USC Track & Field Wins Six Events At The MLK Invitational

Track & Field | January 21, 2023

Ashton Allen won the men’s 400m, Bailey Lear the women’s 400m, Tade Ojora the men’s 60m hurdles, Johnny Brackins Jr. the men’s long jump, Temi Ojora the women’s triple jump and Gigi Maccagnini the women’s 800m  at the MLK Invitational held at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M. today (Jan. 21). 

• The junior Allen won the men’s 400m race with a big PR of 45.94.  That time moves him into a third-place tie on USC’s all-time indoor 400m list with Olympic medalist Rai Benjamin.  Graduate transfer Michael Phillippy placed seventh with a time of 47.08.
• Graduate student Lear won the women’s 400m race with a time of 52.07.  Junior Jan’Taijah Jones was second with a time of 52.85 and freshman Christine M. Mallard was third with an indoor PR of 53.28.
• Graduate student Tade Ojora won the men’s 60m hurdles final with a time of 7.74, which he also ran in the prelims to qualify first.  Sophomore Brackins Jr. posted a PR of 7.76 in the final to move into seventh on USC’s all-time list.  He had a time of 7.85 in the prelims to qualify third to the final.
• Brackins Jr. won the men’s long jump with a leap of 25-2.75 (7.69m).  That jump moves him into eighth on USC’s all-time men’s indoor long jump list.
• Junior Temi Ojora won the women’s triple jump with a PR of 43-6.50 (13.27m).  That jump moved her to third on USC’s all-time women’s indoor triple jump list.
• The sophomore Maccagnini won the women’s 800m race with a time of 2:09.31.  Senior Janiah Brown placed fifth with a time of 2:15.56 and freshman Ashlee Gallegos was sixth with a time of 2:17.18.
• The men’s 4x400m relay team of freshman Justin Braun, Allen, freshman William Jones and senior Nicholas Ramey placed second with a time of 3:05.47.  That time was the third-fastest all-time by a Trojan quartet indoors.  The Trojans’ “B Team” of graduate transfer Michael Phillippy, graduate transfer Chris Borzor, Brackins Jr and freshman Darius Rainey took fourth with a time of 3:11.14.
• The women’s 4x400m relay team of junior Kimberly Harris, graduate transfer Caisja Chandler, graduate transfer Allie Jones and freshman Takiya Cenci also placed second with a season-best time of 3:37.74.
• The graduate transfer Allie Jones placed second in the women’s 60m hurdles, setting her indoor PR of 8.26…