It would be difficult to replicate the success USC track and field saw last season: The men’s team won both the indoor and outdoor national championships — something only three schools have ever done — and the women’s team was close behind with third- and second-place finishes, respectively.

Nevertheless, the Trojans’ expectations are sky-high as they kick off the 2026 season, pursuing back-to-back titles for the men and the first-ever indoor championship for the women. 

That pursuit began Friday in Spokane, Washington, where USC took on the Spokane Sports Showcase in its first meet of the season. The men’s squad finished third out of eight teams, winning five events along the way, while the Trojan women finished second out of 12 teams and took home four events.

Kaalund leads men with record performance

After earning two fourth-place finishes and All-American honors at last year’s indoor championships, senior Garrett Kaalund set the tone for what could be a show-stopping final season at USC. Kaalund tied the second-fastest men’s 300-meter in NCAA history with a 32.10 to win the event and was named Big Ten Co-Track Athlete of the Week for his performance, the third such award of his career.

Three other Trojans — freshman Jack Stadlman, senior Jaelen Knox and junior Nickolas Miller — also placed in the top six of the 300-meter, each recording new personal bests.

In the 600-meter, former All-American senior William Jones became a repeat champion, running a personal-best 1:15.19 to win the event in Spokane for the second straight year. In his collegiate debut, freshman Gus Armstrong followed closely behind with a 1:21.87, good for fifth.

USC’s third track gold medal came via sophomore Chase McCallum, who ran a 1:53.82 to secure the first event win of his career.

Another returning All-American, junior Jacob Andrews, represented the Trojans in both the 60-meter and 200-meter, finishing in sixth and fifth, respectively. Junior Emmett Mack, a Santa Barbara Community College transfer, made his first appearance for USC in the 400-meter, running a 48.71 to nab third place.

On the field, freshman Cordial Vann quickly made himself known in his first collegiate event, recording a 7.53-meter long jump to take home first place and score the Trojans’ first points of the day. Fellow freshman Jackson Norris got on the board as well with a 7.27-meter jump, good for eighth place.

Sophomore Kaden Garland showed out as USC’s lone representative in the throwing events, finishing 10th with a 16.80-meter weight throw before picking up silver in shot put with a 17.03-meter mark.

Rounding out the field events was senior Elias Gerald, who won the high jump with a 2.14-meter leap for the men’s fifth first-place finish of the day. 

Women succeed across the board

The Trojan women wasted no time in putting their depth on display, filling out seven of the eight spots in the 60-meter final and making up the entire top five. Senior Dajaz Defrand led the pack with a 7.16, the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season; senior Christine Mallard was close behind in second place, followed by sophomores Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Brianna Selby, Rachael Uvieghara and Olivia Pace.

USC also had three representatives in the 60-meter hurdle final, led by junior Nonah Waldron’s fourth-place finish with an 8.34-second time. Senior Asjah Atkinson and freshman Anisa Bowen-Fontenot finished in sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the 300-meter, returning All-American junior Madison Whyte picked up where she left off with a personal-best 36.33, beating out second place by more than a full second. Freshman Kailyn Head also made her debut in the event, finishing in 13th with a time of 40.99.

Freshman Oluwatosin Awoleye grabbed the Trojans’ third victory of the meet with a 2:08.71 run in the 800-meter, finishing nearly 10 seconds ahead of the rest of her competition.

USC took both second and third in the 4×400 meter relay, finishing behind crosstown rival UCLA’s event-winning quartet. Mallard, senior Takiya Cenci, Uvieghara and Waldron locked down silver with a 3:41.45, narrowly beating out the third-place team of freshman Joelle Trepagnier, Pace, Head and Awoleye.

The Trojans were led on the field by sophomore Ashley Erasmus, who appears primed to improve upon her already-stellar freshman season; Erasmus recorded a 16.94-meter mark in the shot put, winning the event with ease and putting her at No. 7 in the NCAA so far this season.

In the long jump, sophomore Avery Lewis and senior Ahnyx Bush finished second and sixth, respectively, with Lewis recording a 5.99-meter jump and landing in the NCAA’s top 50. 

Bush would return for the triple jump, where she finished seventh with an 11.82-meter mark; joining her was fellow senior Jada Foreman, who recorded a 12.24-meter jump to secure second place in the event.

USC will be back in action Friday as the Trojans travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the Stan Scott Invite hosted by Texas Tech.