The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 28
Oxford, Miss.
10 AM
Ole Miss
vs
SEC Championships
Ole Miss Battles in Front of Home Crowd at 2022 SEC Cross Country Championships
10/28/2022 | Cross Country
<i class="icon-paper"></i> Final Results (PDF)<i class="icon-camera"></i> Photos<i class="icon-tv"></i> Replay<i class="icon-info-circled"></i> Meet CentralPhoto Gallery
Rebel Women Third, Men Fourth at First Home SEC Meet Since 2009
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss cross country scraped and clawed its way to two hard-fought team finishes, as Oxford was the site of a thrilling SEC Cross Country Championship meet on Friday morning at The Ole Miss Golf Course.
The conference championship came to Oxford for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time overall, and it was a historic affair in the annals of the SEC record books. The men's race registered as one of the closest in conference history, and the women's race crowned a victor not named Arkansas for the first time since 2012. Alabama came away with a sweep of the team titles, with the Crimson Tide men holding on to a razor-thin margin for their first win since 2009, while the women ran away with a 38-point win for their first title since 1987.
For Ole Miss, the Rebel men put together their best race of the season, but came up just short in that drastically tight team score to finish fourth at 65 points behind No. 22 Alabama (59), No. 17 Tennessee (64) and Arkansas (64). The Ole Miss women also received its best overall team performance of the year, with all five Rebel scorers clocking massive new personal bests as Ole Miss took third at 83 points behind No. 7 Alabama (36) and No. 21 Arkansas (74).
"I thought today on both the men's and the women's sides we finally ran like we believed we belong," said Ole Miss cross country coach Adam Smith. "Ryann (Helmers) and Anthony (Camerieri) have led us all year long, and today we had some people step up and provide some depth. We're coming around at the right time."
In the women's championship 6K, senior Ryann Helmers maintained her role as the top runner for the Rebels in consistent fashion, never straying far en route to an eighth-place finish at a monster 40-second personal best of 19:37.15 – the fastest cross country 6K time by a Rebel woman in available records. Helmers has been the mainstay of the Ole Miss women all season long, with today marking her fourth consecutive race at the top of the leaderboard for the Rebels. On the year, Helmers is averaging a finishing place of 10.5.
For her efforts, Helmers was named Second-Team All-SEC. This is her second consecutive All-SEC honor, after finishing 14th for the Rebels in 2021.
Also earning Second-Team status was junior Loral Winn, who continued her run as the reliable second finisher for the Rebels. Winn clocked an impressive time herself, crossing the line 10th overall at a huge 32-second improvement to 19:57.87. This is the first career All-SEC honor for Winn in the cross country season, and her sub-20 time along with Helmers register as just the third and fourth such times in available records in Ole Miss history alongside a 19:53.20 by All-American Sintayehu Vissa at NCAAs in 2021, and a 19:48.20 by Clio Ozanne-Jaques at SECs in 2018.
The fast times weren't done there for Ole Miss though, as three more PRs rounded out a tight 1:06 scoring spread for the Rebel women. Skylar Boogerd came across in 16th place at a 30-second best of 20:19.83, while transfer Laura Taborda dropped 18 seconds off her previous 6K PR in 18th place at 20:26.78. Freshman Sophie Baumann dropped 11 seconds off her 6K best from earlier this year, finishing 31st at 20:43.93 to close out the scoring.
"Alabama ran lights-out today, have to give them credit, but we had our best race of the year and almost picked off Arkansas," Smith said. "Ryann continues to be a stud, Loral Winn and Sophie Baumann had huge breakthroughs, and Skylar and Laura made big strides in just their second race of the year."
Other Rebel women running included: Kristel van den Berg (37th, 20:54.77), Jocelyn Long (45th, 21:05.10), Sarah Schiffmann (48th, 21:07.10), Hannah Ielfield (64th, 21:24.64), Frances Luna (78th, 21:38.14, PR), Madison Hulsey (84th, 21:42.30) and Jenna Kirby (147th, 24:18.12).
It wasn't just how close the men's finish was that made it exciting, it was how wide-open the team race was at any given point of the competition. Ole Miss put together its best team performance of the year and was hovering near the top two spots, but a push by eventual champs Alabama at the halfway mark and a late charge by Arkansas and Tennessee over the final two kilometers allowed them to leap frog the Rebels in the closest SEC men's final since 1994.
When the scores were all tallied up, Alabama came away victorious by just five points ahead of Tennessee (64), Arkansas (64) and Ole Miss (65). That stands as the most teams within 20 points in an SEC men's race in conference history, as well as the first time with more than two teams within 20 points since 1990 (three teams, eight-point spread) and the closest team race with multiple teams within 20 since 1971 (three teams, three-point spread).
"Our guys stepped up today," Smith said. "They put themselves out there, and came up six points shy of the win and one point out of second place. But you could feel a momentum switch today with the group. We found each other today, and we turned a corner. We will use today to get us ready for one of those automatic spots at Regionals in two weeks."
Senior transfer Anthony Camerieri led the charge for the Rebel men for his fourth consecutive meet, earning First-Team All-SEC honors for a sixth place finish at a 12-second PR of 23:07.40. Camerieri has now lowered his 8K PR in each of his last two outings for the Rebels.
Fellow senior Chris Maxon earned Second-Team status with a huge career-best of his own, finishing in ninth place at 23:22.97, while fellow senior and All-American Cole Bullock collected his fourth All-SEC honor with a Second-Team spot in 13th place at 23:37.25.
Senior Shane Bracken took 17th, dropping eight seconds off his PR at 23:43.09, while sophomore and SEC Co-Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Aiden Britt rounded out a 49-second scoring spread in 20th at a 35-second PR of 23:56.67.
Other Rebel men running on Friday included: Dereck Elkins (24th, 24:03.22, PR), Ben Savino (29th, 24:17.42), Dalton Hengst (33rd, 24:21.07), Gabe Scales (52nd, 24:47.61) and Chase Rose (63rd, 25:10.84).
Ole Miss now sets its sights on the NCAA South Regional in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday, November 11th, where tickets to the national meet will be on the line.
Women's SEC Championships • 6K Team Scores
1. #7 Alabama – 36
2. #21 Arkansas – 74
3. (RV) Ole Miss – 83
4. (RV) Kentucky – 122
5. Florida – 147
6. Tennessee – 159
7. LSU – 201
8. Texas A&M – 208
9. Vanderbilt – 223
10. Auburn – 260
11. Missouri – 276
12. South Carolina – 326
13. Georgia – 395
14. Mississippi State – 414
Women's SEC Championships • 6K Individual Results
8. Ryann Helmers – 19:37.15 – Second-Team All-SEC – 40-second PR
10. Loral Winn – 19:57.87 – Second-Team All-SEC – 32-second PR
16. Skylar Boogerd – 20:19.83 – 30-second PR
18. Laura Taborda – 20:26.78 – 18-second PR
31. Sophie Baumann – 20:43.93 – 11-second PR
37. Kristel van den Berg – 20:54.77
45. Jocelyn Long – 21:05.10
48. Sarah Schiffmann – 21:07.10
64. Hannah Ielfield – 21:24.64
78. Frances Luna – 21:38.14 – 12-second PR
84. Madison Hulsey – 21:42.30 – First collegiate 6K
147. Jenna Kirby – 24:18.12
Men's SEC Championships • 8K Team Scores
1. #22 Alabama – 59
2. #17 Tennessee – 64
3. (RV) Arkansas – 64
4. Ole Miss – 65
5. Texas A&M – 126
6. Kentucky – 190
7. Auburn – 199
8. Missouri – 219
9. Georgia – 229
10. Florida – 294
11. LSU – 347
12. Vanderbilt – 347
Men's SEC Championships • 8K Individual Results
6. Anthony Camerieri – 23:07.40 – First-Team All-SEC – 12-second PR
9. Chris Maxon – 23:22.97 – Second-Team All-SEC – 24-second PR
13. Cole Bullock – 23:37.25 – Second-Team All-SEC
17. Shane Bracken – 23:43.09 – 8-second PR
20. Aiden Britt – 23:56.67 – 35-second PR
24. Dereck Elkins – 24:03.22 – 9-second PR
29. Ben Savino – 24:17.42
33. Dalton Hengst – 24:21.07
52. Gabe Scales – 24:47.61 – 27-second PR
63. Chase Rose – 25:10.84
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
The conference championship came to Oxford for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time overall, and it was a historic affair in the annals of the SEC record books. The men's race registered as one of the closest in conference history, and the women's race crowned a victor not named Arkansas for the first time since 2012. Alabama came away with a sweep of the team titles, with the Crimson Tide men holding on to a razor-thin margin for their first win since 2009, while the women ran away with a 38-point win for their first title since 1987.
For Ole Miss, the Rebel men put together their best race of the season, but came up just short in that drastically tight team score to finish fourth at 65 points behind No. 22 Alabama (59), No. 17 Tennessee (64) and Arkansas (64). The Ole Miss women also received its best overall team performance of the year, with all five Rebel scorers clocking massive new personal bests as Ole Miss took third at 83 points behind No. 7 Alabama (36) and No. 21 Arkansas (74).
"I thought today on both the men's and the women's sides we finally ran like we believed we belong," said Ole Miss cross country coach Adam Smith. "Ryann (Helmers) and Anthony (Camerieri) have led us all year long, and today we had some people step up and provide some depth. We're coming around at the right time."
In the women's championship 6K, senior Ryann Helmers maintained her role as the top runner for the Rebels in consistent fashion, never straying far en route to an eighth-place finish at a monster 40-second personal best of 19:37.15 – the fastest cross country 6K time by a Rebel woman in available records. Helmers has been the mainstay of the Ole Miss women all season long, with today marking her fourth consecutive race at the top of the leaderboard for the Rebels. On the year, Helmers is averaging a finishing place of 10.5.
For her efforts, Helmers was named Second-Team All-SEC. This is her second consecutive All-SEC honor, after finishing 14th for the Rebels in 2021.
Also earning Second-Team status was junior Loral Winn, who continued her run as the reliable second finisher for the Rebels. Winn clocked an impressive time herself, crossing the line 10th overall at a huge 32-second improvement to 19:57.87. This is the first career All-SEC honor for Winn in the cross country season, and her sub-20 time along with Helmers register as just the third and fourth such times in available records in Ole Miss history alongside a 19:53.20 by All-American Sintayehu Vissa at NCAAs in 2021, and a 19:48.20 by Clio Ozanne-Jaques at SECs in 2018.
The fast times weren't done there for Ole Miss though, as three more PRs rounded out a tight 1:06 scoring spread for the Rebel women. Skylar Boogerd came across in 16th place at a 30-second best of 20:19.83, while transfer Laura Taborda dropped 18 seconds off her previous 6K PR in 18th place at 20:26.78. Freshman Sophie Baumann dropped 11 seconds off her 6K best from earlier this year, finishing 31st at 20:43.93 to close out the scoring.
"Alabama ran lights-out today, have to give them credit, but we had our best race of the year and almost picked off Arkansas," Smith said. "Ryann continues to be a stud, Loral Winn and Sophie Baumann had huge breakthroughs, and Skylar and Laura made big strides in just their second race of the year."
Other Rebel women running included: Kristel van den Berg (37th, 20:54.77), Jocelyn Long (45th, 21:05.10), Sarah Schiffmann (48th, 21:07.10), Hannah Ielfield (64th, 21:24.64), Frances Luna (78th, 21:38.14, PR), Madison Hulsey (84th, 21:42.30) and Jenna Kirby (147th, 24:18.12).
It wasn't just how close the men's finish was that made it exciting, it was how wide-open the team race was at any given point of the competition. Ole Miss put together its best team performance of the year and was hovering near the top two spots, but a push by eventual champs Alabama at the halfway mark and a late charge by Arkansas and Tennessee over the final two kilometers allowed them to leap frog the Rebels in the closest SEC men's final since 1994.
When the scores were all tallied up, Alabama came away victorious by just five points ahead of Tennessee (64), Arkansas (64) and Ole Miss (65). That stands as the most teams within 20 points in an SEC men's race in conference history, as well as the first time with more than two teams within 20 points since 1990 (three teams, eight-point spread) and the closest team race with multiple teams within 20 since 1971 (three teams, three-point spread).
"Our guys stepped up today," Smith said. "They put themselves out there, and came up six points shy of the win and one point out of second place. But you could feel a momentum switch today with the group. We found each other today, and we turned a corner. We will use today to get us ready for one of those automatic spots at Regionals in two weeks."
Senior transfer Anthony Camerieri led the charge for the Rebel men for his fourth consecutive meet, earning First-Team All-SEC honors for a sixth place finish at a 12-second PR of 23:07.40. Camerieri has now lowered his 8K PR in each of his last two outings for the Rebels.
Fellow senior Chris Maxon earned Second-Team status with a huge career-best of his own, finishing in ninth place at 23:22.97, while fellow senior and All-American Cole Bullock collected his fourth All-SEC honor with a Second-Team spot in 13th place at 23:37.25.
Senior Shane Bracken took 17th, dropping eight seconds off his PR at 23:43.09, while sophomore and SEC Co-Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Aiden Britt rounded out a 49-second scoring spread in 20th at a 35-second PR of 23:56.67.
Other Rebel men running on Friday included: Dereck Elkins (24th, 24:03.22, PR), Ben Savino (29th, 24:17.42), Dalton Hengst (33rd, 24:21.07), Gabe Scales (52nd, 24:47.61) and Chase Rose (63rd, 25:10.84).
Ole Miss now sets its sights on the NCAA South Regional in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday, November 11th, where tickets to the national meet will be on the line.
Women's SEC Championships • 6K Team Scores
1. #7 Alabama – 36
2. #21 Arkansas – 74
3. (RV) Ole Miss – 83
4. (RV) Kentucky – 122
5. Florida – 147
6. Tennessee – 159
7. LSU – 201
8. Texas A&M – 208
9. Vanderbilt – 223
10. Auburn – 260
11. Missouri – 276
12. South Carolina – 326
13. Georgia – 395
14. Mississippi State – 414
Women's SEC Championships • 6K Individual Results
8. Ryann Helmers – 19:37.15 – Second-Team All-SEC – 40-second PR
10. Loral Winn – 19:57.87 – Second-Team All-SEC – 32-second PR
16. Skylar Boogerd – 20:19.83 – 30-second PR
18. Laura Taborda – 20:26.78 – 18-second PR
31. Sophie Baumann – 20:43.93 – 11-second PR
37. Kristel van den Berg – 20:54.77
45. Jocelyn Long – 21:05.10
48. Sarah Schiffmann – 21:07.10
64. Hannah Ielfield – 21:24.64
78. Frances Luna – 21:38.14 – 12-second PR
84. Madison Hulsey – 21:42.30 – First collegiate 6K
147. Jenna Kirby – 24:18.12
Men's SEC Championships • 8K Team Scores
1. #22 Alabama – 59
2. #17 Tennessee – 64
3. (RV) Arkansas – 64
4. Ole Miss – 65
5. Texas A&M – 126
6. Kentucky – 190
7. Auburn – 199
8. Missouri – 219
9. Georgia – 229
10. Florida – 294
11. LSU – 347
12. Vanderbilt – 347
Men's SEC Championships • 8K Individual Results
6. Anthony Camerieri – 23:07.40 – First-Team All-SEC – 12-second PR
9. Chris Maxon – 23:22.97 – Second-Team All-SEC – 24-second PR
13. Cole Bullock – 23:37.25 – Second-Team All-SEC
17. Shane Bracken – 23:43.09 – 8-second PR
20. Aiden Britt – 23:56.67 – 35-second PR
24. Dereck Elkins – 24:03.22 – 9-second PR
29. Ben Savino – 24:17.42
33. Dalton Hengst – 24:21.07
52. Gabe Scales – 24:47.61 – 27-second PR
63. Chase Rose – 25:10.84
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Who To Watch: Ole Miss Track and Field
Wednesday, October 08