USC Women Win Big Ten T&F Championships Title, Men Place Fourth

Sunday, May 18

Eugene, Ore.

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Big Ten Championships

Photo by: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport

USC Women Win Big Ten T&F Championships Title, Men Place Fourth

May 18, 2025 | Track & Field

Highlights

Madison Whyte wins 200m, 400m and anchored meet-clinching 4x400m relay

The USC women's team clinched its first Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field team title by winning the 4x400m relay to close out the meet and the men's team placed fourth at the Trojans' first Big Ten conference meet held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. today (May 18). USC's women scored 121 points and the men's team scored 78 points. USC's women scored 112 of their points on the final day, after beginning the day in ninth place. The men's team climbed up the standings to fourth after beginning the day in 11^th place.

Sophomore Madison Whyte starred for the Trojan women, winning the 200m, 400m and anchoring the meet-clinching 4x400m relay. Whyte was responsible for 22.5 points scored by the Trojans. The USC women's sprinters scored 80 total points in the 100m, 200m and 400m races.

"The women just competed at another level, they have great character and they rose to the challenge," said USC Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Quincy Watts. "I am so proud of them, they deserve it. I'm just so happy for them and USC to bring our interest into the Big Ten and win a championship outdoors. It is just a great feeling. I'm so happy for our women. Anything can happen in the relay. I just wanted them to hold on to the baton, but I had faith in these women…just so proud of them.

"It's my assistant coaches," added Watts. "I'm just part of the puzzle, but all the parts make up the whole. We have great, great coaches and they do a great job of training these young ladies and the men. Particularly on the women's side, they had them ready and they seized the moment. I'm so proud of my coaches and thankful to have such a great coaching staff."

USC athletes won seven Big Ten titles on the final day with the women's 4x100m setting a meet record, the women's 4x400m, William Jones (M-400m), Yougendy Mauricette (M-400m H), Samirah Moody (W-100m) and Madison Whyte (W-200m, W-400m) all winning events.

Here is how the day unfolded for the Trojans:

The first event of the day for the Trojans foreshadowed the hiccups that were in store for the USC men during the final day. Graduate transfer Jaren Holmes was the first Trojan to compete on the day and it looked like he had got the day started in grand fashion for the men's team, winning the title and breaking the meet record in the triple jump. Later, he was disqualified for having the incorrect spikes for the competition and Holmes lost his title and record and USC lost 10 points. Holmes best jump was 53-1.75 and he had the top four jumps in the competition before they were wiped away.
The men's 4x100m relay team was up next and the team of senior Travis Williams, junior Max Thomas, junior JC Stevenson and sophomore transfer Edward Nketia ran 38.79 to take second and earn eight points.
The USC women got the day started by winning the 4x100m relay and setting a Big Ten Championships record with a time of 43.00 to earn 10 points. USC ran a quartet of senior Samirah Moody, junior transfer Dajaz DeFrand, junior Christine M. Mallard and junior Jassani Carter. The onslaught of scoring was just beginning.
Senior Johnny Brackins Jr. was the next Trojan to score when he placed third in the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 13.54 (+0.2). Senior Brithton Senior hit a hurdle and did not finish. Brackins Jr. earned the USC men's team six more points.
Sophomore Nonah Waldron then placed third in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 13.05 (-0.1). Waldron earned the USC women's team six points.
Junior William Jones won the 400m title with a time of 45.39 and sophomore Jacob Andrews placed fifth with a time of 46.11. The pair teamed up to earn USC 14 points. Jones also won the 2025 Big Ten indoor 400m title.
Sophomore Madison Whyte then won the women's 400m with a time of 51.40, followed by junior Yemi John in second with a time of 51.54. Mallard placed seventh with a time of 53.61. USC's women's team earned 20 points from the 400m final.
Nketia placed second in the men's 100m dash final with a time of 10.18 (-0.6) and Thomas placed fourth with a time of 10.33 (-0.6). The pair earned the USC men's team 13 points. Junior transfer Garrett Kaalund was a scratch.
The USC women's 100m runners earned 30 points in the team competition by finishing 1-3, fifth and seventh. Moody won with a time of 11.13 (+0.6), DeFrand was second with a season wind-legal best of 11.18 (.172) and Carter was third with a season-best time of 11.18 (.180). The only two freshmen in the final Brianna Selby (11.33) and Olivia Pace (11.45) placed fifth and seventh respectively. USC was the first Big Ten team since at least since 2004 to have five women in the 100m final.
Sophomore Yougendy Mauricette won the men's 400m hurdles with a PR of 49.94. that time moves him to 18^th on the NCAA descending order list. Brackins Jr. came back to place eighth in the event with a time of 52.54. The pair earned USC's men 11 more points.
Waldron placed ninth in the women's 400m hurdles final with a time of 60.72.
Sophomore Racquil Broderick tried to battle a leg injury and had an opening throw of 180-9 (55.09m) in the first round of the men's discus throw competition. He then had a foul and passed the rest of the way, placing ninth.
Freshman Ashley Erasmus took third in the women's shot put with a best mark of 57-9.00 (17.60m) to earn the Trojan women six points.
Thomas placed second in the men's 200m with a time of 20.40 (+0.2). Nketia took fifth and tied his PR with a time of 20.65 (+0.2) and freshman Jazonte Levan finished seventh with a time of 20.70 (+0.2). USC earned 14 points in this race. Kaalund was also a scratch from the 200m final.
After the USC women earned 29 points in the 200m race, USC led 111-97 over Oregon in the team competition. The Trojans earned the 29 points with a 1-4 sweep, with Whyte winning with a time of 22.66 (+0.9), Moody taking second with a time of 22.79 (.785), DeFrand placing third with a time of 22.79 (.788) and Carter taking fourth with a time of 22.79 (.790).
The USC men's team went into the 4x400m relay in fifth place with 73 points and ran a team of Andrews, Mauricette, sophomore Nathan Cumberbatch and Jones. USC placed fourth with a time of 3:06.32 to earn five points and clinch a fourth-place finish in the team competition.
Following the results of the women's 5000m race, the USC women trailed Oregon 112-111 with just the 4x400m relay remaining to determine the team title. USC's team of Mallard, John, junior Takiya Cenci and Whyte stormed to the victory to earn 10 points and win the team title with a time of 3:30.16.

Trojans earning first-team All-Big Ten honors at the championships were Jassani Carter, Takiya Cenci, Dajaz DeFrand, Yemi John, William Jones, Christine M. Mallard, Yougendy Mauricette and Madison Whyte. USC athletes named All-Big Ten second team were Elias Gerald, Edward Nketia, JC Stevenson, Max Thomas and Travis Williams. Also, Ashley Erasmus was named to the Big Ten Women's All-Freshman team.

Qualified USC track and field athletes will be competing next at the NCAA West Regional to be held at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas from May 28-31.

Top Five Team Scores:
Women: 1.) USC – 121, 2.) Oregon – 113, 3.) UCLA – 84, 4.) Nebraska – 73, 5.) Illinois – 71

Men: 1.) Oregon – 110, 2.) Minnesota – 81 and Wisconsin – 81, 4.) USC – 78, 5.) Nebraska - 76

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