Fast Track Recruiting

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USC Track and Field Recruiting Class of 2023

The USC Track & Field program has added an outstanding recruiting class and group of transfer athletes to the 2023-24 team. The following is a quick recap of all of the 30 additions to the program.

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Jacob Andrews:

Andrews, from Bellingham Wash., is a 2023 graduate of Sehome High in Bellingham where he led his team to the 2022 and 2023 2A Washington high school team titles. He has personal bests in the 100m of 10.47, the 200m of 20.97 and the 400m of 45.91. He won the 2023 2A WIAA 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m titles to help lead his team to the state championship. He won the 200m, 400m and 4x400m to lead Sehome to the 2022 team title. Andrews placed second in the 400m dash at the 2023 USATF U20 championships with his PR of 45.91, which ranked fifth among graduating high school seniors. He also took third in the 200m with a time of 21.10 at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Championships.

Di'Niko Bates: Bates, from Oakland, Calif, comes to USC after parts of two seasons at California. He has a personal best of 13.88 in the 110m hurdles. Bates placed third in the 110m hurdles at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships with his PR of 13.88 and went on to compete in the event at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. He is a 2021 graduate of St. Mary's College High in Oakland.

Racquil Broderick:

Broderick, from Port Maria, Jamaica, is a 2023 graduate of Jamaica College High in Kingston, Jamaica. He has a discus throw best of 189-5 (57.74m) which he established in placing seventh at the 2023 Jamaice Athletics Championships on July 8. He also has a 1.75kg discus throw best of 206-6 (62.94m). He has a 6kg shot put PR of 58-5.25 (17.81m).

Gavin Champ:

Champ, from Princeton, Texas, comes to USC after one season at TCU. He has collegiate PRs of 50-2.50 (15.30m) in the triple jump and 23-7.25 (7.19m) in the long jump. He advanced to the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in the triple jump after placing ninth in the triple jump and 12th in the long jump at the Big 12 Championships. His is a 2022 graduate of Princeton High in Princeton, Texas.

Nathan Cumberbatch:

Cumberbatch, from Milwaukee, Wisc., is a 2023 graduate of Shorewood High in Shorewood, Wisc. He is a three-time Wisconsin 2A 800m champion and two-time 400m champion, leading his team to the 2022 state title and a runner-up finish in 2023. He has an 800m PR of 1:48.20 which ranked fifth among all high school runners in 2023. He was the 2023 CARIFTA U20 and Nike Indoor 800m champion.

Zane Golpariani:

Golpariani, from San Diego, Calif., comes to USC as a graduate student after four seasons at UC Santa Barbara as a member of its track and field and cross country teams. He has an 800m best of 1:56.29, a 1500m best of 3:53.71 and a 3000m steeplechase best of 9:01.82. His steeplechase best was run in placing fourth at the 2023 Big West Championships, his third consecutive season of scoring in the event at the conference meet. He is a 2019 graduate of Del Norte High in San Diego, Calif.

Lincoln Marschall:

Marschall, from Lakewood, Calif., comes to USC after a season at El Camino College. He placed third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.84 at the 2023 California Community College state meet. He also won the 2023 Southern California Regional 400m hurdles title with a time of 52.66. He rankes 10th on El Camino's all-time 400m hurdles list with a best of 52.40. He qualified for the 2023 USATF U20 Championships in the 400m hurdles.

Yougendy Mauricette:

Mauricette, from Seaford, Del., is a 2023 graduate of Sussex Technical High in Georgetown, Del. While in high school, he posted a 400m hurdles best of 51.31, a 110m hurdle best of 14.11 and a long jump best of 23-10. He is a two-time Deleware Runner of the Year honoree. He won the 2022 New Balance Outdoors 400m hurdles title with his PR of 51.31.

Nickolas Miller:

Miller, from Richmond, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Clovis North High in Fresno, Calif. He had high school PRs of 10.44 in the 100m and 20.86 in the 200m. He ran the 20.86 200m in winning the 2023 Mt. SAC Elite Boy's 200m title. He placed fifth in the 100m with a time of 10.48 and third in the 200m with a time of 21.02 at the 2023 CIF State meet.

Leif Nelson:

Nelson, from Devil's Lake, N.D., comes to USC after three years of competing at Division II Minot State. He was a two-time Division II All-American in the javelin throw. He is the Minot State record-holder in the javelin throw with a mark of 237-2 (72.28m). He also has PRs of 51-1.25 (15.88m) in the shot put and 153-7 (46.81m) in the discus throw. He placed fifth in the javelin throw with a mark of 234-8 (71.52m) at the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships.

Jesus Nichol II:

Nichol II, from Long Beach, Calif., comes to USC as a graduate student from Cal State Los Angles, where he competed in track and cross country from 2019-23. He has an 800m PR of 1:51.24 and a 1500m best of 4:00.00. He also has cross country PRs in the 8K of 26:06.4 and in the 10K of 32:20.2. He earned second-team Division II All-America honors as part of Cal State L.A.'s 4x400m relay team.

Travis Williams:

Williams, from the Bronx, N.Y., comes to USC after two seasons of competing in track for Albany. He has a 100m PR of 10.11 and a 200m best of 21.07. He also had indoor bests of 6.59 in the 60m and 20.89 in the 200m. Williams was named the 2023 America East Track Athlete of the Year. He was a seven-time America East champion, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles in 2023, the 4x100m in 2022, and the indoor 60m and 200m titles in 2023. He advanced to the 2023 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in the 100m dash.

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Simone Ballard:

Ballard, from Houston, Texas, comes to USC after one season as a hurdler at Baylor. She only competed during the 2023 indoor season for Baylor and posted a best 60m hurdles time of 8.34 to place sixth in the event at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. The 2022 graduate of Mayde Creek High in Houston, was a two-time Texas state champion and seven-time high school All-American in the hurdles. She had a high school PR of 13.56 in the 100m hurdles and a wind-aided best of 13.28. Her PR of 40.68 in the 300m hurdles set the Texas high school state record.

Anika Chatikavanij:

Chatikavanij, from Bangkok, Thailand, is a pole vaulter who attended the SPIRE Institute and Academy in 2023, after graduating from Shrewsbury International School in 2022. She has a personal-best clearance of 12-5.50 (3.80m).

Leah Disher:

Disher, from Lilburn, Ga., is a distance runner who graduated from Clemson in 2023. She owns an 800m PR of 2:06.24 and 4:35.09 in the 1500m. She ranks 10th on Clemson's all-time 800m list. Disher reached the 2021 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in the 800m and placed fifth in the event at the ACC Championships that same season.

Jenna Gallaway:

Gallaway, from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Santa Margarita Catholic High in Rancho Santa Margaria, Calif. She earned All-America honors by placing fourth in the hammer throw (4K) at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals with a mark of 160-0.75. She has a PR of 167-4 (51.00m) in the hammer throw.

Reese Garland:

Garland, from Oak Park, Ill., is a 2023 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High in Oak Park, Ill. She placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 145-7 (44.39m) at the Illinois Class 3A Championships. She also placed fifth in the 3A shot put finals with a PR of 42-5.25 (12.93m).

Jada Gatlin: Gatlin, from Lake Forest, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Mission Viejo High in Mission Viejo, Calif. She has a best triple jump of 40-9 and a best long jump of 18-7.75. She placed second in the long jump (18-6.25) and third in the triple jump (40-8.00) at the 2023 CIF Division 3 California state championship meet. She was named the 2023 Orange County Girl's Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Alyssa Hope:

Hope, from Riverside, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Martin Luther King High in Riverside, Calif. She has bests of 41-3 in the triple jump and 20-4.25 (6.20m) in the long jump. She placed third in the triple jump and the long jump at the 2023 CIF State Championships. Her PR of 20-4.25 came in the prelims and ranked eight among high school jumpers in 2023. Hope was named 2022 Inland Empire Girls Track Athlete of the Year as she became only the second jumper over 40 feet in the triple jump and 20 feet in the long jump at the state meet, joining Olympian Tara Davis. She won the 2022 CIF triple jump title and took second in the long jump at the state meet.

Marjourie Lopez: Lopez, from Desert Hot Springs, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Shadow Hills High. She has a 3000m best of 10:01.91. She placed ninth in the 2022 CIF Cross Country 5K final with a time of 18:11.00

Lucia Rabolli:

Rabiolli, from Ridgewood, N.J., comes to USC after one season of competing in track and field and cross country at Rutgers. She has an 800m best of 2:12.94 which she ran in placing second at the 2022 New Jersey High School State Championships. She also has an indoor one-mile best of 4:56. She ran a 6K cross country PR of 21:53.3 at the 2022 Paul Short Run.

Marina Soares:

Soares, from Granite Bay, Calif., comes to USC after graduating from LMU in 2023. She has a cross country 6K PR of 22:34.00 and track personal bests of 2:16.46 in the 800m, 4:41.12 in the 1500m and 17:44.07 in the 5000m.

Haley Spoden:

Spoden, from Vienna, Va., is a 2023 graduate of George C. Marshall High in Falls Church, Va. Spoden owns a cross country 5K best of 18:30.40 and an indoor 1600m PR of 4:59.91. She was All-State in the 1600m as a freshman and in cross country as a junior.

Marne Sullivan:

Sullivan, from Willmette, Ill., comes to USC after graduating from Boston College in 2023. She has an 800m PR of 2:06.15 to place 10th at the 2023 ACC Outdoor Championships. She also has a PR of 4:42.16 in the 1500m. She was a seven-time Illinois high school medal winner and anchored New Trier High to the state 4x800m title in 2019.

Tracy Towns:

Towns, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, graduated from Illinois in 2023. She was a two-time Big Ten second-team honoree. She has an 800m PR of 2:06.79 and finished fifth in the event at the 2023 Big Ten Championships. She ranks ninth on Illinois' all-time 800m list. She also has a 1500m PR of 4:28.10. Last season she set her cross country personal bests of 18:23.5 in the 5K and 22:23.00 in the 6K.

Angelina Vasquez:

Vasquez, from Barstow, Calif., graduated in 2023 from Barstow High in Barstow, Calif. She has personal bests of 2:12.61 in the 800m and 5:01 in the 1600m. She was a two-time league champion and four-time All-League selection.

Nonah Waldron:

Waldron, from Farmington Hills, Mich., graduated in 2023 from Oak Park High in Oak Park, Mich. She was named the 2023 Gatorade Michigan Girls Track Athlete of the Year. She has PRs of 13.36 in the 100m hurdles and a Michigan state record in the 300m hurdles with a time of 40.27. Those times ranked second and fifth respectively among graduating high schoolers. She also has a 400m hurdles best of 58.1, which is also a Michigan high school state record. Waldron was the 2022 60m hurdles national champion with a time of 8.35 at the New Balance National Indoors and in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.58 at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals…She placed second in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals. She was a 10-time individual All-American, an 8-time state champion in the 60m hurdles, 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles.

Jordan Washington:

Washington, from Gardena, Calif., is a 2023 graduate of Junipero Serra High in Gardena, Calif. She has outdoor PRs of 11.55 in the 100m and 23.68 in the 200m. She has indoor PRs of 7.61 in the 60m and 24.62 in the 200m. She placed third in the 100m and sixth in the 200m at the 2022 CIF state meet.

Madison Whyte:

Whyte, from Newport News, Va., is a 2023 graduate Heritage High in Newport News, Va. She posted PRs of 11.39 in the 100m, a state-record 22.81 in the 200m and 52.49 in the 400m. She ran her second 52.49 400m dash of the season to place third at the USATF U20 Championships. She was the 2022 and 2023 Virginia Girls Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Whyte swept the 100m, 200m and 400m titles at the 2023 Virginia Class 4 State Meet to help lead Heritage High to a share of the state team title. She also placed second in the 200m at the 2023 New Balance Nationals.

Sara Zabarino:

Zabarino, from Candelo, Italy, comes to USC after graduating from Florida State in 2023. She has a javelin throw best of 192-4 (58.62m) to win the 2019 European Throwing Cup U23 title, which is the Italian U23 record. She was a 2022 All-American in the javelin throw by placing fifth with a mark of 182-5 (55.61m) at the NCAA Championships. She set the FSU school record in the javelin with a throw of 182-7 (55.66m) in placing second at the 2022 ACC Outdoor Championships.

The University of Southern California is a private institution that was founded in 1880. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 20,699 (fall 2022), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 226 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Southern California's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #28.

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