Trojans secure second team title in dramatic fashion, with Georgia taking runner-up for the second year in a row by a narrow margin to cap thrilling meet at Hayward Field

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE – Kendall Ellis rallied from fourth place on the anchor leg of the 4x400-meter relay, overcoming a 25-meter deficit against Purdue’s Jahneya Mitchell to lift USC not only to the victory in 3 minutes, 27.06 seconds Saturday, but the team’s first national title since 2001 and second overall by a 53-52 margin over Georgia at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

It was a fitting response by Ellis, who was edged by Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers on the anchor leg of last year’s 4x400 relay, allowing the Ducks to overtake Georgia for the national championship and complete the year-end triple crown of winning cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field titles.

Kyra Constantine, Anna Cockrell and Deanna Hill ran the first three legs of the relay for USC, which trailed Georgia and Stanford (51) entering the final event, although neither the Bulldogs or Cardinal had a team competing in the 4x400.

Sophomore Angie Annelus put USC in position to challenge for the team championship after capturing the 200 title in 22.76, along with Hill placing seventh in 23.53.

Kentucky placed fourth in the 4x400 to secure fourth overall with 46 points. The Wildcats remained in contention throughout thanks to a win Thursday from Olivia Gruver in the pole vault, followed by victories Saturday from Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in the 100 hurdles (12.70) and freshman Sydney McLaughlin in the 400 hurdles (53.96).

McLaughlin confirmed following the 4x400 relay it would be her last meet representing Kentucky, with sights set on turning professional. She has yet to hire an agent or sign a professional contract, but expects to compete June 22 at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Georgia senior Keturah Orji became only the fifth female athlete in Division 1 history to win an outdoor event four times, adding to her triple jump legacy with a leap of 46-0.75 (14.04m). Orji is the most decorated women’s field-event athlete with eight career indoor and outdoor national titles, including her long jump championship from Thursday.

Only former Wisconsin distance runner Suzy Favor, a four-time outdoor 800 winner from 1987-90, has more career individual titles with nine.

Orji’s performance, along with freshman Lynna Irby running the second-fastest time in NCAA history of 49.80 to win the 400 title over Ellis (50.19) and placing third in the 200 (22.92), helped place Georgia in championship contention again following last year’s runner-up effort and the Bulldogs’ indoor team title in March.

Louisa Grauvogel contributed eight significant points with her runner-up effort in the heptathlon in a personal-best 6,074 points, trailing only Wisconsin fifth-year senior Georgia Ellenwood (6,146 points). Jessica Drop helped Georgia pass Stanford for the temporary team lead when she placed seventh in the 5,000 final after Tatiana Gusin had finished seventh in the high jump for the Bulldogs.

Stanford led the majority of Saturday, relying on Elise Cranny (4:09.49) and Christina Aragon (4:09.59) finishing third and fourth in the 1,500, along with Olivia Baker placing fifth (2:06.18) in the 800.

In a 10-minute span prior to the 4x400, Vanessa Fraser went from first to fourth in the 5,000 and Valarie Allman was overtaken in the final two rounds of the discus throw by Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen and Kansas State’s Shadae Lawrence, keeping the team hopes alive for Georgia and USC.

Ewen produced a throw of 198-5 (60.48m) on her final throw to move past Lawrence (195-9/59.68m) to reverse the order from last year’s final.

Missouri senior Karissa Schweizer repeated in the 5,000, surging past Fraser on the final lap to prevail in 15:41.58. Schweizer became the first female athlete to secure back-to-back 5,000 titles since Dartmouth standout Abbey D'Agostino in 2012-13.

LSU finished sixth with 41 points, with Aleia Hobbs surviving a hailstorm and a headwind to capture the 100 title in 11.01, in addition to contributing to a 4x100 championship in 42.25 with Mikiah Brisco, Kortnei Johnson and Rachel Misher.

Boise State sophomore Allie Ostrander became the first female athlete since former Colorado star Jenny (Barringer) Simpson in 2008-09 to repeat in the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:39.28.

Jessica Hull became the final Oregon athlete to win a title at Hayward Field, running a personal-best 4:08.75 in the 1,500 to prevail against former Ducks’ talent and Arkansas senior Nikki Hiltz (4:09.14).

Texas A&M freshman Sammy Watson captured the 800 championship in 2:04.21, ending Oregon’s four-year title reign in the event.

Texas Arlington junior Alexus Henry survived a steady downpour and a weather delay to prevail in the women’s high jump by clearing 5-11.50 (1.82m), edging Cincinnati’s Loretta Blaut and UC Davis’ Erinn Beattie on fewer misses, becoming the first female athlete in program history to win a Division 1 title.