Canadian Kyra Constantine helps bring USC to relay and team victory at NCAA championships

The @usc_track_field Women of Troy had to win the 4x400m to win the national championship.

WATCH WHAT #FIGHTON LOOKS LIKE! pic.twitter.com/BOrISxUXXq

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 10, 2018

Kyra Constantine of Toronto, Ont. helped her team to 4x400m victory in one of the most exciting races of the NCAA championships. 

RELATED: Georgia Ellenwood wins NCAA heptathlon

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj07ua8AaGL/?taken-by=usc_athletics

The University of Southern California sophomore ran a 52 second opening leg to put the USC Trojans in fourth. From there, her teammates maintained fourth position for the next two laps.

The hand-off between Deanna Hill and anchor leg runner, Kendall Ellis was a disaster, almost causing both women to fall and drop the baton, which would likely result in disqualification. 

Ellis recovered and ran one of the most exciting last laps of the meet, to close out the Championship and bring her team to victory. She split 50 seconds on her last lap just out-leaning Purdue’s anchor. Purdue had led the entire race. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj02uB6l-Oe/?tagged=usc

Going into the 4x400m race, USC was behind Georgia for the women’s team title. However, if USC could pull of a win in the 4x400m, they would eclipse Georgia by one point to become the NCAA Champions. 

The final score in the team competition was USC 53 to Georgia’s 52 points. 

Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert was reportedly, “a wreck” before the 4x400m race. Smith Gilbert now becomes the fourth woman in history to coach an NCAA track champion. 

Click here to read more about the top Canadian performances at the NCAA Championships.