Oregon Sprinters Micah Williams, Jadyn Mays Post Nation-Leading 60m Times; USC's Omotade Ojora (60m Hurdles) One Of Four Early Season No. 1s

Story and Photos by Keenan Gray of DyeStat

SPOKANE – The USC and Oregon men’s and women’s teams put on a sprint and hurdle clinic to open their 2023 indoor seasons at The Podium in Spokane on Friday at the Cougar Classic with multiple nation-leading times.

Oregon sprint standout Micah Williams’ quest for a second NCAA indoor title in the 60-meter began with a first-place run of 6.54 seconds to rank him No. 1 in the country in only the third week of the season.

“Just ready to get back to work,” Williams said. “Been a long six months, so it’s good to brush the dust off so I’ll be ready for more in about two weeks.”

Williams comes into his junior season on the road to redemption after he went undefeated in the 60 last winter but saw his streak come to an end at the NCAA Championships when he false started in the preliminary round. 

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“I’m really just focused on one day at a time,” Williams said. “Things happen, and that’s life, so I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’ll be ready.”

Following Williams was Ducks teammate Jadyn Mays on the women’s side as she posted two top marks in the country in both the 60 and 200 races, running 7.25 seconds and 23.18 seconds. 

“I feel pretty good about the times,” said Mays, an all-American in the 60 last season. “I obviously know there are some things that I can fix, which I’m happy about since it’s the first meet. I’m glad I didn’t go out there and felt like everything was executed perfectly because then we have a lot of left to go.”

The USC men and women totaled four nation-leading marks led by individuals Omotade Ojora and Jan’Taijah Jones. Ojora clocked a personal best time of 7.68 seconds to win the men’s 60-meter hurdles and Jones won the women’s 400 in 53.63. 

Both 4x400 relay teams for USC came away with wins as the men’s team, made up of William Jones, Ashton Allen, Tamall Myers and Chris Borzor, ran 3:10.16; the women’s team, made up of Bailey Lear, Takiya Cenci, Caisja Chandler and Rae-Anne Serville, ran 3:37.92.

The Oregon women finished second behind the Trojans, posting the second fastest time in the country at 3:39.80.

Summer Mosley of USC broke her own school record on her final throw in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 63-9 (18.17m) to surpass Fresno State’s Cierra Jackson (63-0.25).

Allen won the men’s 400 for the Trojans in a time of 47.13 seconds. 

Michael Phillippy, transfer from Princeton, made his USC debut with a 47.59 second run in the 400. His time ranks fifth in the nation.

Washington State hurdle stars Maribel Caicedo and Micaela De Mello continued their fast start to the year with another pair of personal best efforts. Caicedo lowered her season debut time of 8.29 seconds down to 8.05 seconds to win the women’s 60 hurdles to takeover the top mark in the NCAA, while teammate De Mello finished second in 8.20, ranking her fourth in the nation.

Montana State’s Chris Bianchini held off USC’s Jack Carter to win the men’s 800 in 1:51.36. 

A few freshman stars also made their collegiate debuts and posted respective marks, with three of them coming away with wins. 

Washington State’s Mason Lawyer took the men’s 200 in a time of 21.52 seconds and Ronald Grueso Mosqquera won the men’s shot put with a throw of 56-10.75 (17.34m). USC’s JC Stevenson won the men’s long jump in a mark of 24-1.50 (7.50m). 

USC’s Christine Mallard, Brooks PR champion in the girls 400 last spring, finished second in the 200 in a time of 23.46 seconds, standing second in the nation.

William Jones, New Balance Indoor runner-up in the 400, clocked 47.50 seconds to finish second in the 400 for the Trojans, ranking him fourth in the country.