Editor’s Note: Reese Garland, the writer, is a track and field athlete.
On Monday, as temperatures in downtown Los Angeles reached a record-breaking 104 degrees, USC track and field athletes were outside practicing in the extreme heat.
As the team prepares for the 2027 indoor and outdoor seasons, the athletes are finding ways to adjust to the conditions, which have made their normal workouts feel much more difficult.
“It’s made practice 10 times worse,” USC freshman hurdler Sofia Lopes said.
Graduate student jumper Lauren Reed shared a similar experience, explaining how the heat has affected her before workouts even begin.
“I feel very warmed up, so that’s a good thing, but I haven’t started the workout and I’m gassed,” Reed said.
For other athletes, staying hydrated has become one of the biggest priorities. Freshman hurdler Trevon Foster said he has been using cold towels and drinking more water to help manage the heat.
“The heat has affected my practice immensely. It’s been very hot,” Foster said. “I’ve been using a lot of cold towels and water to stay hydrated. It’s been bad.”
The effects of the heat don’t stop when practice ends. Graduate student sprinter and hurdler Kaycee McCoy said recovery has become even more important because her body gets exhausted faster in the heat.
“When it’s hot for practice, I usually have to hydrate a lot more,” McCoy said.
Sophomore multi-event athlete Leila Croker shared a similar experience, explaining how the exhaustion can carry over into her classes.
“When you’re finished you feel so tired and drained and you can’t focus for your next classes,” Croker said.
For some athletes, these conditions bring additional challenges. Graduate student sprinter and hurdler Asjah Atkinson, who has asthma, said the heat makes it harder for her to breathe during workouts, sometimes requiring longer breaks than usual.
“For me personally I have asthma so the heat activates a different type of asthma for me so I’m constantly struggling to breathe and trying not to pass out because I can’t breathe. I am taking longer breaks than usual which kind of disrupts our workout.” Atkinson said.
Quincy Watts, the USC track and field head coach, said the coaching staff is aware of these challenges and is making adjustments to keep athletes safe.
Watts explained that the team may complete fewer repetitions during workouts and emphasized the importance of working with athletic medicine staff and being mindful of athletes with asthma.
“You may not do as many reps as normal because of the drastic heat conditions and just being smart,” Watts said.
USC jumps and multi-events coach Dino Dodig shared a similar perspective, explaining that although the team has high expectations, athlete health remains a priority.
“Hard work and smart work have to be combined together,” Dodig said.
Dodig explained that because the team is still early in preparation, there is no reason to take unnecessary risks just to prove how hard the athletes can work.
“We as coaches have to play smart and make sure we maintain a level of execution at practices throughout the whole preparation and make sure our athletes are healthy because they will never be underprepared,” Dodig said.
Even with the difficult conditions, athletes understand that the expectations at USC haven’t changed.
“Being able to maintain that championship-level standard means staying disciplined and I know the team has a common goal of winning a championship so we know when adversity faces us to push through it and that’s just how we deal with the heat,” graduate student sprinter and jumper JC Stevenson said.
While the heat has made practices more challenging, some athletes also see the benefits of training in these conditions.
Freshman sprinter Blake Hamilton said practicing in extreme heat can help prepare athletes for different weather conditions they may face during competition.
“A person outside of the team may not realize practicing in this heat makes you better in competition because you’re getting prepared for all different types of weather,” Hamilton said.
For USC track and field, the focus remains on preparing for the 2027 indoor and outdoor seasons while making sure athletes stay healthy and ready to compete.
Edited by Sammie Vassallo and Adriana Brady