Men's USC track team makes up ground for 4th place finish at Big Ten Championships

The men's track and field squad had some ground to make up on Sunday. While their efforts may not have been enough to secure a top three overall finish, there were several notable performances from the Trojans in Eugene, Oregon, during the Big Ten Championships.

It started with what looked to be a promising day that then resulted in heartbreak. Jaren Holmes had secured a personal best and meet record during the men's triple jump. Unfortunately for him and the team, those distances were soon taken off the board, along with the points, as he was disqualified for not wearing the correct spikes in the event.

Sophomore Racquil Broderick came in eighth place in the men's discus throw. He is someone who has often done well, including first-place finishes throughout the outdoor season. The future is bright for the field athlete.

It was during the sprint events that USC knew they'd have a chance to close the gap on Oregon and Minnesota.

Travis Williams, Max Thomas, JC Stevenson, and Eddie Nketia came in second during the men's 4x100m relay. Their time of 38.79 fell just short of Minnesota's 38.54, which also was a personal best and meet record.

Johnny Brackins came in third for the men's 110m hurdles event. 

William Jones won the men's 400m race. The junior ran a 45.39 in the victory. Jones is now the complete reigning champion in this event, as he has won the BIG indoor 400m race as well as now the outdoor race. Fellow Trojan Jacob Andrews came in fifth.

The men's 100m sprint saw Eddie Nketia come in second and Max Thomas place fourth. Yougendy Mauricette won the men's 400m hurdles, setting a personal best on the day. Thomas then finished in second during the men's 200m race. Nketia came in fifth, with freshman Jazonte Levan earning a seventh-place finish.

Looking ahead for USC men's track and field team

To close out the day, the men's 4x400m relay team included Jacob Andrews, Mauricette, Nathan Cumberbatch, and Jones. They came in fourth, behind Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State.

There were wins that deserve to be celebrated from Eugene. Overall, it wasn't the right day in the office for this Trojan squad.

Even so, there will still be more to look forward to from these USC athletes, as many of them will have qualified for the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas, that is set to take place a little over a week from now, starting on May 28th.