LOS ANGELES -- With victories over UCLA this past weekend in women's rowing, women's track and men's tennis and higher finishes over the Bruins at the Pac-12 men's and women's golf championships, USC has secured enough points to clinch the 2011-12 version of the Crosstown Gauntlet.
It is an unprecedented fifth consecutive win for USC in the head-to-head all-sports competition with crosstown rival UCLA.
USC now has 62.5 points in the year-long competition to UCLA's 45, with only the outcome of 3 regular season baseball games May 25-27 to be decided for the 2.5 points still outstanding in the 2011-12 competition (UCLA already beat USC once in baseball earlier this season).
There is the possibility that 2.5 already-awarded USC points could be won back by the Bruins if the men's tennis teams meet in the NCAA post-season and UCLA prevails. But UCLA cannot score enough points to prevent the Gauntlet Trophy from remaining on display in USC's Heritage Hall for a fifth straight year.
Before USC's current 5-year run, the winner of the Crosstown Gauntlet Trophy had alternated every year. After USC captured the inaugural trophy in 2001-02, UCLA won it in 2002-03, USC recaptured it in 2003-04, UCLA won it back in 2004-05, USC claimed it in 2005-06 and then UCLA won it in 2006-07.
Points are awarded to the winner of each Trojan-Bruin contest throughout the year and the Gauntlet Trophy is presented to the school with the most points at year's end. A minimum of 57.5 points is required to win the trophy outright.
