Ole Miss Track Teams Ranked, Prepare For NCAA Championships

OXFORD, Miss. -  Fresh off strong performances at the 2007 NCAA MidEast Regional Championships both the Ole Miss men’s and women’s track and field teams found themselves ranked in top 25 nationally.

The Ole Miss men, who finished sixth in the MidEast region, are ranked 13^th in the nation by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The poll, which is voted on by coaches, ranks the top 20 teams in the nation entering the NCAA Championships.

The Rebels are also ranked No. 16 in the nation in the latest Trackwire Top 25. Trackwire uses a system to project a hypothetical score for the NCAA meet, factoring in injury reports and other variables supported by information gathered from coaches and NCAA-qualifying competitions across the country. The Lady Rebels are also ranked the in latest Trackwire poll. The Ole Miss women, who finished 10^th at the MidEast regional, are ranked in a tie for 24^th in the nation.

A school record nine athletes have advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that will be held in Sacramento, Calif. beginning June 6.

Two-time All-American John Yarbrough leads the group of males which includes Charles Bailey, Justin Gunn and Barnabas Kirui.

Yarbrough won the 110-meter hurdles at the MidEast regional with a time of 13.48, to advance to his third NCAA Championships. He finished fifth last year’s NCAA Champinships. Yarbrough defeated Auburn’s Ty Adkins in the race, who edged him out in the SEC Outdoor Championships. He is ranked No. 1 in the nation this season in the 110-meter hurdles.

Gunn and Bailey both advanced to nationals in the long jump with their second and third place finishes, respectively. Gunn posted a mark of 24-10.50, which tied him for the best mark, but fell to second on the second-best mark. Bailey, the SEC outdoor long jump champion, turned in a mark of 24-09.75. Both Bailey and Gunn are making their first trip to the NCAA Championships.

Kirui, a four-time SEC champion, finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the MidEast regional to advance to the NCAA Championships. Kirui was edged out at the line by Alabama’s Augustus Maiyo, who finished in a time of 8:35.12 to Kirui’s 8:35.32. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the steeplechase and will compete in his first NCAA Championships.

All-American Britney Reese, will compete in her second NCAA Championships. The SEC indoor and outdoor long jump champion finished third in the nation in the long jump at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships. Reese won the women’s long jump at the MidEast regional with a mark of 21-00.75. She is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in the long jump.

Joining Reese on the women’s side will be Kenyata Coleman, Kadeshia Fortune, Kim Mulkey and Cachet Murray.

Coleman, who set the school record in the 400 meters, advanced to the NCAA Championships with her fifth place finish in the 400 meters. Coleman set the school record in the 400 meters with a time of 52.28 in the prelims at the MidEast regional. It is her fifth appearance in the NCAA Championships.

Coleman will also join Fortune, Mulkey and Murray on the Lady Rebels’ 4x100-meter relay team. The quartet posted a time of 45.22 to advance to nationals with their third place finish. Mulkey and Murray will be making their second trip to the NCAA Championships and Fortune will be making her first.

The NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships will begin on June 6 at Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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