Sunday, April 28
Los Angeles, Calif.
11:00 AM
USC
vs
UCLA
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Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
Trojans Sweep Annual USC-UCLA Dual Meet For Third Time In Four Seasons
April 28, 2024 | Track & Field
Ojora wins three events and Blockburger is part of four titles
Temi Ojora won three women's individual events and Johnnie Blockburger had his hands in four men's wins to lead the USC men's and women's track and field teams to a Dual Meet sweep over UCLA on Allyson Felix Field at Loker Stadium today (April 28). The men's team rolled wire-to-wire to a 99-60 win, while the women's team overcame an early 27-point deficit to win 85-74. It was the third sweep for the Trojans at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet in the last four meetings.
The victory for the USC women's team was its 10th consecutive Dual Meet win over UCLA and for the men it was their third win in the last four seasons. The women now are 18-22 all-time in the Dual Meet and the men's team owns a 47-43 all-time lead in the annual battle between the crosstown rivals.
The women's team trailed 16-2 after the hammer throw and discus throw competitions yesterday and the deficit swelled to 21-2 when UCLA had the only pole vaulter competing.
The victory for the USC women's team was its 10th consecutive Dual Meet win over UCLA and for the men it was their third win in the last four seasons. The women now are 18-22 all-time in the Dual Meet and the men's team owns a 47-43 all-time lead in the annual battle between the crosstown rivals.
The women's team trailed 16-2 after the hammer throw and discus throw competitions yesterday and the deficit swelled to 21-2 when UCLA had the only pole vaulter competing.
- Sara Zabarino got things started today with a best mark of 170-8 (52.02m) to place second in the women's javelin throw and Kamryn Elgersma a best throw of 147-4 (44.91m) to take third and earn USC four points. USC now trailed 26-6.
- Next, Marina Soares placed third in the women's 3000m steeplechase with a personal-best time of 11:09.34 to earn USC a point. USC trailed 34-7 at that point.
- The women's 4x100m relay team of Christine M. Mallard, Madison Whyte, Chioma Okonkwo and Jassani Carter won with a time of 43.74 to earn the Trojans five points.
- Tracy Towns won the women's 1500m race with a PR of over two seconds with a time of 4:25.65. Leah Disher had an 8-second PR with a time of 4:27.28 to place third. The pair earned USC six points in the team competition to cut the deficit to 37-18.
- Temi Ojora won the women's long jump, her first of three wins on the day, with a leap of 20-7.75/6.29m (+0.0). It was her first long jump competition this season. Alyssa Hope placed third with a best leap of 20-1.75/6.14m (+0.0). USC now trailed 40-24.
- Jalaysiya Smith took second with a time of 13.26 (-1.1) and Simone Ballard third with a time of 13.36 (-1.1) in the women's 100m hurdles to earn the Trojans four points. UCLA's Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck won the even with a time of 13.06 (-1.1), snapping USC's victory streak in the event at nine seasons. This result along with UCLA's sweep in the shot put had USC trailing 54-28.
- The Trojans began the comeback with a sweep in the 400m dash. Madison Whyte won the women's 400m with a PR of 51.74, while Jan'Taijah Jones was second with a time of 51.94 and Takiya Cenci was third with a time of 53.37. USC ran uncontested in the event and earned nine points.
- Jassani Carter won the women's 100m with a time of 11.41 (+1.0) and Christine M. Mallard took second with a time of 11.48 (+1.0). USC picked up eight more points and had pulled within 10 points in the team competition at 55-45.
- Marne Sullivan had a time of 2:08.14 to place second and Gigi Maccagnini a time of 2:09.24 to place third in the women's 800m and earn the Trojan women four points.
- USC then swept the women's 400m hurdles to pull within two points in the team competition at 60-58. Jasmine Jones had a time of 56.24 in her first 400m hurdles race of the season, Rae-Anne Serville a time of 57.53 and Nonah Waldron a season-best time of 59.49 to finish 1-2-3.
- Jassani Carter won the women's 200m with a season-best time of 22.97 (+1.7) and Madison Whyte placed second in her first 200m race of the season with a time of 23.05 (+1.7). The pair earned USC eight team points and the Trojans vaulted into the lead at 66-61.
- USC then swept the triple jump to push its lead to 75-61 with three events remaining. Temi Ojora won with a best jump of 45-0.25/13.72 (+2.2w), Jada Foreman was second with a PR of 41-10.50/12.76 (+1.1) and Lauren Reed captured third with a jump of 40-11.75/12.49m (+1.2).
- UCLA then swept the women's 3000m race, with Marjourie Lopez placing fourth with a PR of 10:07.19. With two events remaining, the team score was 75-70 USC.
- Fittingly it was Temi Ojora who clinched the meet for USC, winning her third event, this time the high jump with a clearance at 5-8.00 (1.73m). She earned USC five points to put the Trojans up 80-74 with only the five points remaining in the 4x400m relay.
- USC's women' relay team of Takiya Cenci, Jan'Taijah Jones, Jasmine Jones and Madison Whyte won with a time of 3:34.06 to pick up five points and finalized the 85-74 team win.
- The men's day began with Zane Golpariani taking the lead with just over a lap to go to win the men's 3000m steeplechase with a season-best time of 9:03.95. That time moved him from ninth to fifth on USC's all-time list and earned USC five team points. It was the first time a USC male had won the 3000m steeplechase since at least 1999.
- USC swept the men's long jump with JC Stevenson winning with a best jump of 25-7.50/7.81m (-1.4), Johnny Brackins Jr. taking second with a jump of 25-4.00/7.72m (-1.4) and Yougendy Mauricette taking third in his first jumping competition as a collegian with a mark at 24-11.25/7.60m (-0.5).
- After UCLA false-started in the men's 4x100m relay, USC's team of JC Stevenson, Max Thomas, Jacob Andrews and Johnnie Blockburger cruised around the track in a time of 43.29 the earn the men five more points. At that point, the Trojans had taken a 30-11 lead.
- Leif Nelson won the men's javelin throw with a best mark of 230-2 (70.17) which he posted in his final attempt. He had the top six throws in the event and earned USC five points.
- After UCLA swept the 1500m race, USC held a 35-24 lead, but it would get no closer the rest of the day.
- Johnny Brackins Jr. next won the men's 110m hurdles and tied his personal best with a time of 13.51 (+0.7). Di'Niko Bates placed second in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.86 (+0.7). The pair earned USC eight team points.
- Johnnie Blockburger won the men's 400m dash with a time of 45.50, the 17th consecutive win by a Trojan in the even at the Dual Meet. Jacob Andrews placed third in the 400m with a time of 46.65. The pair scored six points in the event. After the lone competitor in the men's pole vault cleared a bar for UCLA, USC's lead was now 49-33.
- Elias Gerald won the men's high jump with a clearance of 6-10.75 (2.10m). He tried to clear 7-0.50 (2.15m), but missed on three attempts.
- The Trojans swept the men's 100m with Max Thomas winning with a time of 10.33 (-0.4), JC Stevenson placing second also with a time of 10.33 (.005 behind) and Travis Williams was third with a time of 10.44. USC earned nine points and extended its lead to 63-37.
- Leif Nelson placed second and Racquil Broderick third in the men's shot put. They both were competing in the even for the first time this season and Nelson had a mark of 53-5 (16.28m) and Broderick 52-7.50 (16.04m). The pair earned USC's men four more points.
- Darius Rainey had a time of 1:51.87 and Josh Ligas a time of 1:52.33 to place second and third respectively in the men's 800m race and earn USC four more points.
- Johnny Brackins Jr. won his first career men's 400m hurdles race with a time of 51.55. Tamaal Myers took second in the event with a time of 51.76 and Di'Niko Bates was originally third with what appeared to be a PR of 52.90, but was later disqualified for a trail leg violation. The Trojans' eight points pushed the team to a 79-48 lead and meant USC would have to wait one more event to clinch the men's team competition.
- Johnnie Blockburger won the men's 200m with a time of 20.78 (+1.7) and Jaelen Knox was third with a season-best time of 21.54. The pair earned USC six points and clinched the team title, pushing the lead to 85-51.
- USC swept the triple jump led by Gavin Champ who had a best leap of 49-6.25/15.09 (+2.2w). Since UCLA's jumper withdrew, Elias Gerald and JC Stevenson had to land only one jump and they both did in their first and only attempt. Gerald took second with a jump of 42-7.50/12.99m (+0.0) and Stevenson was third with a jump of 41-2.25/12.55 (+3.4w).
- UCLA swept the men's 3000m meter and then USC closed out the meet with another win and the fourth win on the day for Johnnie Blockburger. He ran anchor on USC's 4x400m relay team along with Jacob Andrews, Johnny Brackins Jr. and Darius Rainey which ran a season-best time of 3:05.26 to close out USC's 99-60 win.
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