Track & Field | March 23, 2024

Leif Nelson won the men's javelin throw competition with the fourth-farthest mark in school history to highlight USC's 18 event wins during the final day of the Ron & Sharlene Allice Invitational held at Allyson Felix Field located at Loker Stadium today (March 22). 

• Senior Leif Nelson won the men's javelin throw competition with a mark of 228-0 (69.50m).  He won the event by over 29 feet and moved into fourth on USC's all-time javelin throw list in his first meet as a Trojan.  The last USC thrower to post a farther mark was Cooper Thompson with a throw of 253-3 in 2010, which ranks second on USC's all-time list.
• Graduate transfer Sara Zabarino won the women's javelin throw with her final throw of 166-1 (50.63m).  She trailed in the competition by 8 inches entering the final round.  Graduate student Kamryn Elgersma finished fourth in the javelin throw with a mark of 149-1 (45.45m), senior Annabel Doherty was fifth with a PR of 132-3 (40.31m) and redshirt junior Abbey Knoll was sixth with a mark of 123-7 (37.67m).
• The women's 4x100m relay team of freshman Jordan Washington, graduate student Chioma Okonkwo, sophomore Christine M. Mallard and sophomore Jassani Carter won with a time of 45.53.
• Freshman Nonah Waldron won the women's 100m hurdles with a PR of 13.30 (+0.2).  Sophomore Simone Ballard took second with a time of 13.52 (+0.2).
• Junior Di'Niko Bates won the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 14.21 (-0.2).
• Sophomore Christine M. Mallard won the women's 100m dash with a PR of 11.45 (+0.1).  It was her first collegiate 100m race.
• Sophomore Max Thomas won the men's 100m dash with a PR of 10.27 (+0.0).  It was his first collegiate 100m race.
• Junior Johnny Brackins Jr. ran his first collegiate 400m race and won the event with a time of 46.40. That time ranks seventh on the NCAA descending order list as of today.
• Senior Rae-Anne Serville won the women's 400m hurdles race with a time of 58.98.  It was her first career 400m hurdles race at any level and currently ranks 10^th on the NCAA descending order list.  Freshman Nonah Waldron was second with a time of 60.68 and sophomore Simone Ballard was fourth with a time of 62.54 in her first career 400m hurdles race.
• Sophomore Tamaal Myers won the men's 400m hurdles with a collegiate-best time of 52.02 and freshman Yougendy Mauricette was second with a time of 54.04, despite a tumble over the last hurdle.
• Senior Temi Ojora led a 1-2-3 finish in the women's triple jump by winning with a wind-aided best of 44-11.75/13.71 (+2.1w).  That jump tied her wind-legal best set last season and ranks first in the country during the early season.  She also had a wind-legal jump of 44-11.50/13.70 (+0.7) and had a total of four jumps over 44-feet today.  Sophomore Lauren Reed took second with a best jump of 41-10.00/12.75m (+1.4) and sophomore Jada Foreman was third with a PR of 41-1.75/12.54m (+0.5).  Also, junior Ahnyx Bush was fifth with a best jump of 39-10.50/12..15m (+0.9) and freshman Jada Gatlin was sixth with a jump of 39-0.50/11.90m (+1.9).
• Sophomore Elias Gerald won the men's high jump with a clearance of 6-10.75 (2.10m).
• Freshman Alyssa Hope won the women's high jump with a clearance of 5-5.00 (1.65m). 
• Graduate transfer Tracy Towns won the women's 800m race with a time of 2:08.54.  Senior Alyssa Blockburger took second in the 800m with a time of 2:13.09.  Freshman Angelina Vasquez was sixth with a time of 2:18.25.
• Freshman Marjourie Lopez won the women's 3000m race with a slight PR of 10:12.48, while graduate transfer Marina Soares was second with a time of 10:20.31.  Junior Giovanna Pisano ran her first race since the USC-UCLA Dual Meet on May 1, 2022 and placed ninth. 
• Graduate transfer Zane Golpariani won the men's 3000m race with a PR of 8:55.80 and junior Dylan Gatua was second with a time of 8:58.05.
• The Trojans closed out the meet by winning a pair of 4x400m relays.  First the women's "A" team of sophomore Takiya Cenci, freshman Nonah Waldron, sophomore Jassani Carter and sophomore Christine M. Mallard won with a time of 3:41.01, just ahead of the "B" team of sophomore Simone Ballard, graduate transfer Leah Disher, senior Alyssa Blockburger and graduate transfer Tracy Towns which posted a time of 3:47.30. 
• The men's 4x400m relay team of freshman Jacob Andrews, sophomore Darius Rainey, sophomore Max Thomas and senior Johnnie Blockburger won with a time of 3:10.27.
• The men's 4x100m relay team of sophomore JC Stevenson, sophomore Max Thomas, freshman Jacob Andrews and senior Johnnie Blockburger placed second with a time of 40.18.
• Graduate transfers Leah Disher and Marne Sullivan finished second and third respectively in the women's 1500m race.  Disher had a time of 4:35.46 and Sullivan a PR of 4:37.37.  Freshman Angelina Vasquez placed eighth with a PR of 4:51.08.
• Sophomore Jassani Carter was second in the women's 200m with a time of 23.67 (+1.4), sophomore Christine M. Mallard was third with a time of 23.82 (+1.4) and sophomore Takiya Cenci was fifth with a time of 24.77 (+1.7).  Trojan alum and Olympian Kendall Ellis won the event with a time of 23.14 (+1.4).
• Senior Johnnie Blockburger placed second in the men's 200m with a time of 20.72 (+1.1), just off his PR of 20.67.
• Sophomore Takiya Cenci placed second in the women's 400m dash with a collegiate-best time of 54.23.  Trojan alum Kendall Ellis won the event with a time of 53.38.
• Freshman Alyssa Hope finished second in the women's long jump with a best leap of 19-4.75/5.91 (+0.0), junior Ahnyx Bush was third with a PR of 19-4.00/5.89 (+2.0) and sophomore Jada Foreman was seventh with a best jump of 17-11.00/5.41m (+0.0).
• Freshman Reese Garland placed third in the women's shot put with a PR of 44-10.25 (13.67m). Four of her attempts went for over 44 feet, which was better than her previous career best.
• Sophomore Gavin Champ placed third in the men's triple jump with a PR of 50-6.75/15.41m (+0.0). As of today, that jump ranks sixth on the NCAA descending order list.
• Junior Kennie Arriola placed third in the John L. West men's 1500m race with a time of 3:56.53.  Junior Dylan Gatua placed eight with a PR of 4:04.00.
• Sophomore JC Stevenson took only one long jump attempt which went for 22-8.00/6.91m (-0.4) which was good enough for fourth place in the men's competition.
• Graduate transfer Zane Golpariani began the running portion of the meet by placing sixth in the men's 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:21:42.

The Trojans will next be in action at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. which will be held on March 29-30 at James G. Presley Stadium.