Rai Benjamin wins men’s 400-meter hurdles two years in a row for different schools; Chloe Berry delivers big win in women’s 3,000 meters for Trojans, who prevail for fifth straight year

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Rai Benjamin made history Sunday in the 85th edition of the USC-UCLA men’s track and field dual meet at Drake Stadium.

Chloe Berry produced one of the most memorable moments in the 35 years of women’s competition involving the crosstown rivals.

Benjamin followed his 400-meter hurdles win for UCLA last year, which contributed to the Bruins’ overall victory, by winning the event again in 49.84 seconds for USC to help the Trojans prevail for the first time since 2015 with a 103-53 triumph.

Berry picked up a rare distance win for the Trojans when they needed it most, capturing the 3,000 meters in 10:17.89 to propel USC to an 86-77 victory, their fifth in a row in the series and 10th in the past 11 meetings.

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The sweep was the first for USC since 2015 and the Trojans’ first at UCLA since 2010. USC leads the men’s overall series 44-41 and UCLA still holds a 22-13 advantage in the women’s annual meeting.

USC fell behind 31-5 in the women’s competition after only four events and despite Angie Annelus, Deanna Hill, Kendall Ellis and Twanisha Terry helping the Trojans win the 4x100 for the 14th consecutive year in a meet-record 43.14, the visitors still trailed by 17 points at the halfway mark.

But Ellis led a sweep in the 400, running 51.72, as did Hill by helping the Trojans take the top three spots in the 100 with her victory in a wind-legal 11.26, giving USC its first lead at 48-47.

UCLA rebounded with first- and third-place finishes in the 800 from Jacquelyn Hill (2:10.51) and Cassie Durgy (2:12.35) to regain the advantage at 53-51, but Anna Cockrell led a USC sweep in the 400 hurdles with her 56.24 effort, followed by Annelus (22.89) and Terry (23.09) taking the top two spots in the 200 and the Trojans built a 68-54 advantage.

Although UCLA made one final push with Alyssa Wilson (180-9/55.11m) and Ashlie Blake (170-2/51.87m) taking the top two spots in the discus throw, Berry’s performance was the most significant of the meet for USC, since the Trojans were projected to be shut out in the event.

Wilson also won the hammer throw with a personal-best 205-4 (62.60m) and took second in the shot put at 55-8.25 (16.97m), with Blake earning the victory for UCLA at 56-1 (17.09m).

Jessie Maduka won the women’s triple jump in her outdoor opener with a leap of 44-8.25 (13.62m) and Efe Agege placed third for the Bruins at 39-10.50 (12.15m), forcing USC to win the 4x400 relay to secure the overall victory, although the Trojans received another clutch effort from Courtney Corrin to give them the lead entering the final event.

After Corrin and Madisen Richards both had long jumps of 20-9.75 (6.34m) to contribute to a USC sweep, Corrin returned to take second in the triple jump in her collegiate debut in the event with a leap of 39-11.50 (12.18m) on her final attempt to move past Agege for second.

USC cruised to victory in the 4x400 in 3:37.04, with Kaelin Roberts, Cockrell, Hill and Ellis allowing the Trojans to match their longest winning streak in series history at five straight years.

Although USC trailed early in the men’s competition as well, the Trojans grabbed the lead by the midway point and never relinquished control.

Nathan Bultman (171-0/52.13m) and Nick Ponzio (164-4/50.10m) took the top two spots in the discus throw, then Michael Norman (44.74) and Ricky Morgan Jr. (45.87) produced a 1-2 finish in the 400, and the Trojans grabbed a 42-39 advantage. Alexander Barnum (10.29), T.J. Brock (10.37) and Christian Sourapas (10.73) followed with a sweep of the 100 for USC and the Trojans never looked back.

Barnum, Brock, Morgan and Benjamin also teamed up to help USC win the 4x100 in 38.89, just off the 1978 meet record of 38.85.

Although Myles Smith (8:41.49), Robert Brandt (8:49.54) and Colin Burke (8:49.69) secured a late sweep for UCLA in the 3,000, the Bruins managed only one more point with a third-place finish in the shot put, as Ponzio (63-4.75/19.32m) and Bultman (57-7.75/17.57m) took the top two spots for USC.

Robert Ford, Morgan, Norman and Benjamin helped USC score more than 100 points for the seventh time in the series and produce its largest total since 1968 by winning the 4x400 in 3:06.86. Ford also prevailed in the 800 in 1:48.03 for the Trojans.