THIS WEEK: The USC Track and field team will compete this week at the Red Raider Invite, held at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas on Friday, Jan. 24. The meet is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT. The Trojans will be sending 36 athletes to compete this weekend, 18 women and 18 men.
WHO WILL BE THERE: Among the teams joining the Trojans at the Red Raiders Invite will be Abilene Christian, Kansas State. North Texas, Oklahoma, Sam Houston, Virginia Tech and West Texas A&M. LSU was scheduled to attend the meet, but had to cancel due to the snow in Baton Rouge, La.
USC ATHLETES SCHEDULED TO COMPETE:
Men: Taylor Banks, Johnnie Blockburger, Johnny Brackins Jr., Nathan Cumberbatch, Shaiquan Dunn, Elias Gerald, Curtis Johnson III, William Jones, Jaelen Knox, Jazonte Levan, Yougendy Mauricette, Luke Metcalf, Nickolas Miller, Edward Nketia, Brady Palen, JC Stevenson, Max Thomas and Travis Williams.
Women: Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Jassani Carter, Dajaz DeFrand, Ashley Erasmus, Jada Foreman, Yemi John, Avery Lewis, Falyn Lott, Christine M. Mallard, Samirah Moody, Karyssa Owens, Lauren Reed, Maira Scott, Brianna Selby, Jalaysiya Smith, Rachael Uvieghara, Nonah Waldron and Madison Whyte.
TOP 10 TROJANS: The Trojans have seven athletes which rank among the top 10 in events on the current NCAA descending order list in a championships event after just one week of competition for the Trojans: Men: Johnnie Blockburger (200m – 2nd), Johnny Brackins Jr. (60m H – 1st), JC Stevenson (LJ – 3rd), Max Thomas (60m – 1st), Travis Williams (60m – T10th). Women: Dajaz DeFrand (60m – T2nd), Samirah Moody (60m – T5th).
ITS OUR TURN: Among the 36 athletes the Trojans are traveling to the Red Raider Invite, nine will be making their Trojan debuts. The USC athletes beginning their Trojan careers are Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Shaiquan Dunn, Ashley Erasmus, Avery Lewis, Luke Metcalf, Edward Nketia, Karyssa Owens, Brianna Selby and Rachael Uvieghara.
LAST SEASON: The USC men’s team tied for seventh and the Trojan women’s team tied for eighth at the 2024 NCAA Indoor T&F Championships.
RETURNING INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS: Trojans on the 2025 USC track and field team which earned 2024 Indoor All-America honors are Jacob Andrews (7th, M-4x400m), Johnnie Blockburger (7th, M-4x400m), Johnny Brackins Jr. (2nd, M-60m H, 4th, M-LJ), Yemi John (6th, W-400m, 2nd, W-4x400m), William Jones (5th, M-400m, 7th, M-4x400m), Temi Ojora (8th, W-TJ), Madison Whyte (2nd, W-4x400m) and Travis Williams (5th, M-60m).
LAST WEEK AT THE SPOKANE SPORTS SHOWCASE: The Trojans won nine events, set a school record, a facility record and posted two NCAA-leading times at the Spokane Sports Showcase in Spokane, Wash. on Jan. 17. Johnny Brackins Jr. set the USC 60m hurdles record with a time of 7.49 and Johnnie Blockburger set The Podium facility record with a time of 20.69 in the men’s 200m dash. Trojans winning events at the meet were: Johnnie Blockburger (M-200m), Johnny Brackins Jr. (M-60m H), Dajaz DeFrand (W-60m), William Jones (M-600m), Gigi Maccagnini (W-1000m), Christine M. Mallard (W-300m), Alfredo Reina Corona (M-3000m), JC Stevenson (M-LJ) and Max Thomas (M-60m).
BRACKINS JR. HURDLES INTO RECORD BOOKS: Johnny Brackins Jr. won the 60m hurdles at the Spokane Sports Showcase with a PR, USC-record and NCAA-leading time of 7.49. Brackins Jr. moved into a tie for the sixth-fastest collegiate 60m hurdler of all-time, trailing only Grant Holloway (7.35), Trey Cunningham (7.38), Daniel Roberts (7.41), Omar McLeod (7.45) and Reggie Torian (7.47). His 7.49 time was the fastest 60m hurdles time by a college athlete since Cunningham clocked 7.38 on March 12, 2022. As a result of Brackins Jr.’s outstanding first week of action, he was named Big Ten Men’s Co-Track Athlete of the Week for the week of Jan.15-22.
KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACTION AT THE RED RAIDER INVITE: Trojan fans can keep track of the action at the Red Raider Invite by going to this this live stats link https://live.pttiming.com/?mid=7602, watching on ESPN+ or as always, following along on the USC T&F X account.
FOLLOW THE TROJANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Keep up with everything USC track & field this year by following @USC_Track_Field on Instagram, X and TikTok.
YOU MIGHT NEED A PROGRAM: USC added 33 new athletes to its track and field program since the end of the 2024 season.
NEXT MEET: USC’s next meet will be the Collegiate Classic hosted by New Mexico at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M. on Feb. 7 and 8.