“Adversity” is not a word commonly associated with USC Athletics — at least, not beyond a set loss or a failed five-star commitment. The Trojans are currently ranked among the best teams in the country in most major sports: No. 16 in women’s volleyball, No. 15 in football, No. 11 in women’s basketball and No. 2 in men’s water polo.

When it comes to cross country, however, USC — which finished 38th out of 39 teams at the NCAA West Regional on Friday — has seen more than its fair share of adversity.

The issues started in the offseason: First-year coach Brenda Martinez wasn’t hired until mid-July, just six weeks before the Trojans’ first meet of the season, forcing them to begin practices without a coach and face a shorter turnaround between training and competition upon Martinez’s arrival.

“We just figured it out week by week,” Martinez said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “We had a late start with our buildup … With that and a combination of trying to raise and get fit, it was a lot on the girls.”

At USC’s first meet of the season in August, only four of its runners entered the competition, failing to meet the minimum to qualify for placement. Two months later, a bout of sickness hit the team right before a crucial meet at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 18, leaving the Trojans without several of their top runners.

So when it came time to finish off the 2025 season at the NCAA West Regional, Martinez and company were prepared for anything — they had already seen it all. Despite USC’s low placement, Martinez said her focus was on the team’s overall growth, not its final spot in the rankings.

“It’s a season where we’re learning,” Martinez said. “None of the training that we did or the racing that we did [went] to waste.”

Knodel, Duarte lead USC in final meet

After joining the Trojans as a walk-on midway through the season, senior Sydney Knodel ended up being a critical component of their roster; Knodel recorded the team’s fastest time in all four of her meets, beginning with her debut at the Highlander Invitational.

Friday’s meet was no different for Knodel, as she finished with a time of 22.25.2 to place 163rd out of the 263 competing runners.

“She had no plans of ever joining [cross country] … She just gave it a go, and she happened to be my No. 1 athlete from the very start,” Martinez said of Knodel. “She was the final bit [of the] puzzle that we needed in our group.”

Just behind Knodel was redshirt senior Jacqueline Duarte, who has run for USC since 2022 and served as its captain this season. Martinez, who said she has known Duarte since the Trojan captain was in high school, praised her leadership amid the team’s struggles.

“I trust Jackie being a leader. She knows how to carry the team and any sort of issues that we have,” Martinez said. “I couldn’t think of any other person that can take on that role.”

In the final race of her collegiate career, Duarte placed 175th with a time of 22:32.2 — nearly two minutes faster than her first collegiate time of 24:22.8 in September 2022.

Junior Haley Spoden placed third among the Trojans, finishing at 23:18.9. Spoden showed remarkable improvement throughout the race; after passing the 1-mile mark in 245th place, she consistently rose in the rankings with every checkpoint and ended in 219th — 26 spots above where she started.

Rounding out USC’s lineup were juniors Paige Unger and Isabella Duarte, who recorded times of 24:59.3 and 25:36.4, respectively, good for 259th and 261st.

Trojans eye track and field season

With another season of cross country behind them, the Trojans direct their attention to the upcoming track and field seasons, in which all of their runners will also be competing. Martinez, who serves as the track team’s assistant coach for distance, said she hopes the training from cross country will provide USC’s distance runners with a solid foundation.

“My vision for the group is to build confidence,” Martinez said. “That’s why it’s so important to have a big fall base, so that we’re able to recover and bounce back in between workouts for what I’m going to give them for track.”

Women’s track and field had a triumphant season in the spring, placing third at the indoor championships in March and second at the outdoor championships in June. The men’s team found even more success, taking home the national titles in both.

Making a quick turnaround from one sport’s season to another is a challenge unique to cross country, but Martinez believes they’re up to the task.

“I’m taking my time with them,” Martinez said. “They know it’s going to be fast, but I know they’re tough, and they’re going to learn a lot about themselves on and off the track.”

Track and field will kick off the 2026 season at the Spokane Sports Showcase in Spokane, Washington, on Jan. 16.