OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss track and field program will send 29 of its athletes to this week’s NCAA East Preliminary Round on the campus of North Florida in Jacksonville. The Rebels will be participating at Hodges Stadium attempting to advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.
A total of 14 men and 15 women will be competing for Ole Miss in 23 different events in Jacksonville, led by Ricky Robertson, who has the world-leading high jump, and recent 2012 SEC Champions Isiah Young (men’s 200 meters) and Rachel Jenkins (women’s long jump).
“We are taking a large group of athletes and are excited about their chances of advancing to the national meet,” Rebel head coach Joe Walker said. “Our men moved up to 11th this week in the (USTFCCCA) poll, and for us to reach our goal of top 10 at NCAA’s we have to advance a lot of our guys this weekend.”
In addition to boasting some of the top men’s performers in the nation this year, Ole Miss has also been strong in the women’s long jump. The Rebels’ total of four women’s long jumpers that qualified for the NCAA preliminary round ties for the most of any school in the country.
Competition in Jacksonville will begin Thursday with the women’s javelin throw at 10 a.m. CT. Field and track events will continue through 8:40 p.m. on Thursday, with more action from 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Saturday.
The NCAA Selection Committee accepted the top 48 performers in each individual event and the top 24 relay teams in both relays to compete at each site hosting the NCAA Preliminary Rounds for a total of 96 individuals and 48 relays competing in each event nationwide. The West Preliminary Round is being held in Austin, Texas.
The top 12 finishers in each event at each preliminary round site will qualify for the national semifinal and final rounds of the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 6-9.
Sophomore Fabia McDonald has automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines in the heptathlon by virtue of ranking top 24 nationally in that competition. She ranks 14th nationally.
Ole Miss individuals who currently rank among the nation’s top 24 in their event are (men) Robertson in the high jump (1st, 7-7.25) and triple jump (8th, 53-2.25), Young in the 100 meters (4th, 10.08) and 200 meters (3rd, 20.32), Sam Kendricks in the pole vault (6th, 18-0.5), Carson Blanks in the 400-meter hurdles (9th, 50.30), Mike Granger in the 100 meters (14th, 10.17) and Kentrell Sanders in the triple jump (19th, 52-2.5); and (women) Jenkins in the long jump (20th, 20-9.75) and McDonald in the heptathlon (14th, 5563).
Listed below are the Ole Miss entries in the NCAA preliminary round.
MEN
Athlete, Event, Time/Mark (Region Rank) Isiah Young, 100 meters, 10.08 (3) Mike Granger, 100 meters, 10.17 (8) Isiah Young, 200 meters, 20.32 (3) Dante Oliver, 400 meters, 47.25 (44) Montez Griffin, 400 meters, 47.26 (47) Carson Blanks, 400-meter hurdles, 50.30 (3) Brian Word, 400-meter hurdles, 52.46 (38) Ricky Robertson, high jump, 7-07.25 (1) Caleb Lee, long jump, 24-08.25 (29) Ricky Robertson, triple jump, 53-02.25 (5) Kentrell Sanders, triple jump, 52-02.50 (7) Morris Kersh, triple jump, 51-00.00 (21) Sam Kendricks, pole vault, 18-0.50 (2) Benjamin Lapane, javelin, 216-10 (25) Oliver, Serrette, Griffin, Shields, 4x100 meter relay, 39.90 (10) Oliver, Serrette, Word, Griffin, 4x400 meter relay, 3:07.79 (12)
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
