COLLEGE STATION, Texas (May 30, 2025) – Trojans post five all-time USC top-10 times during today’s action.
USC's men's track and field team was dominant earning 16 more berths to the NCAA Track & Field Championships during the third day of the 2025 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds being held at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas today (May 30). With JC Stevenson advancing in the long jump on Wednesday, the Trojans will have 17 opportunities to score points at the NCAA Championships.
To advance to the 2025 NCAA T&F Championships in Eugene, Ore. from June 11-14, an athlete needs to finish in the top 12 of an event at the regional. In running events today, an athlete needed to finish in the top three of his quarterfinal heat or have one of the next three best times to advance to a semifinal at the NCAA T&F Championships.
"We had to do a little resetting after the Big Ten Championships and I think that we did a great job of that," said USC Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Quincy Watts. "Our men's team advanced in the 4x100m relay with a great job by them. We need to clean up our handoffs a little bit, though. In the 100m we had five athletes advance, so I'm really excited about that. Coach J.B. (John Bolton) did a great job with them. We had three runners advance in the 200m with Garrett Kaalund returning from injury and being right off the school record of one of our all-time greats in Michael Norman. Max (Thomas) and Eddie (Nketia) both did a great job with PRs, too.
"On the field side, Racquil Broderick did well bouncing back from injury and placing seventh. Elias Gerald qualified and tied for sixth in the high jump and Jaren Holmes took sixth in the triple jump. William Jones won the 400m. Johnny Brackins Jr. ran a personal best in the 400m H with a phenomenal time of 49.04 and qualified in the short hurdles right off his personal best. Our 4x400m relay ran a season best 3:02.18 with Brackins Jr. and Thomas stepping up, as we held Kaalund out.
"The men had an excellent performance, and I'm pleased how they finished out the first rounds. I'm looking forward to Eugene!"
- The men's 4x100m relay team of senior Travis Williams, junior Max Thomas, graduate transfer Taylor Banks and sophomore transfer Edward Nketia won its quarterfinal heat with a time of 38.89 to automatically advance to an NCAA semifinal in Eugene, Ore. The quartet posted the third-fastest qualifying time. USC last scored at nationals in the event when it won the relay title with a then school-record time of 38.49 (broken this year by the group of Williams, Thomas, Kaalund and Nketia – 38.41).
- All five of the USC men's 100m runners advanced to the NCAA Championships by finishing in the top three of their heat. Banks took second in the first heat with a wind-aided personal best of 9.91 (+2.1w). His time was second among the qualifiers. Thomas followed by taking second in the second quarterfinal heat with a PR of 10.03 (+1.1). His time was sixth among the qualifiers. Thomas also moved from tied for 10th to fifth on USC's all-time 100m dash list. The final heat had three Trojans in it and they finished 1-2-3 to all advance to nationals. Nketia won with a time of 10.03 (+2.4w, 0.001 second behind Thomas' time), junior JC Stevenson was second with a wind-aided PR of 10.06 and Williams took third with a time of 10.16 (+2.4w). The trio finished seventh, 11th and 14th on time. Only Banks and Thomas have reached the NCAA semifinals in the 100m before and Banks is the only previous All-American in the event, taking eighth in 2021.
- The Trojans were just as special in the 200m with junior transfer Garrett Kaalund winning his heat with a PR of 19.85 (+1.1) for the top qualifying time, 0.03 seconds off the facility record and 0.01 seconds off the school record of 19.84 set by Michael Norman in 2018. Kaalund now ranks second on USC's all-time 200m list. His time is third-fastest by an NCAA runner this season, second-fastest wind-legal time. Thomas won his heat with a PR of 20.05 (+1.7) which moves him from tied for 10th to seventh on USC's all-time 200m list. He had the third-fastest qualifying time. Nketia was third in his quarterfinal heat with a big PR of 20.24 (+1.2) to advance fifth overall. His 200m time is the 11th-fastest in school history. Freshman Jazonte Levan had a time of 20.55 (+1.2) to finish 15th overall.
- Junior William Jones won his 400m heat with the fastest time on the day of 45.32 to advance to the NCAA Championships. It is his second time reaching the NCAA semifinal in the 400m race. Sophomore Jacob Andrews had a time of 46.07 to finish 16th overall.
- Senior Johnny Brackins Jr. placed fourth in his men's 110m hurdles heat with a season-best time of 13.39 (+1.7). After the three heats were concluded, Brackins Jr. had the fastest nonautomatic qualifying time and finished eighth overall. He now has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 110m hurdles all four seasons, with a best finish of ninth last season.
- Brackins Jr. came back to take second in his men's 400m hurdles quarterfinal with a PR of 49.04 to automatically advance to the NCAA Championships in the event. His time was fourth among the qualifiers and moved him to eighth on USC's all-time list in the event. Sophomore Yougendy Mauricette placed fourth in his heat with a time of 50.25 and finished 13th overall, one position out of advancing to nationals.
- Graduate transfer Jaren Holmes qualified for the NCAAs by placing sixth in the triple jump with a best leap today of 52-11.00/16.13m (+3.2w). He is seeking his first outdoor first-team All-America honors in the triple jump. He earned honorable mention honors in 2022.
- Junior Elias Gerald tied for sixth in the men's high jump with a clearance of 7-1.50 (2.17m) on his first attempt to advance to the NCAA Championships in the event. By the time the jumpers were through the 7-1.50 height, the top 12 had been determined and no further jumps were needed. Gerald tied for 11th in the high jump at the 2024 NCAA Championships and finished ninth at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
- Sophomore Racquil Broderick qualified for the NCAA Championships in the discus throw by placing seventh at the West Preliminary Rounds with a best throw of 195-4 (59.54m). Broderick placed second in the discus throw at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
- The last race of the day was another special event for the Trojans with the 4x400m relay team of Andrews, Thomas, Brackins Jr. and Jones taking second in its heat with a season-best time of 3:02.18. That time moves them to sixth on USC's all-time list. Jones received the baton in fourth place and was announced as having a 43.87 split to bring the Trojans back and send the group to nationals. The Trojans had the second-fastest qualifying time on the day.
Tomorrow the women's team will be in action to closeout the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. The Trojans will have 18 individuals and two relay opportunities to qualify for the NCAA T&F Championships to be held in Eugene, Ore. from June 11-14.
– University of Southern California Athletics
