OXFORD, Miss. - The culmination of Ole Miss' indoor track & field season is this weekend, as Rebel athletes Ricky Robertson, Sam Kendricks and Asia Cooper take their talents to the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
The national meet will be held Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center, which also hosted the SEC Indoor Championships two weeks ago.
Fans can watch the ESPN3.com live stream beginning at 5:25 p.m. CT on Friday and 5:50 p.m. CT on Saturday. A highlight package of the two days will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 17.
The three Rebels accepted to the meet will compete in four different events. Representing the No. 23-ranked Ole Miss men will be Robertson in the high jump and triple jump and Kendricks in the pole vault. Cooper will run in the women's 60 meters.
"It's a reward for the great season that they've had so far," Ole Miss head coach Brian O'Neal said. "We're looking to go there and compete for a national championship in their individual events."
New this indoor season, the NCAA accepted the top 16 ranked athletes in the country in each individual event, making it more difficult than ever to earn a spot in the championships field.
Robertson, a senior, ranks third nationally in the high jump (7-6) and eighth in the triple jump (52-8.25). Impressively, he would have also qualified for NCAAs in the long jump if he had submitted an entry, as he ranks 15th in that event (25-2.75).
The Hernando, Miss., native will be making his fourth straight appearance at the NCAA indoor meet. He was the high jump runner-up in 2010 and 2011, and he participated in both the high jump and triple jump last year. Between his indoor and outdoor careers, Robertson is a six-time All-American, six-time SEC champion and holds two school records.
Kendricks ranks eighth among NCAA pole vaulters (18-1.75). The Oxford, Miss., native is making his first NCAA indoor appearance. He was a second team All-American last year after placing 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Just a sophomore, he already owns both the indoor and outdoor school pole vault records.
Senior Morris Kersh just missed the cut in the triple jump. He ranks 20th nationally (51-11.75).
As a team, the Ole Miss men placed 56th at last year's NCAA indoor meet with two points from Isiah Young in the 60 meters. Two years ago, they placed 11th.
Cooper has burst onto the college scene as a rookie and ranks ninth in the women's 60 meters (7.31). The Jackson, Miss., native is the top-ranked freshman in the country and placed fifth at the recent SEC Indoor Championships. Her season-best time of 7.31, which was converted from 7.29 due to altitude in Albuquerque, ranks her third-best in school history.
Junior Allegra Wells just missed the cut in the long jump. She ranks 22nd nationally (20-4.5).
As a team, the Ole Miss women did not score at last year's NCAA indoor meet. They came in 23rd place in 2011.
Schedule of Events for Ole Miss Athletes
Friday: 5:30 p.m. - Men's Pole Vault Final 6:55 p.m. - Women's 60m Semifinals
Saturday: 3:30 p.m. - Men's High Jump Final 6:00 p.m. - Men's Triple Jump Trials & Final 7:00 p.m. - Women's 60m Final
Behind Bobby Wahl and Mike Mayers, sophomore right-hander Sam Smith has quietly put together a stellar season in his own right. The regular third starter in the weekend rotation, the Lake Charles, La., native is 3-0 with a 3.11 ERA... read more
No. 6 Ole Miss (37-20, 15-15 SEC) vs. No. 3 Arkansas (35-19, 18-11 SEC)May 22 | 9:30 a.m. | Hoover, Ala. | Comcast Sports Southeast/ESPN3UM So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.28 ERA) vs. UA Jr. RHP Barrett Astin (4-4, 2.02... read more
WHAT HAPPENED VS. KENTUCKY: On four days' rest, junior right-hander Mike Mayers pitched a gem, giving up one run (unearned) on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work, as No. 6 seed Ole Miss... read more
Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15 SEC) vs. UK SR LHP Jerad Grundy (6-5, 4.75 ERA)1. LF Tanner Mathis (0-for-7, 3 BB)2, SS Austin Anderson (2-for-6)3. C Stuart Turner (2-for-3, HR, 2 BB)4. 3B Andrew Mistone (5-for-9, 3 2B, 3B)5. CF Auston... read more
No. 6 Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15 SEC) vs. No. 11 Kentucky (30-24, 11-19 SEC) May 21 | 9:30 a.m. | Hoover, Ala. | Fox Sports Net/ESPN3 UM Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-5, 3.21 ERA) vs. UK Sr. LHP Jerad Grundy... read more
My name is Austin Miller, and I am the new writer and blogger for OleMissSports.com. I graduated with a bachelor's in journalism from Ole Miss less than two weeks ago, and I will be attending graduate school there in the... read more
It was exciting news this week as Rebel favorite Tom Luke returned to the Ole Miss football program as Assistant A.D. for Player Development. A second-generation Rebel and the brother of fellow Ole Miss standout and staffer Matt Luke, Tom... read more
A little more than a year into his first term as Ole Miss Athletics Director, Ross Bjork made his first trip to Starkville this week but did so for a good cause. Bjork and Bulldog AD Scott Stricklin joined forces... read more
Despite losing the All-American twin duo of Marcel and Chris Thiemann and playing in the toughest conference in America, Ole Miss finished the 2013 regular season with a ranking of No. 7 in the nation.The regular season was highlighted by... read more
The Rebels' uniform modifications for the 2013 football season were released during the BancorpSouth Grove Bowl. Facebook Photo Gallery Follow me on twitter @CampbellKyle.... read more
Injuries have riddled the Ole Miss football team this spring, and after evaluating the situation this week, the coaching staff determined a full scale scrimmage would not be an option for this year's BancorpSouth Grove Bowl. As a result, the... read more
Former Ole Miss All-Americans and collegiate top-10 doubles duo Kristi Boxx and Abby Guthrie have reunited to compete in the $25,000 USTA St. Dominic Pro Circuit women's event in Jackson. The event, which began Sunday, will run through April 7... read more
Panama Trip Photo GalleryTwo weeks ago, I wrote about a group of six Ole Miss football players who went on a mission trip to Panama over spring break. They have since returned to Oxford and been knee-deep in schoolwork and... read more
Ole Miss' run to the SEC Tournament title and the Big Dance received national coverage for the team and university during the March Madness. Below is just a sampling of mountain of press the Rebels have gotten including a tweet from King... read more