USC men defeat UCLA

After suffering consecutive three-point losses against the UCLA men’s track team the previous two years, USC track Coach Ron Allice hoped for only one scenario on Saturday.

“All I wanted to do was get to the 4-by-4,” Allice said.

The Trojans’ 4 x 400-meter relay team came through in the final event of the 75th dual meet between the cross-town rivals, breaking a tie and giving the USC men an 84-79 victory in front of 2,000 at USC’s Loker Stadium. The Trojans ended a five-year losing streak against the Bruins.

Nicole Leach helped UCLA’s women maintain their dominance over the Trojans as the Bruins won for the 15th consecutive time. Leach posted a world-leading mark of 55.60 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles as the Bruins won, 98-65. UCLA won 13 of 19 events and swept the 800, 5,000, pole vault and high jump.

Leach also placed second in the 400 meters and anchored the Bruins’ victorious 4 x 400 relay.

“Every time I get on the track I surprise myself,” Leach said.

USC’s Kai Kelley was perhaps the most shocked participant in the meet after he was disqualified following an apparent victory in the men’s 400 hurdles. Officials ruled that Kelley’s leg went around rather than over the first few hurdles.

If Kelly had won the race, the Trojans probably would have clinched the victory before the 4 x 400 relay. Kelly was happy to run the leadoff leg for a team that also included Raphael Asafo-Agyei, DaSean Cunningham and Lionel Larry. They clocked 3 minutes 7.08 seconds to clinch a team victory that helped ease the memory of two consecutive 83-80 losses against the Bruins.

“We all had a bad taste in our mouths,” said Larry, who also won the 400 meters in 45.41 seconds and anchored the winning 4 x 100 relay.

On a hot and sunny day, USC’s men got help from volleyball player Juan Figueroa, who won the long jump after practicing for three days. “I was just trying to help get us some points -- crazy huh?” said Figueroa, who leaped 25 feet 5 1/2 inches to win.

USC’s Noah Bryant won the shotput with a team-record throw of 67 feet 5 1/2 inches. Ahmad Rashad won the 100 and 200 and also ran a leg of the victorious 4 x 100 relay.

UCLA’s Kamaiya Warren won the women’s shotput (52 feet 4 3/4 inches) and the discus (162-3). USC’s Jessica Onyepunuka won the 100 (11.36) and the 200 (23.43) and also ran a leg for the winning 4 x 100 relay.

gary.klein@latimes.com