It was a busy week for USC athletics in several of the spring sports, here are some updates:
Tennis
The USC men’s tennis team won its fourth straight national title with an exciting 4-2 match victory over Virginia. It was the second year in a row that the Trojans have defeated the Cavaliers for the title. Rain delays and the venue being moved indoors provided drama, and it all came down to freshman Yannick Hanfmann providing the clinching points with his victory.
In the singles competition, senior Steve Johnson won his second national title in a row by defeating Eric Quigley from Kentucky 6-4, 6-4. It was the 72nd singles victory in a row for Johnson and his sixth national title overall (four team titles and two individual).
Track & Field
The Trojans qualified 17 individuals and two relay teams for the NCAA championships which will take place June 6-9 in Iowa.
Among the qualifiers is football starMarqise Lee, who placed seventh at the regional competition in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 25 feet, 5.50 inches.
Here’s a full list of USC qualifiers:
Women: Lauren Blackburn (100m HH), Alitta Boyd (triple jump), Kristine Busa (javelin), Alexandra Collatz (discus), Marissa Minderler (hammer), Dalilah Muhammad (400m IH), Jade Niemeyer (hammer), Jenny Ozorai (hammer), Aareon Payne (200m) and the 4x100m relay team (Loudia Laarman, Payne, Akawkaw Ndipagbor and Jessica Davis)
Men: Aaron Brown (100m, 200m), Joey Hughes (400m), Marqise Lee (Iong jump), Josh Mance (400m), Bryshon Nellum (400m), Davonte Stewart (200m), Daniel Szabo (hammer), Reggie Wyatt (400m IH) and the 4x400m relay team (Nellum, Hughes, Mance, Wyatt, Duane Walker and Scott DeYoung)
Golf
The men’s golf team is currently hosting the NCAA championships at Riviera Country Club. The Trojans have never won a national team title in this sport but are ranked No. 5 coming into the championships. USC has placed in the top 5 in eight of the past nine stroke-play events they have entered.
Soccer
Former USC star Amy Rodriguez was named to the 2012 USA women’s team which will compete at the London Olympics. Rodriguez also was a member of the 2008 team which won a gold medal in Bejing.