The University of Mississippi Athletics
Eight Rebels Selected To Compete At NCAA Championships
3/9/2010 | Track and Field
OXFORD, Miss. - Eight members of the Ole Miss track and field team have been selected to compete in five different events at the NCAA Indoor Championships scheduled to be held March 12-13 at the University of Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center.
Three Rebels were automatic qualifiers in their respective events, while the remaining five earned at-large bids.
"This is a great representation at the national level for Ole Miss," head coach Joe Walker said. "We are extremely proud that this is our largest group ever to make the indoor championships, and we are even more proud that seven of the eight are underclassmen."
On the men's side, freshman Ricky Robertson will compete in the high jump Saturday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. Robertson turned in an NCAA automatic mark of 7-04.25 en route to winning the high jump at the SEC Indoor Championships. His mark tied the school record and currently ranks him third in the country.
Sophomore Brian Knight is also slated to compete in the high jump after earning an NCAA automatic height of 7-04.25 earlier in the year at the Meyo Invitational. Knight also ranks third in the NCAA in the high jump and is tied with Robertson for the school record.
Freshman sprinter Mike Granger will take part in the 60 meter dash after earned an at-large bid following his top time of 6.66 he posted at the SEC Championships. Granger is 15th in the country and is scheduled to participate in the preliminaries Friday at 6:25 p.m.
Middle distance runner Sofie Persson earned an automatic berth in the championships and will compete in the 800 meters following her top time of 2:04.64 she posted at the SEC Championships. After setting a new school record in the 800 meters last weekend, Persson is now ranked sixth in the nation.
Sprinter LaJada Baldwin owns a top time of 53.36 in the 400 meters and will participate in the preliminaries of the event Friday at 6:10 p.m. Baldwin recorded her best time of the season at the Meyo Invitational and enters the championships ranked 15th in the NCAA.
The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Jasmine Dacus, Kristin Bridges, Sofia Hellberg-Jonson and Persson earned an at-large bid to the championships with a top time of 3:35.40 set last weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational. The quartet is tied for ninth in the nation and will compete Saturday night at 8:40 p.m.
"In the latest national poll, our men's team was ranked 25th and our women's team was ranked 38th," Walker said. "I think that speaks volumes about the quality of our program and that is something I am extremely proud of."
Three Rebels were automatic qualifiers in their respective events, while the remaining five earned at-large bids.
"This is a great representation at the national level for Ole Miss," head coach Joe Walker said. "We are extremely proud that this is our largest group ever to make the indoor championships, and we are even more proud that seven of the eight are underclassmen."
On the men's side, freshman Ricky Robertson will compete in the high jump Saturday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. Robertson turned in an NCAA automatic mark of 7-04.25 en route to winning the high jump at the SEC Indoor Championships. His mark tied the school record and currently ranks him third in the country.
Sophomore Brian Knight is also slated to compete in the high jump after earning an NCAA automatic height of 7-04.25 earlier in the year at the Meyo Invitational. Knight also ranks third in the NCAA in the high jump and is tied with Robertson for the school record.
Freshman sprinter Mike Granger will take part in the 60 meter dash after earned an at-large bid following his top time of 6.66 he posted at the SEC Championships. Granger is 15th in the country and is scheduled to participate in the preliminaries Friday at 6:25 p.m.
Middle distance runner Sofie Persson earned an automatic berth in the championships and will compete in the 800 meters following her top time of 2:04.64 she posted at the SEC Championships. After setting a new school record in the 800 meters last weekend, Persson is now ranked sixth in the nation.
Sprinter LaJada Baldwin owns a top time of 53.36 in the 400 meters and will participate in the preliminaries of the event Friday at 6:10 p.m. Baldwin recorded her best time of the season at the Meyo Invitational and enters the championships ranked 15th in the NCAA.
The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Jasmine Dacus, Kristin Bridges, Sofia Hellberg-Jonson and Persson earned an at-large bid to the championships with a top time of 3:35.40 set last weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational. The quartet is tied for ninth in the nation and will compete Saturday night at 8:40 p.m.
"In the latest national poll, our men's team was ranked 25th and our women's team was ranked 38th," Walker said. "I think that speaks volumes about the quality of our program and that is something I am extremely proud of."
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