UCLA–USC Dual — Bruins Break Out Brooms

WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA, May 04 — For any old-school track & field fans who want to believe that highly competitive dual meets between historic rivals still have cachet, look no further than Drake Stadium, where the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans proved Sunday that their crosstown showdown remains a really big deal.

Maybe part of it was that the Bruins and new coach Joanna Hayes fancied their teams as having a fighting chance to win one of, if not both the men’s and women’s battles. And on a day that featured big marks aplenty, school and meet records and some dramatic upsets… well, never mind that USC came into the meet holding down 1st (men) and 4th (women) in our latest NCAA formcharts — UCLA got the dual meet sweep it dreamed of.

Thanks to the biggest stunner of the day in the long jump, the Bruin men prevailed, 82–81. Meanwhile, a UCLA upset win in the 200 helped them pull away from the Trojan women, 92–71. It was the first time UCLA swept the rivalry since 2013, the same year their women last won the meet, too.

Surely, no proud Bruin fans and alums would have ever thought the rivals would be Big 10 schools the next time they could break out the oversized brooms, but that’s collegiate athletics in the 2020s.

The men’s meet came down to the long jump, where the Trojans had defending NCAA champ JC Stevenson, and the 4 x 400, where they were heavily favored.

UCLA needed an improbable 1-2 finish in the LJ to clinch the meet and, somehow, they were halfway there through five rounds as Stevenson had leapt just 24-4½ (7.43) and Bruin Allan Hunter led with his third leap of 24-7 (7.49). While Stevenson was fouling his final three attempts, first-year athlete Jeremy Zammit — by way of Malta, then Auburn — came up for his final jump in 5th place. This was just his second meet since transferring. He unleashed a shocking 24-10½ (7.58) to take the lead and ultimately provide the 1-2 finish UCLA needed.

Zammit holds national U16, U18 and U20 records for his home country and leaped 25-8¾ (7.84) for Auburn back in 2023. His jump Sunday was his best in more than two years.

Another key victory for the home squad came in the 400 hurdles as Tamaal Myers topped Trojan standout Johnny Brackins, 50.46–50.53. Aaron Cantu (steeplechase), Michael Mireles (3000), Kris Emig…