Last year, USC track and field was on top of the world. On March 15, 2025, the Trojans dominated the NCAA Indoor Championships, with the men’s team securing its first national title in over 50 years and the women’s team taking home bronze — results that would essentially be repeated at the subsequent Outdoor Championships in June.

Despite a few clear standouts, this year’s squads aren’t quite as dominant, with several key athletes from last season having since graduated. That fact was made apparent at the Indoor Championships on March 13–14: The men’s team dropped to 30th place, scoring just one-fourth of its point total from a year ago, while the women’s team came in 20th.

However, while USC lacks the same depth that brought it national success in 2025, the Trojans are as strong as ever on an individual level. Four USC athletes earned First Team All-American honors at the championship meet — highlighted by yet another record-breaking performance from senior sprinter Garrett Kaalund — giving the Trojans plenty to be excited about as they enter the outdoor season.

Kaalund leads USC with record-breaking 200-meter

Heading into the Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Kaalund had already established himself as one of the most exhilarating athletes in the country. With a 200-meter time of 20.06 seconds, he held the third-fastest time ever recorded, as well as the fastest time in the world this year.

And yet, Kaalund’s performance at NCAAs proved to be even more impressive. In the 200-meter final, he ran a time of 19.95 seconds, setting a new NCAA record and becoming USC’s first-ever indoor champion in the event. Kaalund now sits just 0.03 seconds behind the all-time world record of 19.92, set by Frank Fredericks in 1996.

Following the meet, Kaalund was named the Big Ten Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and earned National Athlete of the Week honors from USA Track and Field.

While Kaalund was the lone representative for the men’s team on the scoreboard, the women’s team saw three different athletes pick up points, led by junior sprinter Madison Whyte’s performance in the 400-meter. Though she entered the meet as the top seed, Whyte settled for a silver-medal finish, running a personal best of 50.68 seconds for the second-fastest time in the event in USC history.

In the 60-meter, senior sprinter Dajaz DeFrand and sophomore sprinter Brianna Selby earned seventh and eighth, respectively, with DeFrand besting her teammate by just one hundredth of a second. DeFrand also ran a 23.40 in the 200-meter to place eighth for her second All-American nod of the meet, given to the top eight finishers in each event.

Trojans look ahead to outdoor competitions

With the indoor season in the rearview mirror, the Trojans now turn their attention to the outdoor season, where USC has historically thrived with a record 29 national championships. Returning to the top of the podium may be out of reach, judging by the Trojans’ placements at the Indoor Championships, but the stage is set for their top athletes to shine individually once again.

After their stellar showings in Fayetteville, Kaalund and Whyte were both named Big Ten Athletes to Watch for the outdoor season. As the likely favorite, Kaalund will look to improve upon his third-place finish in the 200-meter at last year’s championships, while Whyte will vie to defend her title as the Big Ten champion in the 400-meter and contend for an NCAA title after narrowly missing out in the indoor event.

Before the postseason begins in May with the Big Ten Championships, USC’s athletes will have four opportunities to hone their craft, including two home meets at their very own Allyson Felix Field. The Trojans will open the season by hosting the Ron and Sharlene Allice Trojan Invite and cap it off with a dual meet at home against crosstown rival UCLA.

Between those two competitions, USC will travel to Baton Rouge, LA., for the Battle on the Bayou hosted by LSU. The Trojans are also set to compete in the annual Mt. SAC Relays, where they won eight events in last year’s competition.

Though replicating last year’s first- and second-place finishes may be difficult, USC still has plenty of chances to make its mark on the outdoor season, both at the individual and team levels. The Trojans will get the first of those chances on Saturday, when they host seven teams from across the country at the Trojan Invite.