The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, November 1
Lexington, Ky.
8 AM
Ole Miss
vs
SEC Championships
No. 11 Rebel Men Repeat as SEC Cross Country Champions
11/1/2019 | Cross Country
<i class="icon-paper"></i> Men's Results (PDF)<i class="icon-paper"></i> Women's Results (PDF)<i class="icon-camera"></i> Photos<i class="icon-tv"></i> Replay (SEC Network)<i class="icon-video"></i> Suliman Interview
Ole Miss Records Largest Margin of Victory Since 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ole Miss cross country solidified its place as one of the premier programs in the SEC, as the No. 11 Rebel men repeated as conference champions while the Rebel women tied for the highest finish in program history as the runners-up at the 2019 SEC Championships at the University of Kentucky on Friday morning.
The Rebel men, who one year ago won the first SEC title in Ole Miss track or cross country history, led wire-to-wire in a dominant 55-point win over Alabama at 35-90 – the largest margin of victory in the SEC men's championship race since 2015. The win makes Ole Miss the first school not named Arkansas or Alabama to repeat since Tennessee went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990.
"Obviously very happy to win," said Ole Miss associate head cross country coach Ryan Vanhoy. "Any time you have a chance to win a conference championship, that's not something you should ever take lightly. I knew coming in we had an opportunity to establish our program with two-straight. Hopefully a precursor for many years to come."
While the Crimson Tide claimed the top two finishers in the race, the Rebels put together a spectacular piece of team running, recording a scoring spread of just 27 seconds while placing all five of their scorers in the top-13 with four within the top-10.
"Very happy with how the guys executed our race plan," Vanhoy said. "They followed the plan well and ran together as a team. Overall, really happy leaving Lexington today."
At the top of the list for Ole Miss was All-American Waleed Suliman, who finished third overall with a time of 22:55.5 – just the ninth time in program history a Rebel has finished third or higher in the men's race. Suliman, who at the 5K split was in fifth, made a late charge to the top of the pack, ultimately finishing just 0.1 seconds behind second-place Gilbert Kigen of Alabama.
"We came in with the idea that we needed to dominate in the race," Suliman said. "We needed to make a statement that our team is no joke and we're here to stay, for many years to come."
The lone senior on the Rebel squad, Farah Abdulkarim, led Ole Miss for the majority of the race before he was outkicked by Suliman on the final stretch. Abdulkarim ended the meet in fourth place (22:59.4). Sophomore Cade Bethmann wasn't far behind in sixth place (23:07.8), joining Suliman and Abdulkarim on the SEC First-Team. The remaining scorers for the Rebels, freshman Cole Bullock (ninth, 23:20.1) and junior Michael Coccia (13th, 23:22.7), each earn Second-Team status for their finishes, with Bullock ranking as the top freshman finisher in the conference this year.
The Rebel women also had a morning to remember after finishing second, matching the best finish in program history. Ole Miss trailed only No. 1 Arkansas (21), defeating third-place Missouri by 66 points at a margin of 93-159. After having never finished in the top three prior to the 2016 season, Ole Miss has now finished at least third in each of the last four championship meets.
"Very thrilled with the women getting second place," Vanhoy said. "All year, we've had a bit of a struggle to really run the way we should as a group together. We kind of struggled finding our identity this season. Everything we had seen in training indicated that we do have a great team, we just had to put it together on the same day. I feel like today we really did that. It was great to see our girls running together today for the first time all season. We made some tweaks to our race plan and it really paid off."
Junior Victoria Simmons had a superb day, leading the Rebel women in 14th place for Second-Team distinction at 20:46.4 – her first all-conference honors in her Ole Miss career. Simmons was part of a deep Rebel roster that stuck together on Saturday despite being without reigning top finisher from 2018, Clio Ozanne-Jaques.
"It's exciting," Simmons said. "We came out here and had a fire in us to prove how hard we have been working this entire year and to really showcase all the hard work from our workouts and practices every single day. We really haven't done that yet to this extent. We're really just excited to show the SEC what we're made of and go out there and work as a team to set us up well for regionals and nationals."
Anna Elkin (15th, 20:46.6) and freshman Skylar Boogerd (19th, 20:49.4) also finished in the top-20 for Ole Miss, with Boogerd also registering as the top SEC freshman this year. Chelsea Drum (21st, 20:51.4) and Lisa Vogelgesang (24th, 20:54.2) rounded out the scorers for the Ole Miss women.
The combined effort out of Ole Miss today stands as the best in program history at the conference meet, and the Rebels will now turn their attention to the national stage. Up first on Nov. 15 are the NCAA South Region Championships at Florida State, where Ole Miss will hope to qualify both squads for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Terre Haute, Indiana on Nov. 23.
"We're going to enjoy this today," Vanhoy said. "But when the sun comes back up tomorrow, we are back to work. We have an opportunity in front of us to get both programs back to nationals, which is something we are excited about."
Men's 8K Team Scores
1. #11 Ole Miss – 35
2. (RV) Alabama – 90
3. (RV) Arkansas – 121
4. Kentucky – 124
5. Texas A&M – 141
6. Florida – 160
7. Missouri – 162
8. LSU – 220
9. Tennessee – 221
10. Vanderbilt – 239
11. Georgia – 261
12. – Auburn – 269
Men's Individual Results
3. Waleed Suliman – 22:55.5
4. Farah Abdulkarim – 22:59.4
6. Cade Bethmann – 23:07.8
9. Cole Bullock – 23:20.1
13. Michael Coccia – 23:22.7
21. Mario Garcia Romo – 23:32.8
24. Parker Scott – 23:36.4
25. Dalton Hengst – 23:40.2
32. Robinson Snider – 23:57.6
38. Jack Filan – 24:07.5
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #1 Arkansas – 21
2. (RV) Ole Miss – 93
3. Missouri – 159
4. Tennessee – 170
5. Alabama – 171
6. Vanderbilt – 176
7. Kentucky – 179
8. Georgia – 184
9. Texas A&M – 189
10. Auburn – 229
11. Florida – 243
12. Mississippi State – 337
13. LSU – 349
14. South Carolina – 367
Women's Individual Results
14. Victoria Simmons – 20:46.4
15. Anna Elkin – 20:46.6
19. Skylar Boogerd – 20:49.4
21. Chelsea Drum – 20:51.4
24. Lisa Vogelgesang – 20:54.2
31. Maddie King – 21:04.9
32. Maddie McHugh – 21:10.7
33. Emma McClellan – 21:11.6
45. Nicole Rice – 21:23.9
49. Ylvi Traxler – 21:27.7
72. Courtney Hopkins – 21:55.9
88. Cate Tracht – 22:14.3
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
The Rebel men, who one year ago won the first SEC title in Ole Miss track or cross country history, led wire-to-wire in a dominant 55-point win over Alabama at 35-90 – the largest margin of victory in the SEC men's championship race since 2015. The win makes Ole Miss the first school not named Arkansas or Alabama to repeat since Tennessee went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990.
"Obviously very happy to win," said Ole Miss associate head cross country coach Ryan Vanhoy. "Any time you have a chance to win a conference championship, that's not something you should ever take lightly. I knew coming in we had an opportunity to establish our program with two-straight. Hopefully a precursor for many years to come."
Coach Vanhoy (@ryanvanhoy) talks about adding a second SEC trophy to the case for the men and another strong finish for the Rebel women ⬇️#HottyToddy | #OneMore pic.twitter.com/FzdJHbyhcJ
— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) November 1, 2019
While the Crimson Tide claimed the top two finishers in the race, the Rebels put together a spectacular piece of team running, recording a scoring spread of just 27 seconds while placing all five of their scorers in the top-13 with four within the top-10.
"Very happy with how the guys executed our race plan," Vanhoy said. "They followed the plan well and ran together as a team. Overall, really happy leaving Lexington today."
At the top of the list for Ole Miss was All-American Waleed Suliman, who finished third overall with a time of 22:55.5 – just the ninth time in program history a Rebel has finished third or higher in the men's race. Suliman, who at the 5K split was in fifth, made a late charge to the top of the pack, ultimately finishing just 0.1 seconds behind second-place Gilbert Kigen of Alabama.
"We came in with the idea that we needed to dominate in the race," Suliman said. "We needed to make a statement that our team is no joke and we're here to stay, for many years to come."
Waleed Suliman (@RunWaleed) talks about the dominant Rebel repeat and his chase for individual title ⬇️#HottyToddy | #OneMore pic.twitter.com/oK614EtB1e
— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) November 1, 2019
The lone senior on the Rebel squad, Farah Abdulkarim, led Ole Miss for the majority of the race before he was outkicked by Suliman on the final stretch. Abdulkarim ended the meet in fourth place (22:59.4). Sophomore Cade Bethmann wasn't far behind in sixth place (23:07.8), joining Suliman and Abdulkarim on the SEC First-Team. The remaining scorers for the Rebels, freshman Cole Bullock (ninth, 23:20.1) and junior Michael Coccia (13th, 23:22.7), each earn Second-Team status for their finishes, with Bullock ranking as the top freshman finisher in the conference this year.
The Rebel women also had a morning to remember after finishing second, matching the best finish in program history. Ole Miss trailed only No. 1 Arkansas (21), defeating third-place Missouri by 66 points at a margin of 93-159. After having never finished in the top three prior to the 2016 season, Ole Miss has now finished at least third in each of the last four championship meets.
"Very thrilled with the women getting second place," Vanhoy said. "All year, we've had a bit of a struggle to really run the way we should as a group together. We kind of struggled finding our identity this season. Everything we had seen in training indicated that we do have a great team, we just had to put it together on the same day. I feel like today we really did that. It was great to see our girls running together today for the first time all season. We made some tweaks to our race plan and it really paid off."
Junior Victoria Simmons had a superb day, leading the Rebel women in 14th place for Second-Team distinction at 20:46.4 – her first all-conference honors in her Ole Miss career. Simmons was part of a deep Rebel roster that stuck together on Saturday despite being without reigning top finisher from 2018, Clio Ozanne-Jaques.
"It's exciting," Simmons said. "We came out here and had a fire in us to prove how hard we have been working this entire year and to really showcase all the hard work from our workouts and practices every single day. We really haven't done that yet to this extent. We're really just excited to show the SEC what we're made of and go out there and work as a team to set us up well for regionals and nationals."
Victoria Simmons (@Victoria15s) talks about her career day and yet another historic finish for the Rebel women ⬇️#HottyToddy | #OneMore pic.twitter.com/XgJsyBLsW3
— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) November 1, 2019
Anna Elkin (15th, 20:46.6) and freshman Skylar Boogerd (19th, 20:49.4) also finished in the top-20 for Ole Miss, with Boogerd also registering as the top SEC freshman this year. Chelsea Drum (21st, 20:51.4) and Lisa Vogelgesang (24th, 20:54.2) rounded out the scorers for the Ole Miss women.
The combined effort out of Ole Miss today stands as the best in program history at the conference meet, and the Rebels will now turn their attention to the national stage. Up first on Nov. 15 are the NCAA South Region Championships at Florida State, where Ole Miss will hope to qualify both squads for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Terre Haute, Indiana on Nov. 23.
"We're going to enjoy this today," Vanhoy said. "But when the sun comes back up tomorrow, we are back to work. We have an opportunity in front of us to get both programs back to nationals, which is something we are excited about."
Men's 8K Team Scores
1. #11 Ole Miss – 35
2. (RV) Alabama – 90
3. (RV) Arkansas – 121
4. Kentucky – 124
5. Texas A&M – 141
6. Florida – 160
7. Missouri – 162
8. LSU – 220
9. Tennessee – 221
10. Vanderbilt – 239
11. Georgia – 261
12. – Auburn – 269
Men's Individual Results
3. Waleed Suliman – 22:55.5
4. Farah Abdulkarim – 22:59.4
6. Cade Bethmann – 23:07.8
9. Cole Bullock – 23:20.1
13. Michael Coccia – 23:22.7
21. Mario Garcia Romo – 23:32.8
24. Parker Scott – 23:36.4
25. Dalton Hengst – 23:40.2
32. Robinson Snider – 23:57.6
38. Jack Filan – 24:07.5
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #1 Arkansas – 21
2. (RV) Ole Miss – 93
3. Missouri – 159
4. Tennessee – 170
5. Alabama – 171
6. Vanderbilt – 176
7. Kentucky – 179
8. Georgia – 184
9. Texas A&M – 189
10. Auburn – 229
11. Florida – 243
12. Mississippi State – 337
13. LSU – 349
14. South Carolina – 367
Women's Individual Results
14. Victoria Simmons – 20:46.4
15. Anna Elkin – 20:46.6
19. Skylar Boogerd – 20:49.4
21. Chelsea Drum – 20:51.4
24. Lisa Vogelgesang – 20:54.2
31. Maddie King – 21:04.9
32. Maddie McHugh – 21:10.7
33. Emma McClellan – 21:11.6
45. Nicole Rice – 21:23.9
49. Ylvi Traxler – 21:27.7
72. Courtney Hopkins – 21:55.9
88. Cate Tracht – 22:14.3
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Who To Watch: Ole Miss Track and Field
Wednesday, October 08