The University of Mississippi Athletics
Three Rebels Earn SEC Track & Field Awards
3/22/2011 | Track and Field
March 22, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After standout performances on the opening weekend of the outdoor season, Ole Miss athletes Sofie Persson, Carson Blanks and Kentrell Sanders received a weekly honor from the Southeastern Conference.
Persson was named the SEC Women's Runner of the Week after she won the 400 meter hurdles at the Rhodes Open with a time of 58.30, which ranks third-fastest in the nation after the opening weekend of outdoor competition. Her winning time was just over a second off her own school record of 57.23, set at last year's European Championships. The Swedish native, who was recently named an Indoor All-American by the USTFCCCA, beat the next closest finisher (Memphis' Tayanna Simpson) by more than 2.5 seconds.
Blanks, a junior from Meridian, Miss., was named the SEC Men's Runner of the Week after also winning the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 51.85 that ranks seventh nationally. He crossed the finish line just over a second later than his personal best of 50.26 he set at last year's NCAA East Regional. It was his second collegiate victory (won the 400 meter hurdles at last year's LSU Alumni Gold).
Sanders was tabbed the SEC Men's Freshman of the Week after he won the triple jump in his first collegiate outdoor meet. The Miami, Fla., native achieved a leap of 50-00.00, which is tied for fifth-best in the nation overall and second among freshmen after the opening weekend of competition. His performance already ranks him among the top 10 triple jumpers in school history.
Ole Miss won 13 events overall at the Rhodes Open and will next compete at the Big Ten/SEC Challenge this Saturday in Starkville, Miss. A select number of athletes who compete in the heptathlon and decathlon will travel to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama Relays on Thursday and Friday.
