The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Track And Field Produces Another Strong Year
8/28/2009 | Track and Field
During both the indoor and outdoor seasons, the Rebels produced three SEC Champions and five NCAA All-Americans. In addition, Lee Ellis Moore was also selected as a member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American third team. Several other members of the team also earned SEC and Ole Miss academic awards.
Throughout the course of the year, Ole Miss student-athletes set several new school records in a number of different events.
Below is a list of accomplishments achieved by members of the 2008-09 Ole Miss Track and Field team.
CROSS COUNTRY:
* Kyle Lewis became the 10th Ole Miss rebel to earn ALL-SEC in cross country.
INDOOR:
* Juliana Smith set a new school record in the weight throw with a distance of 63-04.25.
* Sofie Persson set a new school record in the 600 meters with a time of 1:30.93.
* Sofie Persson set a new school record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:05.38.
* Logan Waites set a new school record in the 5000 meters with a time of 17:43.83.
* Rebel women's team scored 32 points at the SEC Indoor Championships and tied the 2007 team for the second most in school history.
* Juliana Smith won the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships to become only the second female in school history to win an SEC Indoor Championship. She joins former Ole Miss All-American Brittney Reese.
* LaJada Baldwin set a new school record in the 400 meters with a time of 52.98.
* Juliana Smith was named to the All-SEC first team.
* LaJada Baldwin was named to the All-SEC second team.
* Sofie Persson was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
* Davina Orieukwu set a new school record in the shot put with a distance of 50-07.50.
* LaJada Baldwin and Sofie Persson both competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
* Sofie Persson finished in 11th place in the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
* LaJada Baldwin finished in fifth place in the 400 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was named an NCAA Indoor All-American.
OUTDOOR:
* Colin Moleton set a new school record in the javelin throw with a distance of 226-00.00.
* Juliana Smith set a new school record in the hammer throw with a mark of 189-10.00.
* Davina Orieukwu set a new school record in the shot put with a mark of 55-03.00.
* The quartet of LaJada Baldwin, Kristin Bridges, Britney Barnard and Lindsay Doucett helped Ole Miss set a new school record in the 1600 meter sprint medley with a time of 3:50.68 to win the Florida Relays.
* Logan Waites set a new school record in the 5000 meters with a time of 17:21.07.
* LaJada Baldwin, Kristin Bridges, Britney Barnard and Sofie Persson helped Ole Miss win its first Drake Relays relay title in school history. The quartet placed first in the 1600 meter sprint relay with a time of 3:51.15.
* Kyle Lewis won the 5000 meters at the Drake Relays with a time of 14:16.82. He also set the Ole Miss track stadium record (which has hosted the SEC meet) with a time of 14:03.22.
* Derek McGuire set a new school record in the shot put with a mark of 60-08.75.
* Betty Williams set a new school record in the discus throw with a mark of 161-11.00.
* LaJada Baldwin was named SEC Female Runner of the Week on May 5.
* Wale Odetunde was named SEC Male Field Athlete of the Week on May 5.
* Wale Odetunde was crowned the SEC Outdoor Champion in the triple jump and became the first Rebel to accomplish the feat since 1992.
* LaJada Baldwin won the 400 meters at the SEC Championships to give the Rebels back-to-back champions in the 400 meters as Kenyata Coleman did it the year before.
* Sofie Persson was the runner-up in the 400 meter hurdles at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
* Wale Odetunde was named to the All-SEC first team.
* LaJada Baldwin was named to the All-SEC first team.
* Sofie Persson was named to the All-SEC second team.
* Kristin Bridges was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
* Lee Ellis Moore set a new school record in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 48.97.
* Rebels had 25 student-athletes, including 18 underclassmen invited to compete at the MidEast Regional.
* At the Mideast NCAA Regional meet, LaJada Baldwin won the 400 championship. We also had two runner-ups: Lee Moore in the 400 hurdles and Derek McGuire in the shot put
* We had a large number of our athletes named to the NCAA All-Mideast Team: Women: Sofie Persson-400H; LaJada Baldwin-400; 4 x 100 relay unit of Kadeshia Fortune, LaJada Baldwin, Jasmine Dacus, and Rachel Jenkins; 4 x 400 relay unit of Jasmine Dacus, Sofie Persson, Britney Barnard, and LaJada Baldwin. Men: Lee Ellis Moore-400H; Carson Blanks-400H; Wale' Odetunde-Triple Jump; Derek McGuire-Shot put; Colin Moleton-Javelin; Bryce Willen-Javelin; and the 4 x 400 relay unit of Mike Coleman, Matt Daniels, Chris Bush, and Lee Ellis Moore.
* NCAA Mideast TEAM scores: Men tied for 7th out of 78 teams, and the women finished 12th out of 81 teams.
* Derek McGuire, Colin Moleton, Wale Odetunde, Lee Ellis Moore and LaJada Baldwin each automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bryce Willen, Sofie Persson, Jasmine Dacus and Britney Barnard each earned at-large bids.
* Lee Ellis Moore, Derek McGuire, Colin Moleton and LaJada Baldwin were each named NCAA Outdoor All-Americans.
* Lee Ellis Moore named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American third team.
* Lee Ellis Moore, Wale Odetunde and LaJada Baldwin each competed at the USA Track and Field Championships. Moore finished 11th overall in the 400 meter hurdles.
* Brian Knight (4th in both HJ and LJ), Caleb Lee (5th in LJ and 7th in TJ) and Aria Gaines (9th in TJ) each competed at the Junior USA Track and Field Championships. Junior competition is for all USA athletes 19 and under.
* Kristin Bridges, Aria Gaines, Sofie Persson, Juliana Smith, Lee Ellis Moore and Wale Odetunde were each selected as members of the 2009 Division I U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team.
All SEC Academic Freshman team: Kristin Bridges, Christiana Coleman, Aria Gaines, and Logan Waites.
All SEC ACADEMIC TEAM (upperclassmen): Chad Berry, Chris Bush, Mike Coleman, Brandon Cook, Ty Gillespie, Derek Johnson, Barnabas Kirui, Karl Kosman, Kyle Lewis, Lee Ellis Moore, Wale' Odetunde, Bryce Willen, Britney Barnard, Lindsay Doucett, Rachel Jenkins, Marlee Kevech, Allison Kneip, Kasey McDaniel, Davina Oriekwu, Sofie Persson, and Julian Smith.