The University of Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Michael Scott
Four Rebels to Represent Team USA at IAAF World Championships
9/27/2019 | Track and Field
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Sam Kendricks (Pole Vault) and Brittney Reese (Long Jump) are Reigning World Champions
DOHA, QATAR – Four Ole Miss track & field greats will represent Team USA at the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, which begin in Qatar on Friday.
Reigning world champions Sam Kendricks (men's pole vault) and Brittney Reese (women's long jump) will look to defend their titles, while Rebel All-Americans Craig Engels (men's 1500-meter) and Brian Williams (men's discus) are trying to make some noise on their first career trips to the World Outdoor Championships.
The World Outdoor Championships date back unofficially to 1976, with the official first championship meet held in Helsinki in 1983. The meet was then held every four years until 1991, when it moved to a two-year cycle in between the Summer Olympic Games. Since 1983, the World Championships have been held in: Rome (1987); Tokyo (1991); Stuttgart, Germany (1993); Gothenburg, Sweden (1995); Athens, Greece (1997); Seville, Spain (1999); Edmonton, Canada (2001); Saint-Denis, France (2003); Helsinki (2005); Osaka, Japan (2007); Berlin (2009); Daegu, South Korea (2011); Moscow (2013); Beijing (2015); and London (2017).
Below is a full competition schedule, as well as individual previews on each Rebel in Doha. Fans in the United States can catch all the action on the NBC family of networks.
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Brian Williams • Men's Discus
Hometown / High School: Warren Mich. / Fraser HS
Qualifying: Sat., Sept. 28, 8:15 a.m. CT
Finals: Mon., Sept. 30, 1:15 p.m. CT
Personal Best: 65.76m/215-09 (2019 U.S. Championships)
Season Best: 65.76m/215-09 (U.S. Championships)
World Rank: 20th
U.S. Rank: 4th
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Mason Finley, Bronze)
Quick Facts: Earned first career U.S. medal to punch ticket to World Championships, throwing a one-foot PR of 65.76m (215-09) for silver at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in July … First Rebel to ever medal in the discus at the U.S. Championships … Has thrown at least 60.62m (198-10) in each meet this season, throwing at least 63.35m (207-10) in seven of 10 meets … Finished fourth in the discus at the 2017 USA Outdoor Championships, ninth in 2018 … 3x All-American … 2x SEC Champion (first to repeat as the SEC discus champion since 2010-11) … Owns the discus, indoor shot and outdoor shot school records … Was a national champion and 4x All-American while at Iowa Central Community College
Sam Kendricks • Men's Pole Vault
Hometown / High School: Oxford, Miss. / Oxford HS
Qualifying: Sat., Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m. CT
Finals: Tues., Oct. 1, 12:05 p.m. CT
Personal Best: 6.06m/19-10.50 (2019 U.S. Championships) | American Record, 2nd World History
Season Best: 6.06m/19-10.50 (U.S. Championships)
World Rank: 1st
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Sam Kendricks, Gold)
Quick Facts: Track & Field News favorite to win … Set the American record at the 2019 U.S. Championships, clearing 6.06m (19-10.50) to win his record sixth consecutive U.S. outdoor title … Ranks No. 2 on the all-time world outdoor list behind Sergey Bubka's 6.14m (20-01.75) from 1994 … Reigning 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Champion … 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist … 5x World qualifier, 3x World medalist … 9x USA Champion (6 outdoors, 3 indoors) … 2x NCAA Champion … 2014 NCAA Runner-Up … 5x All-American … 2x SEC Champion … 2013 World University Games Gold Medalist … 2014 SEC Indoor Men's Field Athlete of the Year … 18x IAAF Diamond League champion … 2017 USATF Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year … 22nd member of the six-meter club
Craig Engels • Men's 1500-Meter
Hometown / High School: Pfafftown, N.C. / Ronald Reagan HS
Semifinals: Fri., Oct. 4, 12:05 p.m. CT
Finals: Sun., Oct. 6, 11:40 a.m. CT
Personal Best: 3:34.04 (2019, Brussels Diamond League)
Season Best: 3:34.04 (Brussels Diamond League)
World Rank: 21st
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2013 (Matthew Centrowitz, Silver)
Quick Facts: Won his first U.S. outdoor title in the 1500-meter in 2019 … Held off defending Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, winning by four hundredths of a second at 3:44.93 … Ran a career-best 3:34.04 at the Brussels Diamond League meet … Also won the U.S. indoor title in the mile in 2019 … First American to complete the indoor/outdoor sweep since 2016 (Centrowitz) … First Rebel to medal in the U.S. outdoor 1500-meter race … 4x U.S. finalist in the 1500-meter … 2017 NCAA DMR Champion … 6x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … 2018 IAAF World Indoor Finalist (1500-meter, 7th place) … 2018 USA Indoor bronze medalist (1500-meter) … 2017 Academic All-American
Brittney Reese • Women's Long Jump
Hometown / High School: Gulfport, Miss. / Gulfport HS
Qualifying: Sat., Oct. 5, 9:50 a.m. CT
Finals: Sun., Oct. 6, 11:15 a.m. CT
Personal Best: 7.31m/23-11.75, +1.7 (2016 U.S. Olympic Trials) | 3rd in U.S. history, 11th world history
Season Best (Wind-Legal): 7.00m/22-11.75, +1.8 (U.S. Championships) | Drake Stadium Record
Season Best (All-Conditions): 7.01m/23-00.00, +2.2 (Chula Vista, May 26)
World Rank: 3rd
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Brittney Reese, Gold)
Quick Facts: Won her eighth U.S. outdoor title in 2019, putting her in a tie for third all-time with Olympic Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee … 3x Olympian and 2x Olympic medalist … Has made the Olympic final in the long jump in each of her trips in 2008 (Beijing, fourth), 2012 (London, gold) and 2016 (Rio, silver) … First Rebel woman to ever medal at the Olympic Games, first Rebel in general to ever win gold … 11x World Championships qualifier for Team USA (seven outdoors, four indoors) … 8x World Championships medalist, including seven gold medals … 17x U.S. medalist … 12x U.S. national champion … 2x NCAA Champion at Ole Miss … 5x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … 4x SEC runner-up … 3x SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Year … 2x SEC Commissioner's Trophy winner … First Rebel to win national athlete of the year, taking USTFCCCA Women's Field Athlete of the Year in 2008 … Still ranks fourth indoors (6.87m/22-06.50) and outdoors (6.93m/22-09) in NCAA history … Outdoor mark was the best in NCAA in 31 years at the time
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Reigning world champions Sam Kendricks (men's pole vault) and Brittney Reese (women's long jump) will look to defend their titles, while Rebel All-Americans Craig Engels (men's 1500-meter) and Brian Williams (men's discus) are trying to make some noise on their first career trips to the World Outdoor Championships.
The World Outdoor Championships date back unofficially to 1976, with the official first championship meet held in Helsinki in 1983. The meet was then held every four years until 1991, when it moved to a two-year cycle in between the Summer Olympic Games. Since 1983, the World Championships have been held in: Rome (1987); Tokyo (1991); Stuttgart, Germany (1993); Gothenburg, Sweden (1995); Athens, Greece (1997); Seville, Spain (1999); Edmonton, Canada (2001); Saint-Denis, France (2003); Helsinki (2005); Osaka, Japan (2007); Berlin (2009); Daegu, South Korea (2011); Moscow (2013); Beijing (2015); and London (2017).
Below is a full competition schedule, as well as individual previews on each Rebel in Doha. Fans in the United States can catch all the action on the NBC family of networks.
| 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships (all times CT) | |||
| Sat., Sept. 28 | |||
| Time | Event | Live Coverage | Athlete(s) |
| 8:15 a.m. | Men's Discus Qualifying | Olympic Channel NBC Sports Gold |
Brian Williams |
| 9:30 a.m. | Men's Pole Vault Qualifying | Olympic Channel NBC Sports Gold |
Sam Kendricks |
| Mon., Sept. 30 | |||
| 1:15 p.m. | Men's Discus Final | Olympic Channel NBC Sports Gold |
-- |
| Tues., Oct. 1 | |||
| 12:05 p.m. | Men's Pole Vault Final | NBC Sports Network NBC Sports Gold |
-- |
| Fri., Oct. 4 | |||
| 12:05 p.m. | Men's 1500-Meter Semifinals | Olympic Channel NBC Sports Gold |
Craig Engels |
| Sat., Oct. 5 | |||
| 9:50 a.m. | Women's Long Jump Qualifying | NBC Sports Gold | Brittney Reese |
| Sun., Oct. 6 | |||
| 11:15 a.m. | Women's Long Jump Final | NBC NBC Sports Gold |
-- |
| 11:40 a.m. | Men's 1500-Meter Final | NBC NBC Sports Gold |
-- |
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Brian Williams • Men's Discus
Hometown / High School: Warren Mich. / Fraser HS
Qualifying: Sat., Sept. 28, 8:15 a.m. CT
Finals: Mon., Sept. 30, 1:15 p.m. CT
Personal Best: 65.76m/215-09 (2019 U.S. Championships)
Season Best: 65.76m/215-09 (U.S. Championships)
World Rank: 20th
U.S. Rank: 4th
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Mason Finley, Bronze)
Quick Facts: Earned first career U.S. medal to punch ticket to World Championships, throwing a one-foot PR of 65.76m (215-09) for silver at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in July … First Rebel to ever medal in the discus at the U.S. Championships … Has thrown at least 60.62m (198-10) in each meet this season, throwing at least 63.35m (207-10) in seven of 10 meets … Finished fourth in the discus at the 2017 USA Outdoor Championships, ninth in 2018 … 3x All-American … 2x SEC Champion (first to repeat as the SEC discus champion since 2010-11) … Owns the discus, indoor shot and outdoor shot school records … Was a national champion and 4x All-American while at Iowa Central Community College
Sam Kendricks • Men's Pole Vault
Hometown / High School: Oxford, Miss. / Oxford HS
Qualifying: Sat., Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m. CT
Finals: Tues., Oct. 1, 12:05 p.m. CT
Personal Best: 6.06m/19-10.50 (2019 U.S. Championships) | American Record, 2nd World History
Season Best: 6.06m/19-10.50 (U.S. Championships)
World Rank: 1st
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Sam Kendricks, Gold)
Quick Facts: Track & Field News favorite to win … Set the American record at the 2019 U.S. Championships, clearing 6.06m (19-10.50) to win his record sixth consecutive U.S. outdoor title … Ranks No. 2 on the all-time world outdoor list behind Sergey Bubka's 6.14m (20-01.75) from 1994 … Reigning 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Champion … 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist … 5x World qualifier, 3x World medalist … 9x USA Champion (6 outdoors, 3 indoors) … 2x NCAA Champion … 2014 NCAA Runner-Up … 5x All-American … 2x SEC Champion … 2013 World University Games Gold Medalist … 2014 SEC Indoor Men's Field Athlete of the Year … 18x IAAF Diamond League champion … 2017 USATF Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year … 22nd member of the six-meter club
Craig Engels • Men's 1500-Meter
Hometown / High School: Pfafftown, N.C. / Ronald Reagan HS
Semifinals: Fri., Oct. 4, 12:05 p.m. CT
Finals: Sun., Oct. 6, 11:40 a.m. CT
Personal Best: 3:34.04 (2019, Brussels Diamond League)
Season Best: 3:34.04 (Brussels Diamond League)
World Rank: 21st
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2013 (Matthew Centrowitz, Silver)
Quick Facts: Won his first U.S. outdoor title in the 1500-meter in 2019 … Held off defending Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, winning by four hundredths of a second at 3:44.93 … Ran a career-best 3:34.04 at the Brussels Diamond League meet … Also won the U.S. indoor title in the mile in 2019 … First American to complete the indoor/outdoor sweep since 2016 (Centrowitz) … First Rebel to medal in the U.S. outdoor 1500-meter race … 4x U.S. finalist in the 1500-meter … 2017 NCAA DMR Champion … 6x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … 2018 IAAF World Indoor Finalist (1500-meter, 7th place) … 2018 USA Indoor bronze medalist (1500-meter) … 2017 Academic All-American
Brittney Reese • Women's Long Jump
Hometown / High School: Gulfport, Miss. / Gulfport HS
Qualifying: Sat., Oct. 5, 9:50 a.m. CT
Finals: Sun., Oct. 6, 11:15 a.m. CT
Personal Best: 7.31m/23-11.75, +1.7 (2016 U.S. Olympic Trials) | 3rd in U.S. history, 11th world history
Season Best (Wind-Legal): 7.00m/22-11.75, +1.8 (U.S. Championships) | Drake Stadium Record
Season Best (All-Conditions): 7.01m/23-00.00, +2.2 (Chula Vista, May 26)
World Rank: 3rd
U.S. Rank: 1st
Last U.S. Medal: 2017 (Brittney Reese, Gold)
Quick Facts: Won her eighth U.S. outdoor title in 2019, putting her in a tie for third all-time with Olympic Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee … 3x Olympian and 2x Olympic medalist … Has made the Olympic final in the long jump in each of her trips in 2008 (Beijing, fourth), 2012 (London, gold) and 2016 (Rio, silver) … First Rebel woman to ever medal at the Olympic Games, first Rebel in general to ever win gold … 11x World Championships qualifier for Team USA (seven outdoors, four indoors) … 8x World Championships medalist, including seven gold medals … 17x U.S. medalist … 12x U.S. national champion … 2x NCAA Champion at Ole Miss … 5x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … 4x SEC runner-up … 3x SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Year … 2x SEC Commissioner's Trophy winner … First Rebel to win national athlete of the year, taking USTFCCCA Women's Field Athlete of the Year in 2008 … Still ranks fourth indoors (6.87m/22-06.50) and outdoors (6.93m/22-09) in NCAA history … Outdoor mark was the best in NCAA in 31 years at the time
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
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