Micah Williams’ sprinting days at Oregon are over.
The Olympian and NCAA champion announced on social media Wednesday afternoon that he transferred to Southern California where he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The lifelong Oregonian was a fan favorite at Hayward Field for many years, starting during his standout prep career at Benson High in Portland.
Williams, 22, was a three-time Gatorade Oregon boy’s track and field runner of the year, a two-time state champion and he remains the Oregon high school record-holder in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.21 seconds and 21.03, respectively.
He burst onto the national scene in his first season at Oregon in 2021 as he won an NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships title in the 60 and then went on to finish fifth in the finals of the 100 during the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials to earn a spot in the Team USA relay pool for the Summer Games in Tokyo.
In 2022 he set the school record in the 100 in 9.86 — tied for the second-fastest time in collegiate history. He also recorded a wind-aided 9.83 in 2022, the same season he ran a personal-record 20.05 in the 200, which made him the Ducks’ No. 2 performer all-time. His indoor PR of 6.48 in the 60 is also the school record.
Williams injured his left hamstring early in the 2023 indoor season and was limited for the start of the outdoor season as he eased his way back into 100-meter races.
He won his second straight Pac-12 title in May 2023 then finished seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championships despite running a season-best 9.99 in what would be his final college race at Oregon.
He didn’t compete for the Ducks in 2024 due to a knee injury that took place last fall when he was a reserve wide receiver on the Oregon football team.
After not playing football since his freshman year of high school, Williams joined the Ducks during fall camp, though he never played in a game.
The decision to play football with the Olympics on the upcoming track schedule came back to haunt Williams when he was hurt during a practice and needed surgery.
“He wanted to play football this year and part of us being a coach, a teacher, and educator is letting young people chase things they dream about and are excited about and want to pursue,” Oregon track and field coach Jerry Schumacher said in February. “Selfishly, I didn’t want him to do it, but of course I’m going to support a young person who wants to chase that down.”
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Sprinter Micah Williams leaves Oregon Ducks for USC Trojans
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