Women’s Team Finishes 13th And Men’s Team Ties For 23rd At NCAA Indoor T&F Championships

Track & Field | March 11, 2023

Both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, Jan’Taijah Jones in the women’s 400m and Caisja Chandler in the women’s 200m earned first-team All-America honors during the final day of action at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M. today (March 11).   The women’s team scored 19 points to finish 13^th overall.  The men’s team scored 10 points to finish tied for 23rd overall in the team standings.

• The men’s 4x400m relay team of freshman Justin Braun, junior Ashton Allen, freshman William Jones and junior Johnnie Blockburger ran a season-best time of 3:03.16 to finish third.  The men’s relay time bettered its second-place standing on USC’s all-time indoor list.  They were leading their section, but Blockburger was tripped up halfway through the last lap by the Oklahoma runner and lost his momentum.  Blockburger was still credited with a 46.05 split, while Braun had a 45.88 split, Allen a 45.96 split and Jones a 45.28 split.  Oklahoma was ultimately disqualified, moving USC from second to first in its section and third overall.  USC earned six points in the team competition.
• The women’s 4x400m relay team of graduate student Bailey Lear, junior Jasmine Jones, freshman Yemi John and junior Jan’Taijah Jones closed out the women’s meet by winning the second section and finishing fourth overall with a season-best time of 3:28.58.  That time moved the quartet to fifth on USC’s all-time indoor 4x400m relay list.  Lear was credited with a 52.0 split, Jasmine Jones 51.60, John 52.78 and Jan’Taijah Jones 52.21.  USC earned five points in the team competition and the group earned All-America honors.
• Jan’Taijah Jones also placed fifth in the open 400m final with a PR of 51.03.  That time bettered her third-place standing on USC’s all-time indoor 400m list.  It was Jones’ second consecutive fifth-place finish and indoor All-America honors in the event. She earned the Trojans four more points.
• Graduate transfer Caisja Chandler placed seventh in the women’s 200m dash with a time of 22.74.  She earned All-America honors and two points in the team competition.
• Senior Tade Ojora hit the first two hurdles in the 60m hurdles final and did not finish the race.

The Trojans who scored at the…