Track and field shines in second meet of season


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Redshirt senior hurdler Dior Hall was one of many Trojans to set a personal record in Lubbock, Texas last weekend, finishing tenth in the women’s 200-meter with a time of 23.70. (Photo courtesy of John McGillen/USC Athletics)

Following an impressive weekend of competition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., the Trojan track and field team went to Lubbock, Texas, last weekend to compete in the Texas Tech Invitational.

Up against Big-12 and Pac-12 competition, the Trojans succeeded with eight victories from the event.

The crop of freshmen has competed in impressive fashion from the start of the season, with two more first place finishes coming from Trojan newcomers this weekend after 13 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational. Distance runner Alyssa Brewer ran a time of 2:06.48 in the women’s 800-meter to secure the win, defeating last year’s NCAA champion Sammie Watson of Texas A&M.

Brewer’s time was good for third on the Trojans’ all-time list. Freshman hurdler Ayden Owens collected his second first place finish in as many weeks with a victory in the men’s heptathlon, setting a school record with a point total of 5,642.

Junior distance runner Isaiah Jewett set a USC record with a time of 1:46.91 in the men’s 800-meter, although he finished second in the event.

Three sophomores set personal records at the meet. Sprinter TeeTee Terry continued her streak of dominance, winning the women’s 60-meter dash with a personal record of 7.15 seconds to add to her two victories last week. Terry has yet to be defeated this season.

Sophomore Kaelin Roberts set a personal record in the women’s 400-meter, running a time of 52.25 seconds. Sophomore hurdler Chanel Brissett provided another first place finish for the Trojans in the women’s 60-meter hurdle with her personal record of 7.98 seconds.

Sophomore jumper Earnest Sears duplicated his impressive performance from the prior weekend to finish first in the men’s high jump, once again clearing the same personal record height of 7 feet 5.25 inches to secure the win on his first try. Once again, Sears came close to clearing the next height of 7 feet 6.25 inches, though he ultimately fell short.

A clearance at that height would give Sears the USC record in the event, surpassing the record of 7 feet 6 inches held by redshirt senior jumper Randall Cunningham and USC alumnus Jesse Williams. Sears has been dominant in the early season, and already seems to be on the verge of taking a shot at that mark. It’ll be a storyline worth monitoring throughout the long remainder of the season.

Senior jumper Margaux Jones has also impressed in back-to-back weeks, winning the women’s long jump for the second competition in a row with a 20-9.25. That mark represents a huge step of progress for Jones, who hadn’t cracked the 20-foot mark since last indoor season, as she struggled with injuries during the outdoor campaign. Her showing on Saturday is a promising sign for the rest of her final season as a Trojan.

The Trojans collected their final victory of the competition with a first place finish in the women’s 4×400 relay, with a team of juniors Anna Cockrell and Kyra Constantine, freshman Bailey Lear and sophomore Kaelin Roberts. The quartet managed a time of 3:31.25, winning the event.

With impressive showings in the first two weeks of competition in their pocket, the Trojans will look to continue their success next weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. It will be their first time facing SEC opposition this season.