USC Trojans

On Another Level

2013-05-23T23:28:50Z

In his prime, Tiger Woods appeared to be playing a different course than his opponents as he won majors by double-digit margins. As a team, No. 1 USC women's golf is putting on a similarly dominant show at the NCAA Championships.

After three rounds, the Women of Troy sit at 19-under, 17 strokes ahead of the closest competition. Meanwhile, freshman Annie Park is atop the individual tournament standings at 9-under after posting another round under par (70, 67 and 70).

Click here for the full recap.

While Park continues to set the pace, she is hardly a one woman band. Fellow freshman Kyung Kim posted the Trojans best round of the day with a 3-under 69 to move into fourth place overall, and junior Sophia Popov is tied for 11th at 1-under.

Eighteen holes stand between the Trojans and a national championship. The Women of Troy's tee time with history is set at 12:59 p.m. ET (9:59 a.m. PT) on Friday.

Park ponders her predicament at 12 before make birdie on four of the final six holes.

(Photo by Paul Goldberg)

Haden on Coliseum Lease

2013-05-23T21:45:14Z

Dear Trojan Athletic Family:

When thinking of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, it immediately triggers my earliest memories of attending USC football games as a ten-year-old boy with my father. Although watching from afar, the connection made to this venerable stadium was close and impactful and has carried with me my entire life. I'm sure each of you has your own personal connection to the Coliseum, or perhaps the Sports Arena, or Exposition Park. More broadly, our entire country has connected with this national landmark as the host of two Olympic Games, the World Series, the Super Bowl, and, of course, to a prominent chapter of collegiate football history as the home of the USC Trojans.

As many of you have followed recently in the media, USC and the Coliseum Commission finalized a lease agreement that will permit USC to operate the Coliseum and Sports Arena on a day-to-day basis and make meaningful improvements to the Coliseum to ensure that this national treasure is maintained and enhanced for the benefit of all Angelenos.

The Coliseum Commission does not own the parking lots in Exposition Park so, before the lease could be finalized, USC had to negotiate a parking agreement with the State of California to ensure that the Coliseum and Sports Arena would be provided with adequate parking for events. Over the past year, USC met with representatives of the State, the California Science Center Board, and all of the Exposition Park entities to structure a parking agreement. These collaborative conversations and negotiations were formalized in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between USC and the State, which we believe adequately addresses all of the stakeholders' needs to ensure that every park entity, including the Coliseum and Sports Arena, can be successful.

The State is holding public hearings to gather feedback on the MOU. Please familiarize yourself with the MOU and consider attending a public hearing to speak in support of the transaction. The meetings will be held as follows:

Thursday, May 30th at 6:00 pm at the California African American Museum
Saturday, June 1st at 10:00 am at the California Science Center
Wednesday, June 5th at 9:00 am at the California Science Center Board Room (PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SCIENCE CENTER BOARD WILL VOTE ON JUNE 5TH)

If you are interested in attending and speaking in support of this agreement, please contact David Galaviz for more information at dgalaviz@usc.edu. If you'd prefer to send your comments by e-mail, please direct your email to comments@re.usc.edu. For letters, please send them to:

Ms. Fabian R. Wesson
Chairperson, California Science Center Board of Directors
c/o USC University Relations
3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 260, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0018

This historic agreement will ensure that generations of Angelenos can share and create their own special collection of memories at the Coliseum, not just at USC football games but through the many special cultural and community events that will continue to be held at the Coliseum for years to come. Our athletic department is committed to improving the overall fan experience for all events through an array of capital and service improvements. These public hearings and your support of USC in this endeavor is the first step in making this happen. We look forward to seeing you.

Fight On!

Patrick C. Haden
Director of Athletics
University of Southern California

The Countdown Continues...

2013-05-23T18:37:24Z

Remember, follow @USC_Athletics on Instagram for the Audi Drive to Kickoff as we reveal great Trojans by their jersey number.

Kurt Barber made the All-Pac-10 second team as a Trojan before being drafted in the second round in 1992 with the 42nd overall pick. He was the first ever USC letterman from the state of Kentucky, but he has since been joined by current LB Lamar Dawson.

Monica Vavic Gets the Nod

2013-05-23T18:28:19Z

After securing her first NCAA title and the MPSF Player of the Year award, Monica Vavic has earned a call-up to the U.S. national women's water polo team for the 2013 FINA World League Super Final in China. The current Trojan will be joined on the squad by former greats and Olympic gold medalists Kami Craig and Tumua Anae.

Click here for the full story.

Vavic is still in the running for the Cutino Award given to the nation's best women's water polo player.

Going Stag

2013-05-23T18:06:44Z

With the team national championships decided (Stanford women and Virginia men), USC men's and women's tennis' top talents are pursuing the NCAA singles title in Illinois. After day one, five Trojans remain in the hunt led by No. 2 Sabrina Santamaria and No. 9-16 Ray Sarmiento.

Click here for all the results.

No. 6 Emilio Gomez, the top seed on the men's side for USC, was upset in the first round by Jarryd Botha from Alabama. Women of Troy senior No. 9-16 Danielle Lao saw her career come to an end after losing a three-setter to Breaunna Addison from Texas.

Sarmiento will take on Notre Dame's Greg Andrews in the round of 32 today.

Women's Golf Going Low

2013-05-22T23:17:47Z

No. 1 USC women's golf shot the lowest round in NCAA Championships history with a 12-under 276 to take a 12-stroke lead at the midway point of the tournament. The Women of Troy were once again led by freshman Annie Park, who sits in second on the individual leaderboard after a 5-under 67.

Click here for the complete recap.

While Park remains the pacesetter, Andrea Gaston's team had four players shoot under par. Juniors Sophia Popov and Rachel Morris followed their opening round 71s with matching 70s on day two, and they sit in a sixth place tie as individuals.

Here are the highlights and the coach's reaction from a record-setting day in Georgia:

Gettin' Freaky

2013-05-22T22:04:22Z

USC All-American Marqise Lee is ranked No. 5 on Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List" of the best athletes in college football. Our question: How can their be four athletes better than Lee?

Click here for the list.

Alright, No. 1 Jadeveon Clowney, the South Carolina defensive end who did this last year, is a beast, but Lee concedes an athletic advantage to no man. The Trojans first ever Biletnikoff Award winner spends his offseason long jumping, and could have been a world class decathlete in another life.

The junior is looking to improve upon his sophomore numbers (118 receptions for 1,721 yards and 14 TDs), while the possibility of playing both ways has been floated by the coaching staff.

Football 101 Part III

2013-05-22T21:23:17Z

Layla Kiffin and the USC football coaches' wives have invited the Women of Troy to the third annual Football 101 on Tuesday, June 11. Participants will experience a football camp day at the John McKay Center, Howard Jones Field and the Galen Dining Center.

Click here for your invitation!

The day will include team meetings, a tour of the John McKay Center and a scrimmage on the practice field. Please wear comfortable shoes and clothes so you can participate in the drills and scrimmages.

All proceeds will benefit women's athletic scholarships.

Call 213-740-4164 with any questions.

Audi Drive to Kickoff

2013-05-22T19:29:15Z

99 days until kickoff...

With the help of Audi and some all-time Trojan greats, we are counting down every day from now to the USC football season opener in Hawaii on our Instagram page.

Click here to follow USC on Instagram.

Tied One After One

2013-05-22T00:31:04Z

No. 1 USC women's golf is tied for first with San Jose State after round one of the four-day NCAA Championships in Athens, Georgia. The Women of Troy continue to be led by freshman Annie Park (pictured), the Pac-12 individual champion, who shot a 2-under 70 and sits in a fourth place tie on the individual leaderboard.

Click here for the full story.

As a team, the Trojans showed remarkable consistency with Sophia Popov (71), Rachel Morris (71), Doris Chen (72) and Kyung Kim (74) all posting solid rounds.

Student Season Ticket Deadline

2013-05-21T21:56:12Z

USC students have three more days to purchase their 2013 football season tickets. The seven-game package costs $175 per person including headline match-ups with UCLA, Stanford and Boston College.

Click here to purchase!!!

Harberts Makes Team USA

2013-05-21T21:41:30Z

Having already won a gold medal with the Under-18 team at the 2010 FIBA Americas Championship, USC women's basketball senior Cassie Harberts will pursue another one at the World University Games. The All-Pac-12 center made the 12-player cut from a group of 33 candidates to earn a spot on Team USA for the competition starting July 11 in Russia.

Click here for the full story.

"I was in shock. I still feel like this isn't real life," said Harberts about making the team. "Just seeing a lot of these players come in here in the training camp, and seeing how great they are outside their own college basketball teams, I'm just honored to be a part of the team."

Harberts will don the Team USA jersey for the first time since 2010.

(Photo by Glenn Nelson/ESPN.com)

Photo Gallery: Baseball Senior Day

2013-05-21T18:46:37Z

USC baseball honored its 2013 senior class before Sunday's home finale against UCLA, which the Trojans dropped 5-2. Matt Munson, Adam Landecker, Nick Berhel and Greg Zebrack made up the quartet of seniors playing for the last time at Dedeaux Field.

Click here for the full story.

Here is a photo gallery of the day's ceremonies and action courtesy of Pierson Clair:

Coaches Tour Guests

2013-05-21T18:02:44Z

Along with Lane Kiffin and Andy Enfield, USC student-athletes from football and men's basketball will join the Coaches' Tour this spring.

Click here for Coaches' Tour info and reservations.

Here is the expected lineup of student-athletes at each stop:

Manhattan Beach (Tonight) - WR Nelson Agholor and SG J.T. Terrell
Pasadena (Thursday) - RB Silas Redd and SG J.T. Terrell
San Diego (May 28) - OLB Devon Kennard and TBA
Indian Wells (May 31) - TBA
San Francisco (June 5) - QB Cody Kessler and PG Chass Bryan

Palo Alto (June 6) - QB Cody Kessler and PG Chass Bryan

Senior RB Silas Redd will be one of the offensive leaders of this year's team.

Kiffin and Trojans Hit Community

2013-05-20T23:30:20Z

Head coach Lane Kiffin, his family and his team led the opening warmups for the participants of A Walk to Africa, a Santa Monica event that raises money for humanitarian trips to Africa. The Trojans in attendance took the runners through a stretching routine and then kicked off the race.

Trojans pictured from left to right: OL Zach Banner, OL Jordan Simmons, DB Gerald Bowman, DB Demetrius Wright, DL George Uko, Lane Kiffin with his son Knox, K Alex Wood, LB Marquis Simmons, OL Chad Wheeler and WR Eric Matranga.