The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 29
Columbia, Mo.
10 AM
Ole Miss
vs
SEC Championships
Cross Country Journeys to Missouri for 2021 SEC Championships
10/28/2021 | Cross Country
<i class="icon-tv"></i> Watch (SEC Network)<i class="icon-stats"></i> Live Results<i class="icon-info-circled"></i> Championship Central<i class="icon-info-circled"></i> Meet Info<i class="icon-paper"></i> SEC Men's Records<i class="icon-paper"></i> SEC Women's Records
Competition Begins Friday Morning at 10 a.m. CT Live on SEC Network
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ole Miss men's and women's cross country are on the search for some conference hardware when both units travel to Missouri for the 2021 SEC Cross Country Championships, which will be held at Mizzou's Gans Creek Cross Country Course on Friday morning. Both races will air live on SEC Network with Bill Spaulding and Larry Rawson calling the action, with the men's championship 8K up first at 10:08 a.m. CT and the women's championship 6K to follow at approximately 10:50 a.m. CT.
The Rebel women enter with their highest-ever national ranking at No. 11 in the latest USTFCCCA poll, and will stare down a fierce team battle against the likes of preseason favorite No. 15 Arkansas and No. 5 Alabama. Ole Miss has already beaten Alabama twice and Arkansas once this season, with the Crimson Tide also edging out the Rebels once at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational on October 3.
The Ole Miss men, meanwhile, have won two of the last three SEC team titles and enter No. 28 in the national rankings alongside fellow ranked schools in defending champions No. 6 Arkansas and No. 22 Alabama. The Rebel men return two members of its historic 1-2-3 podium sweep in 2020: All-Americans Mario Garcia Romo (reigning SEC Champion) and Cole Bullock (reigning SEC Runner-Up).
Ole Miss is in the midst of historic team success on both its men's and women's squads over the previous several seasons under head coach Connie Price-Smith and associate head coach for cross country, Ryan Vanhoy. Both Rebel teams have finished within the top-three at the conference meet in each of the past five seasons, with the Ole Miss men currently on the best streak in program history with seven consecutive top-three finishes and likewise for the women with five in a row after not finishing in the top-three prior to 2016. Prior to 2014, the Rebel men had only finished third or better three times (1968, second; 1969, third; 1984, third). Individually, Ole Miss has won five SEC titles, all on the men's side: Pablo Sierra in 1992, Barnabas Kirui in 2006, 2009 and 2010, and Mario Garcia Romo in 2020.
Additionally, Ole Miss is one of just four programs nationwide to have placed both its men's and women's programs in the NCAA top-25 at the national meet in each of the last five seasons alongside BYU, Colorado and Stanford.
The No. 28 Rebel men will be without two-time All-American Waleed Suliman at the conference meet for the first time since 2016, but still return a deep and talented squad for 2021. This will be Bullock's first race of the 2021 season, but Garcia Romo has already appeared in solid shape after a ninth-place finish at Notre Dame and a 26th-place showing at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago. The two were Ole Miss' top runners at the NCAA meet back in March, with Bullock finishing 18th and Garcia Romo 30th overall for All-American honors. Bullock was also the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019 following a ninth-place conference finish.
Garcia Romo, specifically, is coming off a spectacular 2020-21 slate of competition from cross country to the track, which ended with not only an All-America nod in cross country, but three additional honors on the track following a 3:53.28 anchor leg on the NCAA Runner-Up distance medley relay squad, a third-place finish in the indoor 3K and a fifth-place finish outdoors in the 1500. Then, less than one month later he nearly ran the Olympic standard to make the Spanish national team for the Tokyo Olympics, running 3:35.79 on the last day of qualification worldwide.
Senior Michael Coccia has been strong for the Rebels as well this season, most recently leading the way at Pre-Nationals in 18th-place at a near-PR of 23:23.6 that ranks sixth in the SEC entering Friday. Garcia Romo's 8K of 23:27.70 from Pre-Nats ranks seventh, while two-time First-Team All-SEC runner Cade Bethmann's 24:07.90 from Pre-Nats sits at No. 17 in the conference.
Other Rebel men on the SEC roster include Cruz Culpepper, Dereck Elkins, Dalton Hengst, Nick Moulai, Ben Savino and James Young.
The No. 11 Ole Miss women have been superb at pack running, winning the North Alabama Showcase at a scoring spread of 31.9 seconds, finishing sixth amidst a strong field at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational at a spread of 46.2 seconds and fourth at Florida State's Pre-Nationals at 32.8 seconds – yielding an average spread of just 37.0 seconds. At Notre Dame and Pre-Nationals, the Rebel women beat out a combined 12 other ranked schools and finished behind eight schools who held an average national ranking of 6.9.
Four different Rebels have led the way for the women in each of their four races this season. Cate Tracht was fourth at the Memphis Twilight on Sept. 4, Skylar Boogerd won the individual title amidst a powerful team showing at the North Alabama Showcase on Sept. 17 (for which she was named SEC Runner of the Week), indoor All-American Sintayehu Vissa was 11th overall for the Rebels at Notre Dame and then Anna Elkin was the frontrunner for Ole Miss at Pre-Nats with a 17th-place performance.
Elkin, a fifth-year senior in her final conference meet, is a reigning Second-Team All-SEC member and last year recorded the best-ever NCAA finish in Rebel women's history in 49th place overall. Vissa, meanwhile, was 59th in her first cross country race at Ole Miss, and Loral Winn was 60th – all three of which would have counted as the best individual finish in program history entering last season.
Coming into Friday, the Rebel women own six SEC top-20 6K times: Elkin (fourth, 20:13.90), Vissa (fifth, 20:15.40), Ryann Helmers (ninth, 20:23.30), Lydia van Dijk (10th, 20:33.60), Winn (13th, 20:46.60), and Boogerd (17th, 20:56.00). Other runners on the Ole Miss roster this weekend include Tracht, Brooke Gilmore, Hannah Ielfield, 2018 Second-Team All-SEC member Clio Ozanne-Jaques, Morgan Claire Rose and Kristel van den Berg.
Competition begins live on SEC Network at 10 a.m. CT, with the men's championship 8K starting at 10:08 a.m. CT and the women's championship 6K at approximately 10:50 a.m. CT.
Ole Miss Men's Conference Roster • 8K: 10:08 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (8K)
Cade Bethmann • 24:07.90 (17th SEC)
Cole Bullock • No time
Michael Coccia • 23:23.60 (6th SEC)
Cruz Culpepper • No time
Dereck Elkins • 24:43.50
Mario Garcia Romo • 23:27.70 (7th SEC)
Dalton Hengst • 24:41.56
Nick Moulai • 24:14.50
Ben Savino • 24:23.90
James Young • 24:42.40
Ole Miss Women's Conference Roster • 6K: 10:50 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (6K)
Skylar Boogerd • 20:56.00 (17th SEC)
Anna Elkin • 20:13.90 (4th SEC)
Brooke Gilmore • 21:54.50
Ryann Helmers • 20:23.30 (9th SEC)
Hannah Ielfield • No time
Clio Ozanne-Jaques • No time
Morgan Claire Rose • 22:36.40
Cate Tracht • 21:45.00
Kristel van den Berg • 21:31.50
Lydia van Dijk • 20:33.60 (10th SEC)
Sintayehu Vissa • 20:15.40 (5th SEC)
Loral Winn • 20:46.60 (13th SEC)
SEC Men's Preseason Poll
1. #6 Arkansas (11) – 11
2. #28 Ole Miss – 23
3. #22 Alabama (1) – 35
4. Kentucky – 43
5. Tennessee – 57
6. Missouri – 61
7. Georgia – 70
8. Florida – 78
9. LSU – 88
10. Texas A&M – 94
11. Auburn – 116
11. Vanderbilt – 116
SEC Women's Preseason Poll
1. #15 Arkansas (10) – 16
2. #5 Alabama (4) – 22
3. #11 Ole Miss – 39
4. (RV) Kentucky – 48
5. (RV) Tennessee – 72
6. LSU – 85
7. Missouri – 91
8. (RV) Florida – 92
9. Vanderbilt – 97
10. Georgia – 121
11. Mississippi State – 142
12. Auburn – 144
13. Texas A&M – 146
14. South Carolina – 159
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
The Rebel women enter with their highest-ever national ranking at No. 11 in the latest USTFCCCA poll, and will stare down a fierce team battle against the likes of preseason favorite No. 15 Arkansas and No. 5 Alabama. Ole Miss has already beaten Alabama twice and Arkansas once this season, with the Crimson Tide also edging out the Rebels once at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational on October 3.
The Ole Miss men, meanwhile, have won two of the last three SEC team titles and enter No. 28 in the national rankings alongside fellow ranked schools in defending champions No. 6 Arkansas and No. 22 Alabama. The Rebel men return two members of its historic 1-2-3 podium sweep in 2020: All-Americans Mario Garcia Romo (reigning SEC Champion) and Cole Bullock (reigning SEC Runner-Up).
Ole Miss is in the midst of historic team success on both its men's and women's squads over the previous several seasons under head coach Connie Price-Smith and associate head coach for cross country, Ryan Vanhoy. Both Rebel teams have finished within the top-three at the conference meet in each of the past five seasons, with the Ole Miss men currently on the best streak in program history with seven consecutive top-three finishes and likewise for the women with five in a row after not finishing in the top-three prior to 2016. Prior to 2014, the Rebel men had only finished third or better three times (1968, second; 1969, third; 1984, third). Individually, Ole Miss has won five SEC titles, all on the men's side: Pablo Sierra in 1992, Barnabas Kirui in 2006, 2009 and 2010, and Mario Garcia Romo in 2020.
Additionally, Ole Miss is one of just four programs nationwide to have placed both its men's and women's programs in the NCAA top-25 at the national meet in each of the last five seasons alongside BYU, Colorado and Stanford.
The No. 28 Rebel men will be without two-time All-American Waleed Suliman at the conference meet for the first time since 2016, but still return a deep and talented squad for 2021. This will be Bullock's first race of the 2021 season, but Garcia Romo has already appeared in solid shape after a ninth-place finish at Notre Dame and a 26th-place showing at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago. The two were Ole Miss' top runners at the NCAA meet back in March, with Bullock finishing 18th and Garcia Romo 30th overall for All-American honors. Bullock was also the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019 following a ninth-place conference finish.
Garcia Romo, specifically, is coming off a spectacular 2020-21 slate of competition from cross country to the track, which ended with not only an All-America nod in cross country, but three additional honors on the track following a 3:53.28 anchor leg on the NCAA Runner-Up distance medley relay squad, a third-place finish in the indoor 3K and a fifth-place finish outdoors in the 1500. Then, less than one month later he nearly ran the Olympic standard to make the Spanish national team for the Tokyo Olympics, running 3:35.79 on the last day of qualification worldwide.
Senior Michael Coccia has been strong for the Rebels as well this season, most recently leading the way at Pre-Nationals in 18th-place at a near-PR of 23:23.6 that ranks sixth in the SEC entering Friday. Garcia Romo's 8K of 23:27.70 from Pre-Nats ranks seventh, while two-time First-Team All-SEC runner Cade Bethmann's 24:07.90 from Pre-Nats sits at No. 17 in the conference.
Other Rebel men on the SEC roster include Cruz Culpepper, Dereck Elkins, Dalton Hengst, Nick Moulai, Ben Savino and James Young.
The No. 11 Ole Miss women have been superb at pack running, winning the North Alabama Showcase at a scoring spread of 31.9 seconds, finishing sixth amidst a strong field at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational at a spread of 46.2 seconds and fourth at Florida State's Pre-Nationals at 32.8 seconds – yielding an average spread of just 37.0 seconds. At Notre Dame and Pre-Nationals, the Rebel women beat out a combined 12 other ranked schools and finished behind eight schools who held an average national ranking of 6.9.
Four different Rebels have led the way for the women in each of their four races this season. Cate Tracht was fourth at the Memphis Twilight on Sept. 4, Skylar Boogerd won the individual title amidst a powerful team showing at the North Alabama Showcase on Sept. 17 (for which she was named SEC Runner of the Week), indoor All-American Sintayehu Vissa was 11th overall for the Rebels at Notre Dame and then Anna Elkin was the frontrunner for Ole Miss at Pre-Nats with a 17th-place performance.
Elkin, a fifth-year senior in her final conference meet, is a reigning Second-Team All-SEC member and last year recorded the best-ever NCAA finish in Rebel women's history in 49th place overall. Vissa, meanwhile, was 59th in her first cross country race at Ole Miss, and Loral Winn was 60th – all three of which would have counted as the best individual finish in program history entering last season.
Coming into Friday, the Rebel women own six SEC top-20 6K times: Elkin (fourth, 20:13.90), Vissa (fifth, 20:15.40), Ryann Helmers (ninth, 20:23.30), Lydia van Dijk (10th, 20:33.60), Winn (13th, 20:46.60), and Boogerd (17th, 20:56.00). Other runners on the Ole Miss roster this weekend include Tracht, Brooke Gilmore, Hannah Ielfield, 2018 Second-Team All-SEC member Clio Ozanne-Jaques, Morgan Claire Rose and Kristel van den Berg.
Competition begins live on SEC Network at 10 a.m. CT, with the men's championship 8K starting at 10:08 a.m. CT and the women's championship 6K at approximately 10:50 a.m. CT.
Ole Miss Men's Conference Roster • 8K: 10:08 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (8K)
Cade Bethmann • 24:07.90 (17th SEC)
Cole Bullock • No time
Michael Coccia • 23:23.60 (6th SEC)
Cruz Culpepper • No time
Dereck Elkins • 24:43.50
Mario Garcia Romo • 23:27.70 (7th SEC)
Dalton Hengst • 24:41.56
Nick Moulai • 24:14.50
Ben Savino • 24:23.90
James Young • 24:42.40
Ole Miss Women's Conference Roster • 6K: 10:50 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (6K)
Skylar Boogerd • 20:56.00 (17th SEC)
Anna Elkin • 20:13.90 (4th SEC)
Brooke Gilmore • 21:54.50
Ryann Helmers • 20:23.30 (9th SEC)
Hannah Ielfield • No time
Clio Ozanne-Jaques • No time
Morgan Claire Rose • 22:36.40
Cate Tracht • 21:45.00
Kristel van den Berg • 21:31.50
Lydia van Dijk • 20:33.60 (10th SEC)
Sintayehu Vissa • 20:15.40 (5th SEC)
Loral Winn • 20:46.60 (13th SEC)
SEC Men's Preseason Poll
1. #6 Arkansas (11) – 11
2. #28 Ole Miss – 23
3. #22 Alabama (1) – 35
4. Kentucky – 43
5. Tennessee – 57
6. Missouri – 61
7. Georgia – 70
8. Florida – 78
9. LSU – 88
10. Texas A&M – 94
11. Auburn – 116
11. Vanderbilt – 116
SEC Women's Preseason Poll
1. #15 Arkansas (10) – 16
2. #5 Alabama (4) – 22
3. #11 Ole Miss – 39
4. (RV) Kentucky – 48
5. (RV) Tennessee – 72
6. LSU – 85
7. Missouri – 91
8. (RV) Florida – 92
9. Vanderbilt – 97
10. Georgia – 121
11. Mississippi State – 142
12. Auburn – 144
13. Texas A&M – 146
14. South Carolina – 159
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
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