Ducks Roll Up 185 Points To Remain On Top Of Conference Perch In Men's Track And Field; Cockrell, Terry Lead USC Women To Another Victory

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

In the two years since the last Pac-12 Conference Outdoor Championships, the world changed but the West coast's track powers remained intact. 

The Oregon men got Sunday wins from Cole Hocker (5,000) and Cooper Teare (1,500) and used superior depth throughout to claim their 14th straight conference championship at Loker Stadium on the campus of USC in Los Angeles. The Ducks scored 185 points. 

“(185 points) is a big number at a conference meet and what it shows is that we’re a complete team. We do a good job of scoring in a multitude of events. I’m super proud to see their work pay off and also excited to see them be able to continue the conference legacy of this program," Oregon coach Robert Johnson said. 

The USC women, likewise, maintained possession of the conference championship thanks to a hurdles double by Anna Cockrell, a 100/200 sweep for Twanisha Terry, and a whopping 30 points oin the 400 meters final. The Trojans scored 162.50 points to Oregon's 151. 

PHOTOS - Phil Yearian

Hocker produced one of the moments of the meet when he burst out of an absurdly large pack (55 men started the 5,000 meters and 38 finished) and dashed to the front with 600 meters to go and then sprinted away from the field, including Teare, who placed second. Hocker won his first conference title in 13:32.68. 

That victory made up for one of Oregon's unexpected losses to USC, in the 800 meters final. 

Isaiah Jewett made a bold charge to the front early, going out in 52.09, and ran away from Oregon trio Charlie Hunter (the NCAA indoor champion), Hocker and Luis Peralta. Jewett ran 1:45.16 for the second-fastest time in SC history and an NCAA leading time. 

Another surprise came in the men's 100 meters, where Oregon freshman Micah Williams lost for the first time as a college athlete. Davonte Burnett of USC squeezed past Williams in the final five meters to win 10.05 to 10.09. Burnett also won the 200 in 20.55. 

Yet in all three cases -- the 800, the 100 and the 200 -- Oregon scored more overall points than USC. 

Another of Oregon's NCAA champions, triple jumper Emmanuel Ihemeje, lost to a USC jumper, Jordan Scott, by the slimmest of margins. 

Ihemeje got off just one legal jump, 16.60m (54-5.50). Scott matched that in the third round and by virtue of having a better second mark broke the tie and won the event. 

Arizona State freshman Jamar Marshall led a 1-2 finish for the Sun Devils in the 110-meter hurdles, running 13.49. 

Cameron Samuel of USC won the 400 hurdles in 49.09 seconds. 

USC Women Roll Up Big Points In Sprints

Cockrell responded to a challenge from UCLA's Shae Anderson and Arizona's Shannon Meisberger coming around the final curve, swingning into high gear and running through the finish line in 54.77 for a lifetime best and world No. 3 performance this year. 

Cockrell also won the 100-meter hurdles in 12.77 and led a 1-2-3 finish with Jasmine Jones and Mecca McGlaston.

Terry beat Oregon's Kemba Nelson, the indoor 60 meters champion, in the 100 meters, 11.10 seconds to 11.29 as Trojans and Ducks filled six of the top seven places. 

Terry returned to the track less than an hour later and beat teammate Anglerne Annelus, the 2019 NCAA champion, in the 200 meters, 22.72 to 22.86. Lanae-Tava Thomas made it another 1-2-3 sweep for USC by taking third in 23.03. Oregon's Nelson was fourth. 

Kyra Constantine won the 400 meters in 51.16 and UCLA's Melani Rodney was second in 51.32. But USC went 3-4-5-6-7 in the race with Nicole Yeargin, Bailey Lear, Jan'Taijah Ford, Rae-Ann Serville and Kimberly Harris all contributing to a 30-point total out of a single event. 

That really left no doubt about the final event, the 4x400 relay, which USC won in 3:30.41. Anderson made a late charge for UCLA to close the gap a bit, taking second in 3:31.74.

Stanford's Ella Donaghu and Julia Heymach won distance races for the Cardinal. Donaghu captured her first Pac-12 title in the 1,500 meters, running 4:15.43 and holding off Colorado's Micaela Degenero, who was second in 4:15.80. 

Donaghu returned later to place third in the 800 meters. Colorado's Sage Hurta dominated that final, running 2:01.53 for the second-fastest time in the NCAA this spring. 

Heymach was second in the 800 (2:02.91) and then came back to the track and won the 5,000 with a stunning last lap to separate from Oregon's Carmela Cardama Baez and win in 15:40.74. Colorado's Abby Nichols was second in 15:44.47 and Cardama Baez was third in 15:45.82. 

Arizona State's Jorinde Van Klinken launched the farthest discus throw in country on Sunday with a toss that covered 205 feet, 3 inches (62.58m). 

Oregon's Dominique Ruotolo won the triple jump by going nearly a foot past her personal best, with 44-9.75 (13.66m).