The University of Mississippi Athletics
2023 Track and Field Roster
Sara Van Aken
- Year (Indoor/Outdoor):
- Sr. * / Sr. ^
- Position:
- Multi
- Hometown:
- Shortsville, N.Y.
- High school:
- Red Jacket
- Major:
- Management
TFRRS Bio
2023 Outdoor (Senior*)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (High Jump, 13th Place)
2x SEC Scorer (Heptathlon, 5th Place; High Jump, 8th Place)
4.5 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in eight outdoor meets ... Made second career trip to NCAA East Regional, where she fell one spot shy of qualifying for the national meet in 13th place following a career-best clearance of 1.77m/5-09.75, good for No. 6 in Ole Miss history at the end of her Rebel career ... Scored twice at the SEC Outdoor Championships, tying for eighth in the high jump at 1.71m/5-07.25 while finishing fifth in the heptathlon at an overall career-best 5456, which ranked fifth all-time at Ole Miss at the end of her career ... Notched PRs of 12.58m/41-03.25 in the shot put and 40.55m/133-0 in the javelin, as well as an all-conditions PR 25.82 (+3.1) in the 200-meter dash alongside a season-best 5.81m/19-00.75 (-0.1) in the long jump ... Her SEC javelin mark moved her to No. 13 all-time at Ole Miss to close her career ... Tied PR with 14.68 (+0.5) in the 100-meter hurdles at the Joe Walker Invite, also had a windy 14.58 (+4.2) at the Texas Relays ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2023 Indoor (Senior*)
Competed in five meets indoors, with three full pentathlons ... Had season-best score of 3812 at the Razorback Invite ... At the conference meet, ran PRs of 9.02 in the 60-meter hurdles and 2:29.74 in the 800-meter to finish 11th overall ... Also finished ninth in the high jump at the conference meet at 1.72m/5-07.75 ... Cleared a season-best 1.74m/5-08.50 as part of the pentathlon high jump at the Razorback Invite, also tossed a PR 11.93m/39-01.75 in the shot put and had a season-best 5.51m/18-1 in the long jump.
2022 Outdoor (Junior*)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (High Jump, 46th Place)
SEC Scorer (Heptathlon, 5th Place)
4 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in eight total meets outdoors ... Earned first career qualifying berth for the NCAA East Regional in the high jump, where she finished 46th overall ... Became first scorer for the Rebel women in the SEC heptathlon since 2019 with a fifth-place finish at 5104, thanks to career-bests in the 100-meter hurdles (14.68/+1.2) and shot put (11.91m/39-1) ... Career-best heptathlon of 5108 at the Joe Walker Invite ranked No. 8 in school history at the time, thanks to a PR in the 800-meter (2:31.80) ... Qualified for the East Regional in the high jump thanks to a career-best 1.75m/5-08.75 at the Ole Miss Classic, which at the time ranked No. 8 in school history outdoors ... Season-best 26.09 (+1.0) at Alabama's Crimson Tide Invitational ... All-conditions season-best long jump 5.89m/19-4 (+2.5) at the LSU Invite, with a wind-legal season-best 5.80m/19-00.50 (+0.8) to open the outdoor season at Auburn ... Also opened the season with a career-best 37.52m/123-1 in the javelin that ranked 15th all-time at Ole Miss ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2022 Indoor (Junior*)
Competed in five indoor meets, including two full pentathlons at the Indiana Relays and the SEC Indoor Championships ... Finished ninth at a career-best 3850 in the SEC pentathlon, good for No. 3 in school history, with PRs of 9.11 in the 60-meter hurdles, 11.79m/38-08.25 in the shot put and 2:29.98 in the 800-meter alongside a season-best 1.73m/5-8 in the high jump ... Cleared a season-high 1.70m/5-7 in the high jump at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Ran a 400-meter of 1:01.51 at Vanderbilt as well, which stood as an overall career-best.
2021 Outdoor (Sophomore*)
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in seven outdoor meets, including two full heptathlons at the Joe Walker Invite and the SEC Outdoor Championships ... Recorded a score of 4844 in first collegiate heptathlon to finish third at the Joe Walker Invite, followed by a 5090 to finish 13th at the conference meet, then the No. 8 mark all-time at Ole Miss ... Ran all-conditions PR of 14.80 (+2.4) in the 100-meter hurdles at the SEC Championships, and a wind-legal best 14.98 (+0.3) at the LSU Invite ... Also had a javelin PR 37.45m/122-10 at the SEC Championships, then the 15th-best ever at Ole Miss ... Cleared a high jump PR 1.72m/5-07.75 at the LSU Invite, good for a tie for ninth all-time at Ole Miss ... Threw a PR 10.50m/34-05.50 in the shot put at the Joe Walker Invite ... Clocked a 200 PR of 26.00 (+1.4) and leapt what would stand as an overall career-best long jump of 5.92m/19-05.25 (+1.5) at Arkansas' John McDonald Invite ... Ran a PR 2:34.47 in the 800 to close out the SEC heptathlon ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2021 Indoor (Sophomore)
Competed in five meets, with full pentathlons at both the Razorback Invite and the SEC Indoor Championships ... Had a season-best pentathlon score of 3488 to finish 12th at the conference meet ... Recorded PRs of 9.15 in the 60-meter hurdles and 10.49m/34-5 at the SEC Championships ... Jumped a PR 5.48m/17-11.75 in the pentathlon long jump at the Razorback Invite ... Season-best high jump of 1.71m/5-07.25 at the Razorback Invite and a season-best 800-meter of 2:39.35 at the conference meet ... Was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the clock extension offered to student-athletes during the 2021 indoor season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 Outdoor (Freshman)
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic ... Was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2020 Indoor (Freshman)
Competed in six meets during the indoor season ... Placed 13th in the high jump (1.67m/5-05.75) and 17th in the pentathlon (3424) at the SEC Indoor Championships ... Set PRs in the pentathlon (3511) and high jump (1.75m/5-08.75) that ranked ninth and tied-for-fourth in school history, respectively ... Placed eighth in the high jump (1.71m/5-07.25) and 26th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.30) at the Texas Tech Shootout ... Finished seventh in the pentathlon at the Rod McCravy Memorial (3365) ... Came in 29th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.66) and 31st in the long jump (5.26m, 17-03.25) at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Began her collegiate career by placing third in the high jump (1.69m, 5-06.50) and 24th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.70) at the Blazer Invite.
High School
Earned 12 varsity letters … 2019 New York DII State Champion in the pentathlon … 2019 Section Five Class C Champion in the triple jump, high jump, long jump, and 100-meter hurdles … 2018 high jump sectional champion … 2017 triple jump sectional champion … Owns four school records … Set PRs in the pentathlon (3169), 100-meter hurdles (15.35), high jump (5-4.50), long jump (17-2), and triple jump (37-6.25) … Basketball team captain in 2018, 2019 … Scored 1177 points during her basketball career … Also competed in soccer.
Personal
Born April 17, 2001 to Rechelle and Scott Van Aken … Graduated with degree in management in May 2023 ... Was junior Homecoming maid in 2021.
| CAREER HIGHLIGHTS |
| • 2x NCAA East Region Qualifier • 3x SEC Scorer • 8.5 SEC Points Scored • 4x USTFCCCA All-Academic |
2023 Outdoor (Senior*)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (High Jump, 13th Place)
2x SEC Scorer (Heptathlon, 5th Place; High Jump, 8th Place)
4.5 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in eight outdoor meets ... Made second career trip to NCAA East Regional, where she fell one spot shy of qualifying for the national meet in 13th place following a career-best clearance of 1.77m/5-09.75, good for No. 6 in Ole Miss history at the end of her Rebel career ... Scored twice at the SEC Outdoor Championships, tying for eighth in the high jump at 1.71m/5-07.25 while finishing fifth in the heptathlon at an overall career-best 5456, which ranked fifth all-time at Ole Miss at the end of her career ... Notched PRs of 12.58m/41-03.25 in the shot put and 40.55m/133-0 in the javelin, as well as an all-conditions PR 25.82 (+3.1) in the 200-meter dash alongside a season-best 5.81m/19-00.75 (-0.1) in the long jump ... Her SEC javelin mark moved her to No. 13 all-time at Ole Miss to close her career ... Tied PR with 14.68 (+0.5) in the 100-meter hurdles at the Joe Walker Invite, also had a windy 14.58 (+4.2) at the Texas Relays ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2023 Indoor (Senior*)
Competed in five meets indoors, with three full pentathlons ... Had season-best score of 3812 at the Razorback Invite ... At the conference meet, ran PRs of 9.02 in the 60-meter hurdles and 2:29.74 in the 800-meter to finish 11th overall ... Also finished ninth in the high jump at the conference meet at 1.72m/5-07.75 ... Cleared a season-best 1.74m/5-08.50 as part of the pentathlon high jump at the Razorback Invite, also tossed a PR 11.93m/39-01.75 in the shot put and had a season-best 5.51m/18-1 in the long jump.
2022 Outdoor (Junior*)
NCAA East Region Qualifier (High Jump, 46th Place)
SEC Scorer (Heptathlon, 5th Place)
4 SEC Points
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in eight total meets outdoors ... Earned first career qualifying berth for the NCAA East Regional in the high jump, where she finished 46th overall ... Became first scorer for the Rebel women in the SEC heptathlon since 2019 with a fifth-place finish at 5104, thanks to career-bests in the 100-meter hurdles (14.68/+1.2) and shot put (11.91m/39-1) ... Career-best heptathlon of 5108 at the Joe Walker Invite ranked No. 8 in school history at the time, thanks to a PR in the 800-meter (2:31.80) ... Qualified for the East Regional in the high jump thanks to a career-best 1.75m/5-08.75 at the Ole Miss Classic, which at the time ranked No. 8 in school history outdoors ... Season-best 26.09 (+1.0) at Alabama's Crimson Tide Invitational ... All-conditions season-best long jump 5.89m/19-4 (+2.5) at the LSU Invite, with a wind-legal season-best 5.80m/19-00.50 (+0.8) to open the outdoor season at Auburn ... Also opened the season with a career-best 37.52m/123-1 in the javelin that ranked 15th all-time at Ole Miss ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2022 Indoor (Junior*)
Competed in five indoor meets, including two full pentathlons at the Indiana Relays and the SEC Indoor Championships ... Finished ninth at a career-best 3850 in the SEC pentathlon, good for No. 3 in school history, with PRs of 9.11 in the 60-meter hurdles, 11.79m/38-08.25 in the shot put and 2:29.98 in the 800-meter alongside a season-best 1.73m/5-8 in the high jump ... Cleared a season-high 1.70m/5-7 in the high jump at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Ran a 400-meter of 1:01.51 at Vanderbilt as well, which stood as an overall career-best.
2021 Outdoor (Sophomore*)
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Competed in seven outdoor meets, including two full heptathlons at the Joe Walker Invite and the SEC Outdoor Championships ... Recorded a score of 4844 in first collegiate heptathlon to finish third at the Joe Walker Invite, followed by a 5090 to finish 13th at the conference meet, then the No. 8 mark all-time at Ole Miss ... Ran all-conditions PR of 14.80 (+2.4) in the 100-meter hurdles at the SEC Championships, and a wind-legal best 14.98 (+0.3) at the LSU Invite ... Also had a javelin PR 37.45m/122-10 at the SEC Championships, then the 15th-best ever at Ole Miss ... Cleared a high jump PR 1.72m/5-07.75 at the LSU Invite, good for a tie for ninth all-time at Ole Miss ... Threw a PR 10.50m/34-05.50 in the shot put at the Joe Walker Invite ... Clocked a 200 PR of 26.00 (+1.4) and leapt what would stand as an overall career-best long jump of 5.92m/19-05.25 (+1.5) at Arkansas' John McDonald Invite ... Ran a PR 2:34.47 in the 800 to close out the SEC heptathlon ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2021 Indoor (Sophomore)
Competed in five meets, with full pentathlons at both the Razorback Invite and the SEC Indoor Championships ... Had a season-best pentathlon score of 3488 to finish 12th at the conference meet ... Recorded PRs of 9.15 in the 60-meter hurdles and 10.49m/34-5 at the SEC Championships ... Jumped a PR 5.48m/17-11.75 in the pentathlon long jump at the Razorback Invite ... Season-best high jump of 1.71m/5-07.25 at the Razorback Invite and a season-best 800-meter of 2:39.35 at the conference meet ... Was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the clock extension offered to student-athletes during the 2021 indoor season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 Outdoor (Freshman)
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic ... Was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season ... Named USTFCCCA All-Academic.
2020 Indoor (Freshman)
Competed in six meets during the indoor season ... Placed 13th in the high jump (1.67m/5-05.75) and 17th in the pentathlon (3424) at the SEC Indoor Championships ... Set PRs in the pentathlon (3511) and high jump (1.75m/5-08.75) that ranked ninth and tied-for-fourth in school history, respectively ... Placed eighth in the high jump (1.71m/5-07.25) and 26th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.30) at the Texas Tech Shootout ... Finished seventh in the pentathlon at the Rod McCravy Memorial (3365) ... Came in 29th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.66) and 31st in the long jump (5.26m, 17-03.25) at the Vanderbilt Invitational ... Began her collegiate career by placing third in the high jump (1.69m, 5-06.50) and 24th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.70) at the Blazer Invite.
High School
Earned 12 varsity letters … 2019 New York DII State Champion in the pentathlon … 2019 Section Five Class C Champion in the triple jump, high jump, long jump, and 100-meter hurdles … 2018 high jump sectional champion … 2017 triple jump sectional champion … Owns four school records … Set PRs in the pentathlon (3169), 100-meter hurdles (15.35), high jump (5-4.50), long jump (17-2), and triple jump (37-6.25) … Basketball team captain in 2018, 2019 … Scored 1177 points during her basketball career … Also competed in soccer.
Personal
Born April 17, 2001 to Rechelle and Scott Van Aken … Graduated with degree in management in May 2023 ... Was junior Homecoming maid in 2021.
INTERVIEW: Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan Talks NCAA Shot Three-Peat
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Alicia Burnett Finishes Fourth in NCAA 60-Meter Final
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Akaoma Odeluga Finishes NCAA Runner-Up in Shot Put
Saturday, March 14
HIGHLIGHTS: Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan Wins Third Straight NCAA Indoor Shot Put Title
Saturday, March 14
