 1 this season.
The senior Stepter, who earlier this season was named the
Pac-12 Women’s Scholarw-Athlete of the Year, maintained a
3.84 GPA in Communications with a minor in Animation and
Digital Arts. She also is a three-time Pac-12 Champion in the
400m IH and will be competing today in the semifinals of the
event at the NCAA Championships.
Peyton, a redshirt junior, has a 3.67 GPA in English, Creative
Writing at USC. She finished fifth in the hammer throw at the
Pac-12 Championships and has a best mark of 190-7.
The sophomore Ponzio has a 3.60 GPA in Social Sciences and
Psychology at USC. He finished fourth in the shot put at the
Pac-12 Championships and earned second-team All-America
honors in the event yesterday.
Trojans that were named Pac-12 All-Academic honorable
mention were: Kendall Ellis, Deanna Hill, Diego Lopez, Tera
Novy, Madisen Richards, Madison Ricks, Will Robinson, David
Sellens, Dominic Smallwood, Natasha Strickland and Jenna
Tong.
Stepter Named CoSIDA Third-Team
Academic All-American
USC senior track and field All-American Jaide Stepter was
named to the 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America third
team it was announced by the College Sports Information
Directors of America (CoSIDA) today (June 24.).
The USC track and field co-captain Stepter won her third
consecutive Pac-12 400m IH title and then went on to earn
All-America status in the event for the second-straight year
at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Stepter also ran on USC’s
school record-setting 4x400m relay team, which also earned
All-America honors.
Stepter, who earlier this year was named the 2016 Pac-12
Women’s Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year, had a
3.85 GPA in Communications, with a minor in Animation and
Digital Arts.
Stepter will compete in the 400m and 400m IH at the U.S.
Olympic Trials in July and will also represent the U.S. at the
NACAC U23 Championships (North America, Central America,
Caribbean Athletic Association Championships) in El Salvador
from July 15-17.
We’re Back....!
Dior Hall
Marquis Morris
Eric Sloan
Just’N Thymes
Ky Westbrook
USC welcomes the return of a potential five NCAA scores in severall events who missed virutally the entire 2016 outdoor season due to injury. Among the returning Trojans are All-American hurdler sophomore Dior Hall, Pac-12 110mm HH Champion
sophomore Marquis Morris, Olympic Trial triple jump finalist redshirt juniro Eric Sloan, NCAA sprint relay scorer redshirt senior
Just’N Thymes and NCAA 100m All-American sophomore Ky Westbrook.
Legendary Coach Banks Passes Away;
- USC T&F Head Coach Position Endowed In His Memory Legendary track and field coach Ted Banks, in whose name the USC head T&F coaching position is endowed, passed away due to gastric cancer at the
age of 82 in Gunter, Texas on Aug. 25.
Bank guided the UTEP track and field program from 1972-81 and led them to a combined 17 NCAA titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and
field. Three times he was able to coach UTEP to the triple crown – NCAA titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same season.
Banks was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000.
He is survived by his wife Judy; his children Jennifer, Ted and Tom; and two grandchildren, Hunter and Jade Nix. Hunter Nix played football at UTEP
from 2011-13.
De Grasse and Norman Featured On Trojans Live...
During the Sept. 26, 2016 Trojans Live Radio Show held at The Lab just off campus, 3-time 2016 Olympic medalist Andre De
Grasse spoke with hosts Jordan Moore and John Jackson about the journey from USC to the Olympics. Shortly after that, perhaps the next Trojan superstar Michael Norman joined the show to discuss the upcoming season and the success he enjoyed
this summer at the Olympic Trials.
Important Upcoming Events
Nov. 5
Dec. 4
Indoor Schedule
Jan. 20-21
Jan. 27-28
Feb. 3-4
Feb. 10-11
Feb. 10-11
Feb. 24-25
March. 10-11
Outdoor Schedule
March 17-18
March 29-April 1
April 1
April 8
April 13-15
April 13-15
April 21-22
April 29-30
May 5-6
May 13-14
May 25-27
June 7-10
June 22-24
June 22-25
Aug. 4-13
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend
Out of the Blocks Banquet
L.A. Coliseum (USC vs. Arizona)
Town and Gown
Rod McCravy Invite
Razorback Invitational
New Mexico Classic
Tyson Invitational
Husky Invitational
MPSF Indoor Championships
NCAA Indoor Championships
Lexington, Kent.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Albuquerque, N.M.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Seattle, Wash.
Seattle, Wash.
College Station, Texas
Trojan Invitational
Texas Relays
California Collegiate Invitational
Battle on the Bayou
Beach Invitational
Mt. SAC Relays
Triton Invitational
USC-UCLA Dual Meet
Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships
Pac-12 Championships
NCAA Preliminary Rounds
NCAA Championships
USA Junior Championships
USA Outdoor Championships
IAAF World T&F Championships
Loker Stadium
Austin, Texas
La Jolla, Calif.
Baton Rouge, La.
Long Beach, Calif.
Cerritos, Calif.
San Diego, Calif.
Loker Stadium
Corvallis, Ore.
Eugene, Ore.
Austin, Texas
Eugene, Ore.
Sacamento, Calif.
Sacramento, Calif.
London, England
Sponsors Needed...
The USC track and field program is searching for sponsors for the awards at the Out of the Blocks Banquet to be held on Dec. 4 at
Town and Gown. Sponsors will be helping keep the awards program going and will have their names recognized in the Out of the
Blocks program. Also, there is a need for a sponsor to upgrade and preserve the amazing historical items in the Hall of Fame Room in
the USC track and field office.
Trojan track and field fans who would like to be added to the Trojan Force e-mail list should send their e-mail addresses to:
[email protected].
USC’s school record-setting 4x100m relay team of Tynia Gaither, Alexis Faulknor, Deanna Hill & Destinee Brown