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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tyson Invitational
Rebels Perform Well At Tyson Invitational
2/12/2011 | Track and Field
Feb. 12, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Ole Miss athletes put up some of the top marks in the nation during a solid performance at the prestigious Tyson Invitational indoor track and field meet over the weekend.
Highlighting the Rebels' competition was Sofie Persson's victory in the 800 meters, Mike Granger's runner-up performance in the 60 meters and another outstanding high jump by Ricky Robertson.
The 28th-ranked Ole Miss men went up against 13 of the top 25 teams in the country, while the 32nd-ranked women were facing 14 of the top 25 squads.
"We had a lot of success this weekend," Rebel head coach Joe Walker said. "Today, our women ran well in the 4x4 and Ricky went over 7-5 again jumping with two of the nation's best and a professional. We also had a few letdowns. We are looking to continue improving and getting healthier as we prepare for the SEC's coming up in two weeks."
Ole Miss had a big day on Friday, led by Persson and Granger.
Persson won the 800 meters with a season-best time of 2:05.81, which is just off the NCAA automatic qualifying time of 2:05.00 and just shy of the All-American's personal-best time of 2:04.64 from last year. The junior from Sweden entered the meet ranked 11th in the nation in the 800 meters and will move up with Friday's season-best time.
Granger was sensational in the 60 meters, finishing second only to the nation's top 60-meter runner, Oklahoma's Rakieem Salaam. The sophomore All-American raced to a personal best of 6.62 in the finals, just .02 seconds off the NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 6.60. That time moves the Hickory, Miss., native into the nation's top 10 this season, and he continues to rank as the third-best 60-meter runner in school history.
On Saturday, the men's high jump was a highlight event in its own right. The top three high jumpers in the nation went head-to-head, and Robertson finished third with another elite jump of 7-05.25, just half an inch off his own school record. Kansas State's Erik Kynard cleared the bar at 7-07.75 to claim the top mark in the nation this year. Robertson equaled Indiana's Derek Drouin, a national athlete of the year candidate, with the 7-05.25 height. Robertson is still ranked second in the nation with his mark of 7-0-5.75 earlier this year.
Another event that was essentially a preview of the national championships was Friday's men's long jump. Junior Caleb Lee finished eighth with a leap of 25-01.25. He came into the meet ranked 11th in the nation in that event.
On the women's side, Neal Tisher made her presence felt in the pole vault on Friday when she cleared 13-03.50 to finish seventh. That height is just shy of her 13-03.75 school record from earlier this season.
Juliana Smith and Jazmin Miller posted solid showings in the weight throw. Smith placed third in the event with a distance of 60-01.00, and Miller turned in a seventh-place result with a distance of 55-05.75.
The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Lauren Hollingsworth, Sofia Hellberg-Jonsen, Kristin Bridges and Persson had a strong performance on Saturday with a season-best 3:38.82 to finish 13th among some of the nation's top teams. The men's 4x400 relay team was on its way to a good time, but Christopher Bush got knocked down and the squad couldn't finish.
Also competing on Friday was former Rebel All-American and World Champion long jumper Brittney Reese. She was actually upset in the event by Adidas' Marshevet Myers (22-05.00). Reese finished second with a jump of 21-09.50, but she had a small foul on her last attempt that would have won the competition.
Ole Miss will compete at the SEC Championships Feb. 25-27, also held at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville.
AGATE
MEN
60 Meter Finals
2. Mike Granger - 6.62
60 Meter Semifinals
3. Mike Granger - 6.65q
18. Jonathan Juin - 6.82
60 Meter Prelims
8. Mike Granger - 6.74q
20. Jonathan Juin - 6.83q
62. Bradley Shields - 7.05
200 Meters
29. Jonathan Juin - 21.59
60. Montez Griffin - 22.39
400 Meters
23. Carson Blanks - 48.02
61. Matt Daniels - 49.72
Dante Oliver - DQ
800 Meters
6. Riley Young - 1:54.70
14. Lee Ellis Moore - 1:56.84
5,000 Meters
7. Martin Kirui - 14:44.49
4x400 Meter Relay
Ole Miss - DNF (Oliver, Bush, Daniels, Moore)
High Jump
3. Ricky Robertson - 7-05.25
Long Jump Invitational
8. Caleb Lee - 25-01.25
Long Jump
3. Ras-Len Bully - 24-03.00
6. Ricky Robertson - 23-04.50
29. Morris Kersh - 21-00.00
Triple Jump
15. Caleb Lee - 45-03.50
Pole Vault
15. Jason Anderson - 14-01.25
WOMEN
60 Meter Prelims
54. Jasmine Williams - 7.69
55. LaJada Baldwin - 7.69
200 Meters
49. Jasmine Williams - 24.64
52. LaJada Baldwin - 24.77
400 Meters
30. Kristin Bridges - 55.35
36. Sofia Hellberg-Jonsen - 56.08
800 Meters Invitational
1. Sofie Persson - 2:05.81
800 Meters
Tia Leake - DNF
1 Mile Run
14. Katie Breathitt - 5:07.06
4x400 Meter Relay
13. Ole Miss - 3:38.82 (Hollingsworth, Hellberg-Jonsen, Bridges, Persson)
Distance Medley Relay
8. Ole Miss - 12:19.76 (Breathitt, Leake, Skinner, Waites)
High Jump
13. Fabia McDonald - 5-04.25
Long Jump Invitational
19. Brittany Bozeman - 18-08.00
Long Jump
9. Marci Morman - 19-01.25
18. Fabia McDonald - 18-01.00
21. Alexius Hightower - 17-11.50
Triple Jump
14. Marci Morman - 38-00.00
17. Alexius Hightower - 37-05.75
Aria Gaines - FOUL
Pole Vault Invitational
7. Neal Tisher - 13-03.50
Shot Put
Betty Williams - FOUL
Weight Throw
3. Juliana Smith - 60-01.00
7. Jazmin Miller - 55-05.75
