The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, November 20
Tallahassee, Fla.
9:20 AM
Ole Miss
vs
NCAA Championships
Women’s Cross Country Earns First-Ever NCAA Top-10 Finish
11/20/2021 | Cross Country
Sintayehu Vissa (33rd Place) First Women’s Cross Country All-American in Program History
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ole Miss women's cross country capped a historic season with another significant milestone, notching their first-ever top-10 national finish after taking 10th place at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships, hosted by Florida State on Saturday morning.
The Ole Miss women soared to new heights in 2021, earning two record national rankings (their best being No. 9 entering the national meet), a close SEC runner-up finish and their second NCAA South Region title. Their 10th-place finish on Saturday registers just the second NCAA top-10 finish in the combined history of Ole Miss cross country, ranking only behind the Rebel men's fourth-place podium finish in 2016. Ole Miss had never qualified for the national meet on the women's side prior to 2016, and has now improved its record finish in each of the last four years.
In addition to the women's heroics, the Ole Miss men took 15th overall in a hard-fought 10K race, their third-best NCAA finish ever on the backs of a handful of career-days from Rebel veterans like Michael Coccia and Mario Garcia Romo. In total, Ole Miss remains as one of just four schools nationally to have both its men's and women's programs finish in the NCAA top-25 in each of the last six seasons alongside BYU, Colorado and Stanford.
"Our women's team capped off an incredible season with a top-10 NCAA finish. That was our goal when we came back to campus in August, so it's nice to hit that and make program history in the process," said Ole Miss associate head coach Ryan Vanhoy. "It's been a fun and memorable season for many reasons, but what I'll remember the most about this team is how hard they worked to reach new heights together."
Just eight months after running her first cross country race as a Rebel at the rescheduled 2020 championship meet (held two days after the NCAA Indoor Championships), Sintayehu Vissa brought it full circle with a performance for the Ole Miss record books. Vissa became the first women's cross country All-American in Ole Miss history following a 33rd-place finish on Saturday. The previous Rebel best was a 49th-place showing from Anna Elkin last season.
It wasn't easy though, as she was outside that top-40 cutoff with less than one kilometer to go. With some help from the sidelines, though, Vissa pushed ahead 11 spots over her final 1K to finish 33rd at a 6K PR of 19:53.2 – the fastest time by a Rebel since 2018.
"I heard either (volunteer coaches) Robert (Domanic) or Craig (Engels) screaming to me 'you're out of 40!' so I was just like I'm in pain, but I'm not going to get 43rd," Vissa said. "So I just closed my eyes and pushed, so it was worth it at least."
Vissa is the latest example of Ole Miss associate head coach Ryan Vanhoy molding superior middle distance runners into excellent cross country athletes. Vissa had only run in seven cross country meets at Division II Saint Leo prior to transferring to Ole Miss, and holds blistering PRs on the track of 2:04.53 in the 800, 4:16.08 in the 1500 and 4:40.99 in the mile.
After finishing 59th at the rescheduled NCAA meet back in March, Vissa proved week-in and week-out this year that she belongs. She opened with an incredible 2:28 5K drop at 16:36.58 in the 5K at North Alabama, and followed with another four second improvement at Notre Dame down to 16:32.4. On this same course at Pre-Nats in October, she clipped 49 seconds off her 6K best down to 20:15.4, nearly broke it again in difficult conditions at the SEC Championships, and dropped 21 more seconds off at the NCAA South Regional at 19:54.65 before today's new best of 19:53.2.
"I was surprised, because I'm not actually a cross country runner," Vissa said. "Even though (Coach) Vanhoy thinks I can be a very good cross country runner, mentally it's easier for me to think about track. I've been impressed, but I still think that I'm not a cross country runner. I'm just a survivor! I just try to stay with people, and if someone is at a good pace I try to stay with them. I'm happy I was able to stick with people and show through the pain and be awarded with All-American."
All-Region runner Ryann Helmers wrapped up a very successful season of her own, finishing as the second-best Rebel across the line in a near-PR of 20:17.3 for 71st place. Helmers has been a rock for the Rebel women all season long, finishing second or third in the lineup in all six of her races.
Fifth-year senior Anna Elkin has been on each of the last four Ole Miss national squads dating back to 2018, and in each of those years she helped the Rebel women set a new record for national finish. Elkin took 74th today at a 6K of 20:20.0, wrapping up an extraordinary Rebel cross country career with a historic trip into the NCAA top-10.
"I came to this school because I wanted to be a part of building the program and leaving a legacy," Elkin said. "Six years ago was the first time that we ever made it to the NCAA Championships, and today we were the 10th-best team in the entire nation. That's really something to be proud of. It's hard to accept that I just ran my last cross country race as a Rebel, but if I had the chance to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. The Ole Miss women's distance program is one of the best in the nation, and I'm so proud to be a part of it."
Other Rebels contributing on Saturday were Clio Ozanne-Jaques in her third national meet in 78th (20:21.1), Kristel van den Berg in 176th (20:27.5), Loral Winn in 178th (20:57.6) and Skylar Boogerd in 208th (21:17.5).
The Ole Miss men received two strong performances from seniors Michael Coccia and Mario Garcia Romo, helping push the Rebel men to 15th in the team standings – their fourth top-20 finish in the last five years and their sixth consecutive top-25 team finish after having never qualified prior to 2014.
Coccia and Garcia Romo have been mainstays of the Ole Miss men's program, and if this was indeed their last race together it was a good one. Both ran considerable 10K personal bests, with Coccia just missing out on All-American honors in 43rd place at a 17-second improvement of 29:34.2, with Garcia Romo not far behind in 46th in a 15-second improvement of 29:36.1. Both Rebels eclipsed the 30-minute barrier for the first time last week at the NCAA South Regional, where Ole Miss won its fifth title in the last seven years.
Nick Moulai had an excellent outing in his second career NCAA race, clocking a 10K best of 30:18.0 to finish 113th overall. Ben Savino did likewise in his third career appearance, taking 120th at a PR of 30:21.0.
Other Rebel men contributing were Cole Bullock in 142nd (30:32.1) and Dereck Elkins in 168th (30:47.6).
"Our men's team put forth another respectable showing this year with a 15th place finish at NCAA's," Vanhoy said. "It wasn't quite what we were aiming for, but we fought all year to put the pieces together, and I feel we had our three best team races during the championship portion of the season. We had a lot of athletes step up this year and contribute in much bigger ways than ever before, so I'd like to thank this group for their effort and desire to keep our program competing among the nation's best."
With cross country season now in the rearview, the focus turns next to the indoor track season, which is set to begin in January. As an entire program, Ole Miss track & field and cross country is coming off a superb 2020-21 season that saw it finish a program-best No. 3 in men's competition and No. 7 in women's competition in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings.
Women's 6K Individual Results
33. Sintayehu Vissa – 19:53.2 – PR – All-American (first in Ole Miss women's history)
71. Ryann Helmers – 20:17.3
74. Anna Elkin – 20:20.0
78. Clio Ozanne-Jaques – 20:21.1
176. Kristel van den Berg – 20:57.5
178. Loral Winn – 20:57.6
208. Skylar Boogerd – 21:17.5
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #1 NC State – 84
2. #4 BYU – 122
3. #2 New Mexico – 130
4. #3 Colorado – 187
5. #10 Notre Dame – 215
6. #16 Stanford – 233
7. #5 Minnesota – 313
8. #7 Arkansas – 328
9. #10 Iowa State – 332
10. #9 Ole Miss – 350 (program record)
11. #23 Washington – 366
12. #13 Wisconsin – 376
13. #6 Oklahoma State – 404
14. #8 North Carolina – 405
15. #15 Alabama – 428
16. #19 Michigan State – 438
17. #18 Colorado State – 455
18. #22 Georgetown – 464
19. #12 Florida State – 468
20. #14 Utah – 483
21. #28 West Virginia – 489
22. #17 Michigan – 500
23. #21 Northern Arizona – 532
24. #26 Oregon – 534
25. #24 Harvard – 541
26. #25 Providence – 594
27. Villanova – 605
28. #27 Utah State – 638
29. #30 Butler – 660
30. #20 Syracuse – 768
31. Rice – 811
Men's 10K Individual Results
43. Michael Coccia – 29:34.2 – PR
46. Mario Garcia Romo – 29:36.1 – PR
113. Nick Moulai – 30:18.0 – PR
120. Ben Savino – 30:21.0 – PR
142. Cole Bullock – 30:32.1
168. Dereck Elkins – 30:47.6
DNF Cruz Culpepper
Men's 10K Team Scores
1. #1 Northern Arizona – 92
2. #6 Iowa State – 137
3. #3 Oklahoma State – 186
4. #9 Arkansas – 195
5. #7 Stanford – 236
6. #10 Tulsa – 237
7. #2 BYU – 246
8. #5 Colorado – 249
9. #4 Notre Dame – 290
10. #17 Wake Forest – 356
11. #8 Wisconsin – 361
12. #25 Harvard – 364
13. #12 Washington – 373
14. #13 Texas – 393
15. #15 Ole Miss – 395
16. #22 Portland – 430
17. #11 Air Force – 453
18. North Carolina – 460
19. #19 Syracuse – 485
20. #27 Florida State – 517
21. #27 Minnesota – 518
22. #25 Georgetown – 566
23. #16 Princeton – 567
24. #24 Southern Utah – 573
25. #14 Michigan – 588
26. #21 Gonzaga – 612
27. #23 Alabama – 640
28. #29 Butler – 643
29. #20 Oregon – 655
30. #30 Michigan State – 681
31. #17 Furman – 688
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
The Ole Miss women soared to new heights in 2021, earning two record national rankings (their best being No. 9 entering the national meet), a close SEC runner-up finish and their second NCAA South Region title. Their 10th-place finish on Saturday registers just the second NCAA top-10 finish in the combined history of Ole Miss cross country, ranking only behind the Rebel men's fourth-place podium finish in 2016. Ole Miss had never qualified for the national meet on the women's side prior to 2016, and has now improved its record finish in each of the last four years.
In addition to the women's heroics, the Ole Miss men took 15th overall in a hard-fought 10K race, their third-best NCAA finish ever on the backs of a handful of career-days from Rebel veterans like Michael Coccia and Mario Garcia Romo. In total, Ole Miss remains as one of just four schools nationally to have both its men's and women's programs finish in the NCAA top-25 in each of the last six seasons alongside BYU, Colorado and Stanford.
"Our women's team capped off an incredible season with a top-10 NCAA finish. That was our goal when we came back to campus in August, so it's nice to hit that and make program history in the process," said Ole Miss associate head coach Ryan Vanhoy. "It's been a fun and memorable season for many reasons, but what I'll remember the most about this team is how hard they worked to reach new heights together."
Just eight months after running her first cross country race as a Rebel at the rescheduled 2020 championship meet (held two days after the NCAA Indoor Championships), Sintayehu Vissa brought it full circle with a performance for the Ole Miss record books. Vissa became the first women's cross country All-American in Ole Miss history following a 33rd-place finish on Saturday. The previous Rebel best was a 49th-place showing from Anna Elkin last season.
It wasn't easy though, as she was outside that top-40 cutoff with less than one kilometer to go. With some help from the sidelines, though, Vissa pushed ahead 11 spots over her final 1K to finish 33rd at a 6K PR of 19:53.2 – the fastest time by a Rebel since 2018.
"I heard either (volunteer coaches) Robert (Domanic) or Craig (Engels) screaming to me 'you're out of 40!' so I was just like I'm in pain, but I'm not going to get 43rd," Vissa said. "So I just closed my eyes and pushed, so it was worth it at least."
Vissa is the latest example of Ole Miss associate head coach Ryan Vanhoy molding superior middle distance runners into excellent cross country athletes. Vissa had only run in seven cross country meets at Division II Saint Leo prior to transferring to Ole Miss, and holds blistering PRs on the track of 2:04.53 in the 800, 4:16.08 in the 1500 and 4:40.99 in the mile.
After finishing 59th at the rescheduled NCAA meet back in March, Vissa proved week-in and week-out this year that she belongs. She opened with an incredible 2:28 5K drop at 16:36.58 in the 5K at North Alabama, and followed with another four second improvement at Notre Dame down to 16:32.4. On this same course at Pre-Nats in October, she clipped 49 seconds off her 6K best down to 20:15.4, nearly broke it again in difficult conditions at the SEC Championships, and dropped 21 more seconds off at the NCAA South Regional at 19:54.65 before today's new best of 19:53.2.
"I was surprised, because I'm not actually a cross country runner," Vissa said. "Even though (Coach) Vanhoy thinks I can be a very good cross country runner, mentally it's easier for me to think about track. I've been impressed, but I still think that I'm not a cross country runner. I'm just a survivor! I just try to stay with people, and if someone is at a good pace I try to stay with them. I'm happy I was able to stick with people and show through the pain and be awarded with All-American."
All-Region runner Ryann Helmers wrapped up a very successful season of her own, finishing as the second-best Rebel across the line in a near-PR of 20:17.3 for 71st place. Helmers has been a rock for the Rebel women all season long, finishing second or third in the lineup in all six of her races.
Fifth-year senior Anna Elkin has been on each of the last four Ole Miss national squads dating back to 2018, and in each of those years she helped the Rebel women set a new record for national finish. Elkin took 74th today at a 6K of 20:20.0, wrapping up an extraordinary Rebel cross country career with a historic trip into the NCAA top-10.
"I came to this school because I wanted to be a part of building the program and leaving a legacy," Elkin said. "Six years ago was the first time that we ever made it to the NCAA Championships, and today we were the 10th-best team in the entire nation. That's really something to be proud of. It's hard to accept that I just ran my last cross country race as a Rebel, but if I had the chance to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. The Ole Miss women's distance program is one of the best in the nation, and I'm so proud to be a part of it."
Other Rebels contributing on Saturday were Clio Ozanne-Jaques in her third national meet in 78th (20:21.1), Kristel van den Berg in 176th (20:27.5), Loral Winn in 178th (20:57.6) and Skylar Boogerd in 208th (21:17.5).
The Ole Miss men received two strong performances from seniors Michael Coccia and Mario Garcia Romo, helping push the Rebel men to 15th in the team standings – their fourth top-20 finish in the last five years and their sixth consecutive top-25 team finish after having never qualified prior to 2014.
Coccia and Garcia Romo have been mainstays of the Ole Miss men's program, and if this was indeed their last race together it was a good one. Both ran considerable 10K personal bests, with Coccia just missing out on All-American honors in 43rd place at a 17-second improvement of 29:34.2, with Garcia Romo not far behind in 46th in a 15-second improvement of 29:36.1. Both Rebels eclipsed the 30-minute barrier for the first time last week at the NCAA South Regional, where Ole Miss won its fifth title in the last seven years.
Nick Moulai had an excellent outing in his second career NCAA race, clocking a 10K best of 30:18.0 to finish 113th overall. Ben Savino did likewise in his third career appearance, taking 120th at a PR of 30:21.0.
Other Rebel men contributing were Cole Bullock in 142nd (30:32.1) and Dereck Elkins in 168th (30:47.6).
"Our men's team put forth another respectable showing this year with a 15th place finish at NCAA's," Vanhoy said. "It wasn't quite what we were aiming for, but we fought all year to put the pieces together, and I feel we had our three best team races during the championship portion of the season. We had a lot of athletes step up this year and contribute in much bigger ways than ever before, so I'd like to thank this group for their effort and desire to keep our program competing among the nation's best."
With cross country season now in the rearview, the focus turns next to the indoor track season, which is set to begin in January. As an entire program, Ole Miss track & field and cross country is coming off a superb 2020-21 season that saw it finish a program-best No. 3 in men's competition and No. 7 in women's competition in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings.
Women's 6K Individual Results
33. Sintayehu Vissa – 19:53.2 – PR – All-American (first in Ole Miss women's history)
71. Ryann Helmers – 20:17.3
74. Anna Elkin – 20:20.0
78. Clio Ozanne-Jaques – 20:21.1
176. Kristel van den Berg – 20:57.5
178. Loral Winn – 20:57.6
208. Skylar Boogerd – 21:17.5
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #1 NC State – 84
2. #4 BYU – 122
3. #2 New Mexico – 130
4. #3 Colorado – 187
5. #10 Notre Dame – 215
6. #16 Stanford – 233
7. #5 Minnesota – 313
8. #7 Arkansas – 328
9. #10 Iowa State – 332
10. #9 Ole Miss – 350 (program record)
11. #23 Washington – 366
12. #13 Wisconsin – 376
13. #6 Oklahoma State – 404
14. #8 North Carolina – 405
15. #15 Alabama – 428
16. #19 Michigan State – 438
17. #18 Colorado State – 455
18. #22 Georgetown – 464
19. #12 Florida State – 468
20. #14 Utah – 483
21. #28 West Virginia – 489
22. #17 Michigan – 500
23. #21 Northern Arizona – 532
24. #26 Oregon – 534
25. #24 Harvard – 541
26. #25 Providence – 594
27. Villanova – 605
28. #27 Utah State – 638
29. #30 Butler – 660
30. #20 Syracuse – 768
31. Rice – 811
Men's 10K Individual Results
43. Michael Coccia – 29:34.2 – PR
46. Mario Garcia Romo – 29:36.1 – PR
113. Nick Moulai – 30:18.0 – PR
120. Ben Savino – 30:21.0 – PR
142. Cole Bullock – 30:32.1
168. Dereck Elkins – 30:47.6
DNF Cruz Culpepper
Men's 10K Team Scores
1. #1 Northern Arizona – 92
2. #6 Iowa State – 137
3. #3 Oklahoma State – 186
4. #9 Arkansas – 195
5. #7 Stanford – 236
6. #10 Tulsa – 237
7. #2 BYU – 246
8. #5 Colorado – 249
9. #4 Notre Dame – 290
10. #17 Wake Forest – 356
11. #8 Wisconsin – 361
12. #25 Harvard – 364
13. #12 Washington – 373
14. #13 Texas – 393
15. #15 Ole Miss – 395
16. #22 Portland – 430
17. #11 Air Force – 453
18. North Carolina – 460
19. #19 Syracuse – 485
20. #27 Florida State – 517
21. #27 Minnesota – 518
22. #25 Georgetown – 566
23. #16 Princeton – 567
24. #24 Southern Utah – 573
25. #14 Michigan – 588
26. #21 Gonzaga – 612
27. #23 Alabama – 640
28. #29 Butler – 643
29. #20 Oregon – 655
30. #30 Michigan State – 681
31. #17 Furman – 688
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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