March 9, 2013

Final Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - All three Ole Miss athletes competing at this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships scored points for the Rebels as the 2013 indoor season came to a close at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Sophomore Sam Kendricks and senior Ricky Robertson combined for nine points on the weekend, good enough for Ole Miss to tie with Texas for 23rd place in the team standings. It's the men's ninth top-25 team indoor finish in school history and the third in the last four seasons.

Freshman Asia Cooper scored a point for the Rebel women, which resulted in a four-way tie with North Carolina, Ohio State and Georgia Tech for 52nd place.

On Friday it was Kendricks who got the Rebels' scoring started with a third-place finish in the pole vault, setting a school record with his clearance of 18-4-5. The sophomore from Oxford, Miss., collected six team points for his efforts.

Saturday saw Robertson add more points for the men and Cooper get the Rebel women on the board.

Battling abdominal pain, Robertson cleared 7-5 in the high jump to place sixth and earn three team points. It was one inch shy of his indoor personal best and a mark that would have won the national title a year ago in Nampa, Idaho. The senior from Hernando, Miss., has now placed ninth or better in the high jump at four straight NCAA Indoor Championships and will once again receive All-America honors.

He also competed in the triple jump, but after fouling on his first attempt he was in too much pain to continue.

"Ricky competed like a warrior tonight," head coach Brian O'Neal said. "He's been battling injuries over the last couple of weeks and had to have an injection in his abdomen last week to relieve some swelling. Every jump he was wincing in pain, and he still put up a mark that would have won the meet last year. He gave a great effort trying to get a mark for us in the triple jump, but he just couldn't do it."

Cooper finished eighth in the 60-meter final with a time of 7.41 on Saturday. The Jackson, Miss., native was the second Ole Miss woman ever to make the 60-meter final.

"I'm happy for Asia," O'Neal said. "She came into this season as a virtual unknown and has quickly made a name for herself both on the SEC level and now on the NCAA level by being a first team All-American after today's result."

Arkansas captured the men's team title, while Oregon won the women's title. Ole Miss was one of eight SEC teams to finish in the top 25 on the men's side, while seven SEC women's teams placed in the top 25.

Ole Miss will move outdoors for the rest of 2013, starting with the SEC/Big Ten Challenge on March 23 in Starkville, Miss.

COMPLETE AGATE

Men's High Jump
6. Ricky Robertson - 7-5 (3 points)

Men's Pole Vault
3. Sam Kendricks - 18-4.5 (6 points)

Men's Triple Jump
Ricky Robertson - FOUL

Women's 60 Meter Final
8. Asia Cooper - 7.41 (1 point)

Women's 60 Meter Prelims
8. Asia Cooper - 7.31q