When Brandon Johnson was forced to miss last year’s dual meet with USC, the Trojans would not let the hurdler live his absence down. They thought he was missing the meet on purpose, too frightened to race against Kai Kelley, USC’s answer to Johnson.
This time around, the senior is out to put those rumors to rest.
“Last year, I didn’t run, and there were a few comments made about me being scared to run against (Kelley),” Johnson said at USC’s Heritage Hall on Tuesday. “I just have to let you know, that for a year that has rested on my shoulders, and I guarantee you that there is not a piece of me that is scared of (Kelley).”
Johnson’s fervor is emblematic of the camaraderie surrounding the storied UCLA-USC dual meet which will return for its 75th installment this Saturday at Loker Stadium at USC.
Aside from the showdown between Kelley and Johnson in the 400-meter hurdles, the weekend’s meet will feature several key matchups and should come down to the wire, as it seems to do every year.
The No. 14 Bruins currently carry a 5-year winning streak into Saturday’s meet and sport a gaudy 28-1 record over the last 29 years, but that statistic means nothing to the Trojans who are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation and are out to prove that they will not go down quietly.
“(This dual meet) isn’t something that is supposed to be friendly,” said Lionel Larry, USC’s nationally ranked 400 meters runner, “I know all about the crosstown rivalry. I am from Southern California, from the city of Compton, so this isn’t something I take lightly.”
While the Trojans will undoubtedly be able to exploit UCLA’s lack of sprinters, the Bruins have the definite edge in the distances, effectively canceling out the two aforementioned areas.
Ultimately, the meet may come down to the throws as both schools boast a bevy of talented and nationally ranked athletes in the shot put, discus and hammer.
“The throws group is the stronghold of our team this year,” USC coach Ron Allice said. “(The throws) will be very, very competitive between these two schools that have tremendous tradition.”
The meet will kick off on Friday with the hammer competition where sophomore Boldizsar Kocsor will look to pull the same upset he did last year against USC star Adam Midles.
On Saturday, the Bruins look primed to score big in the discus, but will run into trouble with USC’s big tandem of Noah Bryant and Will Denbo in the shot put.
If the Bruins are to come out victorious this weekend, a handful of athletes will have to cover several areas in order to maximize their points. Johnson, for example, will be featured in not only his signature event, the 400-meter hurdles, but also in the open 400 meters and the 4×400 relay.
“This is a very big meet for everybody,” Johnson said. “We have a lot riding on it and I am fired up to run.”
With the meet in all likelihood coming down to just a few points once again, the biggest deciding factor may be home-field advantage as the Trojans will be amped up to defend their turf and bring their losing streak to an end.
“We are here at ‘SC, nothing is going to come easy,” Larry said. “This is my house, you have to come and get what you want.”