COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A world record was registered in the men’s 4x400m relay at Saturday’s (10 March) NCAA Indoor Championships, but it was the first team that crossed the finish line.

Southern California ran the fastest ever time of 3:00.77 in the final, but it was second placed Texas A&M’s time of 3:01.39 that will stand as the world record.

The winners used Zach Shinnick (46.24), Ricky Morgan (45.67), Michael Norman (44.52) and Rai Benjamin (44.35), but the later is from Antigua so they did not fulfill the rule about runners from the same country.

However, Texas A&M with its quartet of Ilolo Izu (46.57), Robert Grant (44.84), Devin Dixon (45.48) and Mylik Kerley (44.52) were all US runners.

“A world record is when you have four of the same nationality on the same team,” explained Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry.

“I don’t care what anyone says, USC owns the world record in the 4x400m relay. No four men in the history of the world have run faster indoors than the Trojans did tonight,” said USC Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert.

Henry continued: “This is the first time USC has been in the mix lately and they’re going to stay in the mix, because they have some good young talent. They are very, very good. It’s going to be some great races over the next couple of years.”

Also, the third place team Florida achieved third fastest ever time of 3:01.43, but they too had in the mix Nigerian Kunle Fasasi (46.42) and Jamaican Chantz Sawyers (45.36).

All three teams were faster than Poland at World Indoors 3:01.77, at that time World Indoor record.

In women 4×400 m USC also won with 3:27.45 ahead of Purdue 3:28.82.

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