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USC T&F To Open Indoor Campaign At MLK Collegiate Invitational In New Mexico
January 16, 2019 | Track & Field, Features
2019 USC T&F Season Outlook
The USC track and field program will open its 2019 indoor season at the Martin Luther King Collegiate Invitational held at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M. on Jan. 18-19.
USC is coming off a banner year which saw the women's team win the 2018 NCAA Outdoor team title and place seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships, while the USC men's team placed fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and second at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Gone from those teams are stars like Michael Norman, Rai Benjamin, Kendall Ellis and Deanna Hill, but the Trojans return many All-Americans like Angie Annelus, Anna Cockrell, Dior Hall, TeeTee Terry, Marquis Morris, Randall Cunningham, Earnest Sears III and Zach Shinnick. Morris and Cunningham only have an outdoor season of eligibility this year, but the rest are expected to be in action this weekend at the Martin Luther King Collegiate Invitational.
Traveling to the MLK Collegiate Invitational this weekend are: Women - Angie Annelus (Jr.), Alyssa Brewer (Fr.), Chanel Brissett (So.), Anna Cockrell (Jr.), Kyra Constantine (Jr.), Dior Hall (Sr.), Margaux Jones (Sr.), Bailey Lear (Fr.), Lyndsey Lopes (Sr.), Isabella Marten (Sr.), Joy McArthur (So.), Mecca McGlaston (Jr.), Cassidy Palka (So.), Kaelin Roberts (So.), Jemima Russell (Fr.), TeeTee Terry (So.) and Lanae-Tava Thomas (Fr.). Men - Eric Allen Jr. (Fr.), Devin Bright (Fr.), Nathan Bultman (Jr.), Earvin da Silva (So.), Isaiah Jewett (Jr.), Matthew Katnik (Jr.), Dylan Lange (Fr.), Nick Moore (So.), Matthew Myrtue (Jr.), Omotade Ojora (Fr.), Ayden Owens (fr.), Nathan Patterson (Fr.), Daniel Robinson (Fr.), Cameron Samuel (So.), Earnest Sears III (So.), Zach Shinnick (So.), Brendon Stewart (So.), Sam VanDorpe (Fr.).
The 2018 track and field season will be a hard one to top for the Trojans with its NCAA Championship, indoor and outdoor conference crowns, individual NCAA titlists and world records, but with the talent on both the 2019 USC men's and women's rosters, it would be wrong to underestimate the Trojans.
The reigning U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women's Coach of the Year Caryl Smith Gilbert enters her sixth season as USC's Director of Track and Field and her teams have steadily improved each season. The Trojans return 14 All-Americans and 27 athletes which have scored at the Pac-12 Championships which will form a strong veteran foundation for Troy. Add in a highly-ranked men's and women's recruiting class and it sounds like a recipe for continued success.
The USC women's team won the 2018 NCAA title, the second in program history, captured the Pac-12 team title and the MPSF indoor crown. The team will have to overcome the loss of four-year stars Deanna Hill and Kendall Ellis, but returns a very strong group and have added a top-5-ranked recruiting class and a couple of top-notch transfers.
The sprints have always been a staple of the Trojans' program and the 2019 team is loaded in that area. Sophomore TeeTee Terry set the USC and school freshman record in the 100m (10.99) and the Trojans' freshman 200m record (22.74). She won the Pac-12 100m title, placed third in the event at the NCAA Championships, anchored the third-place 4x100m relay at Nationals and reached the NCAA semifinals in the 200m. Junior Angie Annelus kept improving throughout her first season as a Trojans, culminating with the NCAA 200m title with a time of 22.76. She also had a 200m PR of 22.64 and a 100m PR of 11.25 along the way. She ran leadoff for USC's third-place 4x100m relay at the NCAA Championships and scored in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Pac-12 Championships. Ky Westbrook returns for redshirt senior year. She is a two-time All-American in the 100m dash and has a best of 11.17. Sophomore transfer Lauren Rain Williams had a strong freshman campaign at Oregon, earning All-America honors in the 4x100m relay and reaching the NCAA semifinals in the 200m. She has bests of 11.29 in the 100m and 22.51 in the 200m.
At the 400m distance it of course will be hard to replace the results of school record-holder Kendall Ellis, but Kaelin Roberts appears up to the task. The sophomore broke Ellis' school freshman 400m record with a time of 51.33 which she ran in placing third at the Pac-12 Championships. She also ran the leadoff leg for USC's NCAA champion 4x400m relay at the Indoor Championships. Roberts did all of that while battling injuries all season, so it will be exciting to see what she can do when fully healthy. Junior Kyra Constantine ran on the Trojans' outdoor NCAA Champion 4x400m relay which clinched the team title for USC. Constantine has a best of 52.44 in the open 400m. Also returning to help in the 400m dash are junior Kennedy Gillian (54.89) and junior Kayla Richardson (53.81). Freshman Bailey Lear is expected to make an immediate impact as she has a PR of 52.73 in the outdoor 400m, won the 2018 Texas state title and won the Texas Tech Open indoor title with a state record of 53.20, bettering the time set by Courtney Okolo who went on to win four NCAA titles.
It might be hard to imagine, but USC is just as stacked in the hurdles. Two-time NCAA 400m hurdles runner-up junior Anna Cockrell is talented, tough and versatile. She also won the Pac-12 400m hurdles title, placed 9th at the NCAAs in the 100m hurdles and ran the second leg for USC's NCAA champion 4x400m relay. Freshman Breanna Bernard-Joseph had a PR of 41.76 to win the 2018 California state high school 300m hurdles title and also runs the 100m hurdles and relays.
USC had five score in the 100m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships and four reach the NCAA semifinals – and all have returned. Sophomore Chanel Brissett won the Pac-12 100m hurdles title in 2018 with a PR of 12.74 which was .01 second off Virginia Powell's school freshman record. Brissett also scored in the 100m at the Pac-12 Championships. Senior Dior Hall was second at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 12.83 and finished 12th in the 100m hurdles at the NCAA Championships. She has a personal best of 12.74 in the event. Cockrell was third in the 100m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships with a personal best of 12.88 and finished 9th in the event at nationals. Junior Mecca McGlaston had a strong season taking fifth in the 100m hurdles at Pac-12s, then grabbed the final spot to advance out of the West Regional and then finished 12th at the NCAA Championships with a PR of 12.98, seventh on USC's all-time list. Senior heptathlete Lyndsey Lopes took seventh in the hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 13.49.
Speaking of the multi-events, Lopes set her 100m hurdles PR of 13.48 in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships where she placed 16th overall. She also was fourth in the heptathlon at the Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships with a PR of 5,719 which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list. Lopes also won the high jump at the Pac-12 Championships with a PR of 5-10.50 (1.79m) to move to 10th on USC's all-time list. She reached the NCAA Championships in the event, but no-heighted. Another Trojan jumper to keep an eye on is sophomore Cassidy Palka who jumped 5-8 to take fourth at the Pac-12 Championships and has a PR of 5-9. Freshman Jacquelyn Fields has a PR of 5-9 in the high jump and will add valuable depth in the event for the Trojans.
USC returns 2018 Pac-12 long jump champion redshirt sophomore Courtney Corrin, 2017 Pac-12 long jump runner-up senior Margaux Jones and redshirt senior Alexa Harmon-Thomas, who placed 9th in the long jump at the conference meet last season. Corrin ranks fourth on USC's all-time long jump list with a leap of 21-2.50 (6.46m) and Jones ranks eighth with a jump of 20-10.75 (6.37m). Adding to this group this season with be senior transfer Isabella Marten who has a triple jump best of 43-8.00 (13.31m) and 19-10.75 (6.06m) in the long jump. Marten won the 2016 Pac-12 triple jump title while at California and went on to finish seventh in the event at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America status. Freshman Lanae-Tava Thomas figures to be a big part of the jumping corps as she has a long jump PR of 21-11 (6.68m) and was the top high school long jumper in 2018.
The throws groups will be led by sophomore Joy McArthur who placed seventh in the hammer throw at the Pac-12 Championships and had a season-best throw of 201-9 (61.49m) which ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Redshirt sophomore Colette "Coco" Putnam returns to compete in the javelin throw for the second season and freshman Natasha Stamp will compete in the shot put, hammer throw and discus throw following a redshirt season. USC has also added freshmen Karlee Freeman, who won a combined 8 Washington state titles in the throws in her high school career and Katherine Longjohn, who competed in the shot put and discus throw in high school.
The returning middle distance runners are junior Chloe Berry, sophomore Jennifer Daly, senior Rachel Glynn, senior Amber Gore, senior Lauren Maurer, sophomore Sydney Tullai and junior Kamryn Weber. This group will be joined by freshmen Alyssa Brewer, Jemima Russell and Brynn Sauer.
The men's team placed fourth at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships and second at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, but have some pretty big shoes to fill with the departures of NCAA record-holders Rai Benjamin and Michael Norman, the latter winning the 2018 Bowerman. The Trojans look like they will be up for the challenge with a strong core returning, a top 10 recruiting class and the return to action of redshirt All-Americans high jumper Randall Cunningham and hurdler Marquis Morris, as well as thrower Matt Katnik.
Perhaps the biggest return for the Trojans will be Cunningham. He won the 2018 NCAA Indoor high jump title by tying the school record with a clearance of 7-6.00 (2.29m), but broke his leg in his first attempt at a higher height and had to sit out the outdoor season. Cunningham ranks tied for fourth on USC's all-time outdoor high jump list with a clearance of 7-4.50 (2.25m) and won the 2016 NCAA outdoor high jump title. Sophomore Earnest Sears III rose to the occasion for the Trojans last season setting a PR of 7-2.50 (2.20m) to win the Pac-12 high jump title and move to sixth on USC's all-time list in the event. He then advanced to Nationals where he would place seventh to earn All-America honors. If that is not enough, USC has added freshman Nathan Patterson who cleared 7-4 (2.25m) in high school to break a 41-year-old Indiana high school record and is the seventh-highest jump ever by a high schooler.
When Morris went down during the first meet of last season with a broken clavicle, USC was left without a 110m hurdler. Morris is back now and brings strong credentials which include a Pac-12 title in 2015 and a PR of 13.56 which ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Freshman Noah Green has a PR of 13.51 in the 110m hurdles and won the 2017 New Balance title in the event. Also freshman Omotade "Tade" Ojora has run 13.54 and freshman decathlete Ayden Owens has run 13.68 in the 110m hurdles. Sophomore Cameron Samuel has a PR of 13.76 in the 110m hurdles, but will be counted upon to lead the 400m hurdlers group. Samuel placed second in the 400m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships and advanced to the NCAA semifinals in the event. He posted a PR of 50.29 which was a two second improvement from high school. The freshman Green had a high school best of 52.52 and fellow freshman Talin Lewis has a PR of 53.41. Morris has run the event infrequently, but has a best of 52.78 and redshirt junior Jaydon Logan has a best of 52.89.
USC's sprint corps will be revamped, but although mostly untested, looks like it could be a strength. USC's top returning 100m runner is junior Alexander Barnum who has run 10.29 in the 100m and 20.90 in the 200m and has been a key leg on the sprint relay. His 2018 season was cut short by injury and he has been itching for the season to start since last May. Sophomore Nick Moore looks to improve upon his first season and is poised with PRs of 10.63 in the 100m and 21.44 in the 200m. Freshman Eric Allen figures to be a major contributor with a PR of 10.43 in the 100m and 20.94 in the 200m. His indoor 200m best of 20.91 was the fastest by a high schooler in 2018 and he became the seventh high schooler to run sub-21 indoors. Freshman Brendon Stewart has PRs of 10.69 in the 100m, 21.42 in the 200m and 6.66 in the 60m dash, while fellow freshman Daniel Robinson has run a 10.60 100m and a 21.48 200m dash. Also sophomore transfer Earvin da Silva will provide depth in the sprints with PRs of 10.81 in the 100m and 21.77 in the 200m.
Sophomore Zach Shinnick had quite a first season at USC despite being injured for much of the outdoor season. First he set the USC freshman indoor 400m record with a time of 45.18 to place eighth at the NCAA Indoor championships. Then he ran on the NCAA record-setting 4x400m relays both indoors and outdoors. He has PRs of 45.20 in the 400m and 20.58 in the 200m dash. Sophomore Tyler Rambo returns with a PR of 49.45 in the 400m. Freshman Devin Bright has a best of 47.82 in the 400m dash and junior transfer Isaiah Jewett has run 46.40. Jewett figures to key the middle distance group as he owns a PR of 1:47.43 in the 800m which he ran in placing 11th at the NCAA Championships for UC Irvine in 2017. Junior Matthew Myrtue placed 12th at the 2018 Pac-12 Championship in the 800m with a PR of 1:51.87. Sophomore Josh Zavala has PRs of 1:53.40 in the 800m and 4:01.11 in the 1500m. Sophomore David Hulme saw limited action last season, but has an 800m PR of 1:54.58. USC has also added freshmen John Dempsey, Mitch Libby and Sam VanDorpe. Also, Nicolaus Jakowec rejoins the team after a season off and brings with him PRs of 4:04.59 in the 1500m and 14:46.18 in the 5000m.
USC's throws group is anchored by redshirt juniors Nathan Bultman and Matthew Katnik. Bultman won the 2018 Pac-12 hammer throw title and his best of 220-2 (67.12m) ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Katnik sat out last season, but was third in the shot put at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships and was a second-team All-American in the event. His shot put PR of 62-9.50 (19.14m) ranks ninth on USC's all-time list. Senior Jason Kim adds depth for USC in the hammer throw.
Junior Michael Gonzalez set a pole vault PR of 16-10.00 (5.13m) to win at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet last year. He is backed by sophomore Damiano Carrioli who has a best pole vault of 14-9.50 (4.51m). Gonzalez showed his versatility last season by competing in his first decathlon and placing fourth at the Pac-12 Championships. This year USC will also have the services of the freshman Owens who has a best of 7,424 points in the decathlon and was the 2017 New Balance Nationals champion and competed at the 2018 IAAF World Junior Championships.
With the return of a strong core of athletes and an influx of young talent, the Trojans once again figure to be heard from both at the conference and national level this season. It might seem hard to envision a better season that last for the Trojans, but with the talent assembled and the ability to coach them up that Smith Gilbert has shown, it figures to be another exciting season for the USC track and field program.
USC is coming off a banner year which saw the women's team win the 2018 NCAA Outdoor team title and place seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships, while the USC men's team placed fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and second at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Gone from those teams are stars like Michael Norman, Rai Benjamin, Kendall Ellis and Deanna Hill, but the Trojans return many All-Americans like Angie Annelus, Anna Cockrell, Dior Hall, TeeTee Terry, Marquis Morris, Randall Cunningham, Earnest Sears III and Zach Shinnick. Morris and Cunningham only have an outdoor season of eligibility this year, but the rest are expected to be in action this weekend at the Martin Luther King Collegiate Invitational.
Traveling to the MLK Collegiate Invitational this weekend are: Women - Angie Annelus (Jr.), Alyssa Brewer (Fr.), Chanel Brissett (So.), Anna Cockrell (Jr.), Kyra Constantine (Jr.), Dior Hall (Sr.), Margaux Jones (Sr.), Bailey Lear (Fr.), Lyndsey Lopes (Sr.), Isabella Marten (Sr.), Joy McArthur (So.), Mecca McGlaston (Jr.), Cassidy Palka (So.), Kaelin Roberts (So.), Jemima Russell (Fr.), TeeTee Terry (So.) and Lanae-Tava Thomas (Fr.). Men - Eric Allen Jr. (Fr.), Devin Bright (Fr.), Nathan Bultman (Jr.), Earvin da Silva (So.), Isaiah Jewett (Jr.), Matthew Katnik (Jr.), Dylan Lange (Fr.), Nick Moore (So.), Matthew Myrtue (Jr.), Omotade Ojora (Fr.), Ayden Owens (fr.), Nathan Patterson (Fr.), Daniel Robinson (Fr.), Cameron Samuel (So.), Earnest Sears III (So.), Zach Shinnick (So.), Brendon Stewart (So.), Sam VanDorpe (Fr.).
The following is the Season Outlook for the 2019 USC Track & Field Team:
The 2018 track and field season will be a hard one to top for the Trojans with its NCAA Championship, indoor and outdoor conference crowns, individual NCAA titlists and world records, but with the talent on both the 2019 USC men's and women's rosters, it would be wrong to underestimate the Trojans.
The reigning U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women's Coach of the Year Caryl Smith Gilbert enters her sixth season as USC's Director of Track and Field and her teams have steadily improved each season. The Trojans return 14 All-Americans and 27 athletes which have scored at the Pac-12 Championships which will form a strong veteran foundation for Troy. Add in a highly-ranked men's and women's recruiting class and it sounds like a recipe for continued success.
The USC women's team won the 2018 NCAA title, the second in program history, captured the Pac-12 team title and the MPSF indoor crown. The team will have to overcome the loss of four-year stars Deanna Hill and Kendall Ellis, but returns a very strong group and have added a top-5-ranked recruiting class and a couple of top-notch transfers.
The sprints have always been a staple of the Trojans' program and the 2019 team is loaded in that area. Sophomore TeeTee Terry set the USC and school freshman record in the 100m (10.99) and the Trojans' freshman 200m record (22.74). She won the Pac-12 100m title, placed third in the event at the NCAA Championships, anchored the third-place 4x100m relay at Nationals and reached the NCAA semifinals in the 200m. Junior Angie Annelus kept improving throughout her first season as a Trojans, culminating with the NCAA 200m title with a time of 22.76. She also had a 200m PR of 22.64 and a 100m PR of 11.25 along the way. She ran leadoff for USC's third-place 4x100m relay at the NCAA Championships and scored in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Pac-12 Championships. Ky Westbrook returns for redshirt senior year. She is a two-time All-American in the 100m dash and has a best of 11.17. Sophomore transfer Lauren Rain Williams had a strong freshman campaign at Oregon, earning All-America honors in the 4x100m relay and reaching the NCAA semifinals in the 200m. She has bests of 11.29 in the 100m and 22.51 in the 200m.
At the 400m distance it of course will be hard to replace the results of school record-holder Kendall Ellis, but Kaelin Roberts appears up to the task. The sophomore broke Ellis' school freshman 400m record with a time of 51.33 which she ran in placing third at the Pac-12 Championships. She also ran the leadoff leg for USC's NCAA champion 4x400m relay at the Indoor Championships. Roberts did all of that while battling injuries all season, so it will be exciting to see what she can do when fully healthy. Junior Kyra Constantine ran on the Trojans' outdoor NCAA Champion 4x400m relay which clinched the team title for USC. Constantine has a best of 52.44 in the open 400m. Also returning to help in the 400m dash are junior Kennedy Gillian (54.89) and junior Kayla Richardson (53.81). Freshman Bailey Lear is expected to make an immediate impact as she has a PR of 52.73 in the outdoor 400m, won the 2018 Texas state title and won the Texas Tech Open indoor title with a state record of 53.20, bettering the time set by Courtney Okolo who went on to win four NCAA titles.
It might be hard to imagine, but USC is just as stacked in the hurdles. Two-time NCAA 400m hurdles runner-up junior Anna Cockrell is talented, tough and versatile. She also won the Pac-12 400m hurdles title, placed 9th at the NCAAs in the 100m hurdles and ran the second leg for USC's NCAA champion 4x400m relay. Freshman Breanna Bernard-Joseph had a PR of 41.76 to win the 2018 California state high school 300m hurdles title and also runs the 100m hurdles and relays.
USC had five score in the 100m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships and four reach the NCAA semifinals – and all have returned. Sophomore Chanel Brissett won the Pac-12 100m hurdles title in 2018 with a PR of 12.74 which was .01 second off Virginia Powell's school freshman record. Brissett also scored in the 100m at the Pac-12 Championships. Senior Dior Hall was second at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 12.83 and finished 12th in the 100m hurdles at the NCAA Championships. She has a personal best of 12.74 in the event. Cockrell was third in the 100m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships with a personal best of 12.88 and finished 9th in the event at nationals. Junior Mecca McGlaston had a strong season taking fifth in the 100m hurdles at Pac-12s, then grabbed the final spot to advance out of the West Regional and then finished 12th at the NCAA Championships with a PR of 12.98, seventh on USC's all-time list. Senior heptathlete Lyndsey Lopes took seventh in the hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 13.49.
Speaking of the multi-events, Lopes set her 100m hurdles PR of 13.48 in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships where she placed 16th overall. She also was fourth in the heptathlon at the Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships with a PR of 5,719 which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list. Lopes also won the high jump at the Pac-12 Championships with a PR of 5-10.50 (1.79m) to move to 10th on USC's all-time list. She reached the NCAA Championships in the event, but no-heighted. Another Trojan jumper to keep an eye on is sophomore Cassidy Palka who jumped 5-8 to take fourth at the Pac-12 Championships and has a PR of 5-9. Freshman Jacquelyn Fields has a PR of 5-9 in the high jump and will add valuable depth in the event for the Trojans.
USC returns 2018 Pac-12 long jump champion redshirt sophomore Courtney Corrin, 2017 Pac-12 long jump runner-up senior Margaux Jones and redshirt senior Alexa Harmon-Thomas, who placed 9th in the long jump at the conference meet last season. Corrin ranks fourth on USC's all-time long jump list with a leap of 21-2.50 (6.46m) and Jones ranks eighth with a jump of 20-10.75 (6.37m). Adding to this group this season with be senior transfer Isabella Marten who has a triple jump best of 43-8.00 (13.31m) and 19-10.75 (6.06m) in the long jump. Marten won the 2016 Pac-12 triple jump title while at California and went on to finish seventh in the event at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America status. Freshman Lanae-Tava Thomas figures to be a big part of the jumping corps as she has a long jump PR of 21-11 (6.68m) and was the top high school long jumper in 2018.
The throws groups will be led by sophomore Joy McArthur who placed seventh in the hammer throw at the Pac-12 Championships and had a season-best throw of 201-9 (61.49m) which ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Redshirt sophomore Colette "Coco" Putnam returns to compete in the javelin throw for the second season and freshman Natasha Stamp will compete in the shot put, hammer throw and discus throw following a redshirt season. USC has also added freshmen Karlee Freeman, who won a combined 8 Washington state titles in the throws in her high school career and Katherine Longjohn, who competed in the shot put and discus throw in high school.
The returning middle distance runners are junior Chloe Berry, sophomore Jennifer Daly, senior Rachel Glynn, senior Amber Gore, senior Lauren Maurer, sophomore Sydney Tullai and junior Kamryn Weber. This group will be joined by freshmen Alyssa Brewer, Jemima Russell and Brynn Sauer.
The men's team placed fourth at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships and second at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, but have some pretty big shoes to fill with the departures of NCAA record-holders Rai Benjamin and Michael Norman, the latter winning the 2018 Bowerman. The Trojans look like they will be up for the challenge with a strong core returning, a top 10 recruiting class and the return to action of redshirt All-Americans high jumper Randall Cunningham and hurdler Marquis Morris, as well as thrower Matt Katnik.
Perhaps the biggest return for the Trojans will be Cunningham. He won the 2018 NCAA Indoor high jump title by tying the school record with a clearance of 7-6.00 (2.29m), but broke his leg in his first attempt at a higher height and had to sit out the outdoor season. Cunningham ranks tied for fourth on USC's all-time outdoor high jump list with a clearance of 7-4.50 (2.25m) and won the 2016 NCAA outdoor high jump title. Sophomore Earnest Sears III rose to the occasion for the Trojans last season setting a PR of 7-2.50 (2.20m) to win the Pac-12 high jump title and move to sixth on USC's all-time list in the event. He then advanced to Nationals where he would place seventh to earn All-America honors. If that is not enough, USC has added freshman Nathan Patterson who cleared 7-4 (2.25m) in high school to break a 41-year-old Indiana high school record and is the seventh-highest jump ever by a high schooler.
When Morris went down during the first meet of last season with a broken clavicle, USC was left without a 110m hurdler. Morris is back now and brings strong credentials which include a Pac-12 title in 2015 and a PR of 13.56 which ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Freshman Noah Green has a PR of 13.51 in the 110m hurdles and won the 2017 New Balance title in the event. Also freshman Omotade "Tade" Ojora has run 13.54 and freshman decathlete Ayden Owens has run 13.68 in the 110m hurdles. Sophomore Cameron Samuel has a PR of 13.76 in the 110m hurdles, but will be counted upon to lead the 400m hurdlers group. Samuel placed second in the 400m hurdles at the Pac-12 Championships and advanced to the NCAA semifinals in the event. He posted a PR of 50.29 which was a two second improvement from high school. The freshman Green had a high school best of 52.52 and fellow freshman Talin Lewis has a PR of 53.41. Morris has run the event infrequently, but has a best of 52.78 and redshirt junior Jaydon Logan has a best of 52.89.
USC's sprint corps will be revamped, but although mostly untested, looks like it could be a strength. USC's top returning 100m runner is junior Alexander Barnum who has run 10.29 in the 100m and 20.90 in the 200m and has been a key leg on the sprint relay. His 2018 season was cut short by injury and he has been itching for the season to start since last May. Sophomore Nick Moore looks to improve upon his first season and is poised with PRs of 10.63 in the 100m and 21.44 in the 200m. Freshman Eric Allen figures to be a major contributor with a PR of 10.43 in the 100m and 20.94 in the 200m. His indoor 200m best of 20.91 was the fastest by a high schooler in 2018 and he became the seventh high schooler to run sub-21 indoors. Freshman Brendon Stewart has PRs of 10.69 in the 100m, 21.42 in the 200m and 6.66 in the 60m dash, while fellow freshman Daniel Robinson has run a 10.60 100m and a 21.48 200m dash. Also sophomore transfer Earvin da Silva will provide depth in the sprints with PRs of 10.81 in the 100m and 21.77 in the 200m.
Sophomore Zach Shinnick had quite a first season at USC despite being injured for much of the outdoor season. First he set the USC freshman indoor 400m record with a time of 45.18 to place eighth at the NCAA Indoor championships. Then he ran on the NCAA record-setting 4x400m relays both indoors and outdoors. He has PRs of 45.20 in the 400m and 20.58 in the 200m dash. Sophomore Tyler Rambo returns with a PR of 49.45 in the 400m. Freshman Devin Bright has a best of 47.82 in the 400m dash and junior transfer Isaiah Jewett has run 46.40. Jewett figures to key the middle distance group as he owns a PR of 1:47.43 in the 800m which he ran in placing 11th at the NCAA Championships for UC Irvine in 2017. Junior Matthew Myrtue placed 12th at the 2018 Pac-12 Championship in the 800m with a PR of 1:51.87. Sophomore Josh Zavala has PRs of 1:53.40 in the 800m and 4:01.11 in the 1500m. Sophomore David Hulme saw limited action last season, but has an 800m PR of 1:54.58. USC has also added freshmen John Dempsey, Mitch Libby and Sam VanDorpe. Also, Nicolaus Jakowec rejoins the team after a season off and brings with him PRs of 4:04.59 in the 1500m and 14:46.18 in the 5000m.
USC's throws group is anchored by redshirt juniors Nathan Bultman and Matthew Katnik. Bultman won the 2018 Pac-12 hammer throw title and his best of 220-2 (67.12m) ranks 10th on USC's all-time list. Katnik sat out last season, but was third in the shot put at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships and was a second-team All-American in the event. His shot put PR of 62-9.50 (19.14m) ranks ninth on USC's all-time list. Senior Jason Kim adds depth for USC in the hammer throw.
Junior Michael Gonzalez set a pole vault PR of 16-10.00 (5.13m) to win at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet last year. He is backed by sophomore Damiano Carrioli who has a best pole vault of 14-9.50 (4.51m). Gonzalez showed his versatility last season by competing in his first decathlon and placing fourth at the Pac-12 Championships. This year USC will also have the services of the freshman Owens who has a best of 7,424 points in the decathlon and was the 2017 New Balance Nationals champion and competed at the 2018 IAAF World Junior Championships.
With the return of a strong core of athletes and an influx of young talent, the Trojans once again figure to be heard from both at the conference and national level this season. It might seem hard to envision a better season that last for the Trojans, but with the talent assembled and the ability to coach them up that Smith Gilbert has shown, it figures to be another exciting season for the USC track and field program.
USC Track & Field - 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Day 4 Highlights (6/14/25)
Saturday, June 14
USC Track & Field - 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Day 3 Highlights (6/13/25)
Friday, June 13
USC Track & Field - 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Day 2 Highlights (6/12/25)
Thursday, June 12
USC Track & Field - 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Day 1 Highlights (6/11/25)
Wednesday, June 11
