The University of Mississippi Athletics

Thursday, February 25
Fayetteville, Ark.
All Day

Ole Miss

vs

SEC Indoor Championships

Suliman, Waleed

Rebel Men Win Two More Titles at Conclusion of SEC Indoor Championships

2/27/2021 | Track and Field

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ole Miss track & field concluded a superb meet with two more demonstrative wins by the Rebel men's distance runners to conclude the 2021 SEC Indoor Championships on Saturday.
 
Those two wins were courtesy of Waleed Suliman (mile) and Mario Garcia Romo (3K), pushing the Rebel men's total to four SEC titles and seven medals across three days of competition. No. 10 Ole Miss ended up fourth in the team standings at 70.5 points, narrowly missing out on another top-three finish to No. 15 Alabama, who scored 72 points and secured third place following a fourth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay at the end of the meet. The No. 21 Ole Miss women, meanwhile, finished seventh overall at 50 points. Arkansas swept the team titles, with the No. 1 women scoring 141 and the No. 3 men 116.
 
"I'm just really proud of the way our men and women competed over the last three days," said Ole Miss head coach Connie Price-Smith "The SEC is one of the toughest meets out there, and the Rebels represented themselves well. We had a lot of standout performances and a few spots that still need a little work. But, I am mostly proud of the heart and guts that most of them showed this weekend. Now it's time to go back to work and get ready for nationals."
 
Suliman started the day off on the right foot for the Rebels, shattering a 45-year-old SEC meet record in the men's mile. The senior All-American held off Arkansas' Amon Kemboi, winning at his fourth career sub-four mile at 3:58.28 to take down Stephan Bolt's meet record of 3:59.40 for Alabama in 1976. Suliman split 55.28 on his final 400 to take command of the race, his second career SEC mile win and the sixth for the Rebel men in the last seven years. Suliman last won in 2019, which then made Ole Miss the first school in SEC history to win five in a row (Daniel Bulmer, 2015; Robert Domanic, 2016; Sean Tobin, 2017-18). Additionally, Suliman's time today was the first by an SEC Champion to break the four-minute barrier since Arkansas' Dorian Ulrey ran 3:59.77 in 2009.
   
"This race was something else, I did not think it was going to go out that fast," Suliman said to ESPN's John Anderson postrace.
 
Fellow senior Everett Smulders helped give the Rebels a high-end wallop in the mile, finishing third at 4:00.29 for his second career SEC bronze in the mile. He last snared third place as a freshman in 2018. Dalton Hengst joined in on the scoring party as well in seventh place at a new career-best 4:04.36, the 15th-best time in school history.
 
Junior Mario Garcia Romo followed Suliman with a splendid race in the men's 3K final, cruising to victory in 8:03.99 for his first career SEC individual title. The reigning SEC Cross Country Champion and SEC Cross Country Runner of the Year put the pedal down over his final two laps, exploding with a 53.14 final 400. His win was just the second ever for Ole Miss in the men's 3K, joining 2016 winner Ryan Walling in the elusive club. Freshman and SEC 5K champion Cole Bullock was key for the Rebels in the 3K on Saturday as well, finishing fourth at 8:05.66 to pad his point total for the weekend to 15 – the third-most among all athletes this week.
 
Senior John Rivera Jr. claimed his first career SEC individual medal with a runner-up finish in the men's 800-meter at 1:50.18. Rivera was in command for most of the race, but an impressive burst from Texas A&M freshman Brandon Miller (1:49.69) was enough to edge him past Rivera at the finish line. Today's effort from Rivera avenges several close misses from the SEC podium over his career, including a miniscule difference last year that pushed him to fourth place. Baylor Franklin also scored for the Rebels in seventh place at 1:50.96.
 
Miller's late push dashed hopes for Ole Miss to pull off the elusive distance event sweep (800-meter, mile, 3K, 5K and DMR), which has only been done three times in conference history – all by Arkansas in 1995, 1998 and 1999. The meet was still an extraordinary one for the Rebel men's distance runners though, as its four titles (mile, 3K, 5K and DMR) ties a program record for most in a meet by the 2016 squad – coincidentally in those same four events. In total, the distance squad racked up an astounding 63 of the total 70.5 points Ole Miss scored this week.
 
Ole Miss grabbed points from the field on Day Three as well, led by sophomore Daniel Viveros in the men's shot put. Viveros and Danny Guiliani both made the final, with Viveros scoring in seventh at 17.46m (57-03.50) and Guiliani just missing out in ninth at 16.72m (54-10.25). Senior Peyton Weissmann notched a half point for Ole Miss in the pole vault, tying for eighth place at a season-best 5.05m (16-06.75).
 
SEC weight throw champion and sophomore All-American Jasmine Mitchell had another career day to pace the Rebel women on Saturday, this time in the shot put. Mitchell unleashed a powerful three-foot PR of 16.25m (53-03.75) to finish fourth and give her 15 total points on the week, tied for the sixth-most among all women's competitors. Her toss put her in exclusive company as just the fourth Rebel to break 53 feet in the shot put indoors, joining Olympian Raven Saunders (19.56m/64-02.25), All-American Janeah Stewart (17.63m/57-10.25) and teammate Tedreauna Britt (16.33m/53-07.00). Of her five legal throws on Saturday, all five of them would have constituted new PRs over her previous best of 15.11m (49-07.00).
 
Sophomore Rebel newcomer Sintayehu Vissa established herself as one of the top 800-meter runners in the conference in just her third meet at Ole Miss. Vissa finished fourth overall in a historic 800-meter final, clocking in at 2:06.97 in a race that included a preposterous new collegiate and world U20 record from Texas A&M freshman, Athing Mu (1:58.40). Vissa was also a member on the Rebel women's school record DMR team from Day One.
 
All-American junior Brandee Presley earned her first career SEC individual points as well with a seventh-place finish in the women's 60-meter dash final, running a season-best 7.32 in the process.
 
Up next for Ole Miss is a return trip to Fayetteville for the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 11-13. Also on the radar not long after are the rescheduled NCAA Cross Country Championships, which are set for two days later on March 15 at Oklahoma State.
 
Qualifying lists for the national meet will be released in the coming days, while team assignments for the NCAA Cross Country meet will be announced in a selection show on March 7 at 12 p.m. CT.
 
Final Women's Team Scores
1. #1 Arkansas – 141
2. #7 Florida – 81
3. #4 Georgia – 69
4. #6 LSU – 62
5. #12 Kentucky – 57
6. #13 Alabama – 56
7. #21 Ole Miss – 50
8. #2 Texas A&M – 38
9. #17 Tennessee – 32
10. Auburn – 30.5
11. Missouri – 18
12. South Carolina – 13
13. Mississippi State – 7.5
14. Vanderbilt – 3
 
Final Men's Team Scores
1. #3 Arkansas – 116
2. #2 LSU – 93
3. #15 Alabama – 72
4. #10 Ole Miss – 70.5
5. #8 Florida – 57
6. #12 Tennessee – 50
7. #17 Kentucky – 47
8. Auburn – 45
9. #16 Texas A&M – 44.5
10. #9 Georgia – 31
11. South Carolina – 16
12. Missouri – 15
13. Mississippi State – 5
 
Day Three Medalists
Mario Garcia Romo – Men's 3K, Gold Medal
Waleed Suliman – Men's Mile, Gold Medal
John Rivera Jr. – Men's 800-Meter, Silver Medal
Everett Smulders – Men's Mile, Bronze Medal
 
Other Day Three Scorers
Cole Bullock – Men's 3K, 4th Place
Jasmine Mitchell – Women's Shot Put, 4th Place
Sintayehu Vissa – Women's 800-Meter, 4th Place
Baylor Franklin – Men's 800-Meter, 7th Place
Dalton Hengst – Men's Mile, 7th Place
Brandee Presley – Women's 60-Meter Dash, 7th Place
Daniel Viveros – Men's Shot Put, 7th Place
Peyton Weissmann – Men's Pole Vault, T-8th Place
 
Day Two Medalists
Cole Bullock – Men's 5K, Gold Medal
Allen Gordon – Men's High Jump, Bronze Medal (tie)
 
Other Day Two Scorers
Anna Elkin – Women's 5K, 4th Place
Samara McConnell – Women's Pole Vault, 6th Place
Ryann Helmers – Women's 5K, 7th Place
Victoria Simmons – Women's 5K, 8th Place
 
Day One Medalists
Marcus Dropik – Men's DMR, Gold Medal
Mario Garcia Romo – Men's DMR, Gold Medal
Jasmine Mitchell – Women's Weight Throw, Gold Medal
Everett Smulders – Men's DMR, Gold Medal
Waleed Suliman – Men's DMR, Gold Medal
Shey Taiwo – Women's Weight Throw, Silver Medal
 
Other Day One Scorers
Toni Glatz – Women's DMR, 4th Place
Maddie King – Women's DMR, 4th Place
Sintayehu Vissa – Women's DMR, 4th Place
Loral Winn – Women's DMR, 4th Place
Jalani Davis – Women's Weight Throw, 5th Place
 
REBELS IN DAY THREE COMPETITION
 
Women's 60-Meter Dash Final
7. Brandee Presley – 7.32 – SB
 
Women's 800-Meter Final
4. Sintayehu Vissa – 2:06.97
 
Men's 800-Meter Final
2. John Rivera – 1:50.18
7. Baylor Franklin – 1:50.96
 
Men's Mile Final
1. Waleed Suliman – 3:58.28 – SEC Meet Record
3. Everett Smulders – 4:00.29
7. Dalton Hengst – 4:04.36 – PR, No. 15 all-time at Ole Miss
 
Women's 3K Final
9. Anna Elkin – 9:23.42
14. Kristel van den Berg – 9:38.60
17. Cate Tracht – 9:48.90
 
Men's 3K Final
1. Mario Garcia Romo – 8:03.99
4. Cole Bullock – 8:05.66
20. Dalton Hengst – 8:44.74
 
Men's Pole Vault
T8. Peyton Weissmann – 5.05m (16-06.75) – Ties SB
 
Women's Shot Put
4. Jasmine Mitchell – 16.25m (53-03.75) – 3.5-foot PR, No. 4 all-time at Ole Miss
11. Jalani Davis – 15.32m (50-03.25)
13. Tedreauna Britt – 15.05m (49-04.50)
 
Men's Shot Put
7. Daniel Viveros – 17.46m (57-03.50)
9. Danny Guiliani – 16.72m (54-10.25)
 
-----
 
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
 
Women's 60-Meter Dash Semifinal
7. Brandee Presley – 7.35 (q) – Ties SB
 
Men's 60-Meter Dash Semifinal
10. Elijah Dryer – 6.79 – Ties PR
14. Ryan Star – 6.83 – PR, No. 14 all-time at Ole Miss
 
Women's 200-Meter Dash Semifinal
22. Jayda Eckford – 24.29
 
Men's 200-Meter Dash Semifinal
9. Elijah Dryer – 21.08 – PR, No. 2 all-time at Ole Miss
 
Women's 800-Meter Semifinal
7. Sintayehu Vissa – 2:07.73 (q)
 
Men's 800-Meter Semifinal
1. John Rivera Jr. – 1:49.22 (AQ)
4. Baylor Franklin – 1:50.10 (AQ)
22. Griffin Riley – 1:52.85
23. Cade Bethmann – 1:53.45
 
Women's Mile Semifinal
13. Loral Winn – 4:50.43
15. Maddie King – 4:54.57
17. Kristel van den Berg – 4:55.32
 
Men's Mile Semifinal
1. Everett Smulders – 4:05.01 (AQ)
2. Waleed Suliman – 4:05.04 (AQ)
3. Dalton Hengst – 4:05.36 (AQ)
 
Women's 5K Final
4. Anna Elkin – 16:13.38 – PR, No. 2 all-time at Ole Miss, No. 26 NCAA
7. Ryann Helmers – 16:36.13 – PR, No. 10 all-time at Ole Miss
8. Victoria Simmons – 16:39.39
 
Men's 5K Final
1. Cole Bullock – 13:59.10
9. Ben Savino – 14:16.20
15. Nick Moulai – 14:35.92
 
Men's 60-Meter Hurdles Semifinal
11. Kenney Broadnax – 7.95 – Ties SB
 
Men's High Jump
T3. Allen Gordon – 2.08m (6-09.75)
 
Women's Pole Vault
6. Samara McConnell – 4.20m (13-09.25) – Ties PR
14. Alex Brooks – 3.90m (12-09.50)
NH. Elizabeth Nix
NH. Lyndsey Reed
 
Men's Long Jump
10. Allen Gordon – 7.53m (24-08.50)
 
Men's Heptathlon
 
Pierce Genereux – 4,609 Points, 14th Place – PR, No. 2 all-time at Ole Miss
60-Meter Dash: 17th, 7.69 – 653 points – PR
Long Jump: 16th, 6.25m (20-06.25) – 641 points – PR
Shot Put: 11th, 11.46m (37-07.25) – 574 points – PR
High Jump: 12th, 1.81m (5-11.25) – 636 points – SB
60-Meter Hurdles: 14th, 8.90 – 768 points – PR
Pole Vault: 10th, 4.35m (14-03.25) – 716 points
1000-Meter: 15th, 3:04.46 – 621 points – PR
 
Peyton Lowery – 4,354 Points, 16th Place – PR, No. 4 all-time at Ole Miss
60-Meter Dash: 15th, 7.44 – 732 points – PR
Long Jump: 15th, 6.35m (20-10.00) – 664 points – PR
Shot Put: 16th, 10.01m (32-10.25) – 486 points – PR
High Jump: 13th, 1.78m (5-10.00) – 610 points
60-Meter Hurdles: 15th, 9.31 – 679 points – PR
Pole Vault: 14th, 3.65m (11-11.75) – 522 points – PR
1000-Meter: 12th, 3:00.31 – 661 points – PR
 
-----
 
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
 
Women DMR
4. Loral Winn, Toni Glatz, Sintayehu Vissa, Maddie King – 11:04.27 – School Record, 8th NCAA
 
Splits:
Winn (1200m) – 3:23.81
Glatz (400m) – 55.03
Vissa (800m) – 2:05.45
King (Mile) – 4:40.00
 
Men's Distance Medley Relay
1. Waleed Suliman, Marcus Dropik, Everett Smulders, Mario Garcia Romo – 9:29.35 – SEC Meet Record, School Record, 4th NCAA
 
Splits:
Suliman (1200m) – 2:57.07
Dropik (400m) – 48.53
Smulders (800m) – 1:49.07
Garcia Romo (Mile) – 3:54.69
 
Women's Weight Throw
1. Jasmine Mitchell – 23.24m (76-03.00) – No. 1 NCAA, No. 6 World, No. 2 all-time at Ole Miss
2. Shey Taiwo – 23.04m (75-07.25) – No. 2 NCAA, No. 7 World, No. 3 all-time at Ole Miss
5. Jalani Davis – 20.82m (68-03.75) – Ties PR, No. 6 all-time at Ole Miss
 
Men's Weight Throw
9. Joseph Benedetto – 20.73m (68-00.25)
18. Joseph Lanham – 17.64m (57-10.50)
 
Women's Pentathlon
 
Sara Van Aken – 3,488 Points, 12th Place – SB
60-Meter Hurdles: 12th, 9.15 – 879 points – PR
High Jump: 9th, 1.68m (5-06.00) – 830 points
Shot Put: 9th, 10.49m (34-05.00) – 562 points – PR
Long Jump: 13th, 5.28m (17-04.00) – 637 points
800-Meter: 12th, 2:39.35 – 580 points – SB
 
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
 

Players Mentioned

Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Multi
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Multi
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps/Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
The Season: New Heights (2025)
Friday, August 01
From Walk-On to National Champ: Arvesta Troupe (T&F)
Monday, June 23
HIGHLIGHTS: Arvesta Troupe Makes History as NCAA High Jump Champ
Friday, June 13
PRESSER: Arvesta Troupe Talks Historic NCAA High Jump Win
Friday, June 13