The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Prepared For SEC Indoor Championships
2/22/2012 | Track and Field
Feb. 22, 2012
SEC Indoor Championships Central | Live Results
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss track and field team returns to action this weekend in Lexington, Ky., to participate in the 2012 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships held at the University of Kentucky's E.J. Nutter Field House.
The Championships will run Friday-Sunday, beginning Friday with women's pentathlon and men's heptathlon events. The men's high jump will start things off Saturday at 11 a.m., and Sunday the women's weight throw will be the first event of the day, also starting at 11 a.m. Saturday's events are scheduled to conclude around 7:30 p.m., while Sunday's final events should finish around 5 p.m.
Last year, Ricky Robertson claimed the high jump title and Fabia McDonald was selected as the Women's Indoor SEC Freshman of the Year to highlight the Rebels' performance at the SEC Indoor Championships. Robertson is the only returning men's indoor champion from a school other than Florida.
"I am excited and feel we've had good workouts and are pretty healthy, so we are anticipating a very good performance from our team," Rebel head coach Joe Walker said.
Six men's SEC teams are ranked in the nation's top 25 this week. Ole Miss sits at No. 22, and the Rebels have seen plenty of success this season from a number of athletes.
Senior Isiah Young has put together one of the top indoor seasons for an Ole Miss sprinter in recent memory. Heading into this weekend, the former Allen Community College product ranks eighth nationally in the 60 meters (fourth-best among SEC athletes) and 26th nationally in the 200 meters (seventh-best among SEC athletes).
Robertson, a junior All-American, will attempt to capture his third straight indoor high jump title this weekend. If he were able to accomplish that feat, it would make him just the third person in SEC history to win three or more men's indoor high jump titles. The Hernando, Miss., native currently ranks in the nation's top 40 in three different categories. He ranks fifth nationally in the high jump (second among SEC athletes), 10th in the triple jump (third among SEC athletes) and 33rd in the long jump. His high jump height of 7-04.25 from earlier this season is already an NCAA automatic qualifying mark.
Senior All-American Caleb Lee ranks 10th in the nation in the long jump (fifth-best among SEC athletes), while junior All-American Mike Granger enters the Championships ranked 17th nationally in the 60 meters.
Sophomore Kentrell Sanders (27th) and junior All-American Morris Kersh (32th) both rank among the nation's top 35 in the triple jump.
Freshman sensation Sam Kendricks will perform in his first SEC Championships, boasting a pole vault national ranking of 39 (sixth-best among SEC athletes).
At last year's SEC Indoor Championships, Robertson led the way with his high jump crown. Other returning Rebels who scored at last year's meet were Granger (60 meters), Lee (long jump) and distance medley relay team members Max Holman and Riley Young.
On the women's side, senior Aria Gaines will lead a group of nationally ranked Rebels against an SEC field that includes five top-25 teams. Gaines ranks 23rd in the triple jump (fifth-best among SEC competitors), junior Neal Tisher ranks 29th nationally in the pole vault (sixth-best among SEC athletes) and junior Jazmin Miller ranks 32nd in the weight throw (fourth-best among SEC athletes).
Senior Kristin Bridges ranks 37th nationally in the 400 meters, and junior Deonna Walton ranks 45th in the long jump with a distance of 19-09.50.
Returning Rebels who scored at last year's meet were Gaines (long jump and triple jump), McDonald (pentathlon), Tisher (pole vault), Miller (weight throw), Logan Waites (5,000 meters) and 4x400 meter relay team members Sofia Hellberg-Jonsen and Bridges.
ESPN3 will stream the meet live Saturday from 1:05-6:30 p.m. CT and Sunday from 12:25-4:00 p.m. CT. The University of Kentucky will stream live the portions of the meet not on ESPN3 on its web site www.ukathletics.com.
The SEC Indoor Championships will air as part of a 90-minute show on ESPNU on Sunday, March 11 from 4-5:30 p.m. CT.
Florida is the defending SEC Men's Indoor Champion, while for the women LSU will look to defend their conference title crown from a year ago.
Following the conference championships, several athletes will compete March 3 in the NCAA last chance meets around the country attempting to qualify for the March 9-10 NCAA Championships in Nampa, Idaho. Robertson, Granger and Lee are returning indoor All-Americans from a year ago.
