Yarbrough Honored, Ole Miss Heads To NCAA Track Championships

OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss All-American hurdler John Yarbrough picked up another honor on Tuesday when he was named the MidEast region Male Track Athlete of the Year by the by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Yarbrough, the NCAA MidEast champion in the 110-hurdles, enters the NCAA Track and Field Championships ranked No. 1 in the nation with a time of 13.43 in the high hurdles. Yarbrough is making his third trip to the outdoor championships, where he finished fifth last season.

Yarbrough joins eight other Ole Miss athletes who have advanced to the NCAA Championships. The nine athletes participating is a school record.

“We are really excited about the NCAA Championships,” said Ole Miss head coach Joe Walker. “Our athletes have some of the best marks in the nation. We are very eager to compete.”

The nine Rebels participating in the national meet include Yarbrough, Charles Bailey, Kenyata Coleman, Kadeshia Fortune, Justin Gunn, Barnabas Kirui, Kim Mulkey, Cachet Murray and Britney Reese.

Gunn and Bailey both advanced to nationals in the long jump with their second and third place finishes at the MidEast, 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. Kirui also qualified for the 10,000 meters, but will not participate in that event.

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.

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 Ole Miss men’s team, who finished sixth in the MidEast region, is ranked No. 11 in the nation in the latest Trackwire Top 25 and is also ranked 13th in the nation by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Lady Rebels are also ranked the in latest Trackwire poll. The Ole Miss women, who finished 10th at the MidEast regional, are ranked in a tie for 24th in the nation.

Competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will begin on Wednesday at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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