The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, November 11
Huntsville, Ala.
8:30 AM
Ole Miss
vs
NCAA South Regional
Men’s Cross Country Earns Ninth Straight Trip to NCAA Championships
11/11/2022 | Cross Country
Rebel Men Have Qualified Each Year Since 2014
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Ole Miss men's cross country dug deep and found just enough steam over the final two kilometers to edge out the reigning SEC champions, earning an automatic qualifying berth to the national meet after a wet and anxious day of racing at the 2022 NCAA South Regional on Friday morning.
Just two weeks ago, the Rebel men were locked in a heated battle with those Crimson Tide – as well as Tennessee and Arkansas – in the closest team race in the SEC since 1994 and the closest among four teams in conference history. Friday, though, the Rebel men received two crucial races from their fourth and fifth scorers to squeeze past the 16th-ranked Tide, finishing second by a 69-73 advantage over Alabama for one of the two automatic bids to NCAAs. No. 20 Tennessee – the SEC runners-up two weeks ago – ran away with the team title and an AQ ticket to nationals with 39 points.
This is the ninth consecutive year the Rebel men have qualified for the NCAA Championships after having never done so prior to 2014.
"Today was a really nice step forward for the men," said Ole Miss cross country coach Adam Smith. "We knew going into the race that we didn't want our season to end today. The guys knew they had to auto to make NCAAs, and we ended up beating the SEC champs to do so. Anthony, Cole, and Chris have been our big-three all year, and they didn't disappoint today. Dereck Elkins really stepped up today, and had a great second half of the race for us."
Senior Anthony Camerieri led the way for the Rebels as he has all season long, today posting the best individual finish for the Ole Miss men at the regional meet since 2018. Camerieri was fifth overall for his first career All-Region honor, clocking in at a monstrous 47-second 10K best of 29:28.90 after sticking with an impressive lead pack of runners for nearly all 10 kilometers.
All-American senior Cole Bullock earned his second All-Region nod after running a 10K PR of 29:51.30 to finish 11th overall. Fellow senior Chris Maxon was All-Region as well in 16th place, running 30:03.70 in his first cross country 10K of his career.
It was those fourth and fifth place finishes, though, that ended up being the difference for Ole Miss. Senior Dereck Elkins was nine scoring spots ahead of his fourth-slot counterpart on Alabama's roster, earning All-Region honors for the second straight year in 18th place at 30:11.80. Fellow senior Shane Bracken followed that up with a one-point edge over his No. 5 mirror image for the Crimson Tide, finishing 32nd overall at a 7-second 10K best of 30:42.90.
That 10-point swing ended up pushing Ole Miss ahead of Alabama by its eventual four-point advantage, thus punching the Rebels' ticket to Stillwater for the national meet.
Also running for Ole Miss on Friday were Aiden Britt (38th, 30:57.90) and Ben Savino (46th, 31:01.30).
The Ole Miss women came up just short of an automatic bid of their own in the 6K race, but should still receive at least one individual berth via tomorrow's NCAA Selection Show.
The formchart held on the women's side, with SEC champs No. 7 Alabama running away with the South Region title by a 34-88 edge over No. 24 Florida State. The Rebel women, meanwhile, held off Lipscomb, 124-131, for third place.
"On the women's side, we were in the same boat as the men, knowing we would have to auto to make the meet, and it just didn't happen for us today," Smith said. "Ryann and Loral put themselves out there and ran great races, but we just weren't as strong on the back end today to grab Florida State. Ryann looks like she will make the meet as an individual qualifier, so at least we will have some presence on the ladies' side in Stillwater."
Senior Ryann Helmers was superb as she has been all throughout the 2022 campaign, leading the Rebel women in ninth place for her second career All-Region finish. For the second straight meet, Helmers clocked in at a sub-20 6K time of 19:57.90 – making her the only Rebel woman within available records to ever run multiple career sub-20 times, let alone in back-to-back races.
Other known sub-20 times in Ole Miss women's history were Helmers' SEC personal best from two weeks ago of 19:37.15, Loral Winn's SEC time of 19:57.87 from the same meet, All-American Sintayehu Vissa's 19:53.20 from the 2021 NCAA Championships, and Clio Ozanne-Jaques' 19:48.20 from the 2018 SEC Championships.
Speaking of Winn, she wasn't far behind Helmers yet again, finishing 12th overall for her first career All-Region nod at 20:00.90 – nearly joining Helmers in cracking sub-20 for the second straight meet. Laura Taborda earned her second career All-Region honor – her first at Ole Miss – with a 24th-place finish at 20:29.00.
Other Rebel women running on Friday were Skylar Boogerd (39th, 20:46.30), Sophie Baumann (42nd, 20:51.50), Kristel van den Berg (52nd, 21:11.70) and Jocelyn Long (65th, 21:22.30).
The NCAA Selection Show will be held on NCAA.com this Saturday (Nov. 12) at 4 p.m. CT. The 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held next Saturday (Nov. 19) at Oklahoma State.
Men's 10K Team Scores
1. #20 Tennessee – 39 *
2. (RV) Ole Miss – 69 *
3. #16 Alabama – 73
4. Florida State – 134
5. Auburn – 204
6. Lipscomb – 206
7. Georgia Tech – 229
8. North Florida – 234
9. Georgia – 249
10. ETSU – 261
12 others
* = NCAA automatic qualifier
Men's Individual Results
5. Anthony Camerieri – 29:28.90 – 47-second PR – All-Region (1st career)
11. Cole Bullock – 29:51.30 – PR – All-Region (2nd career)
16. Chris Maxon – 30:03.70 – First XC 10K – All-Region (1st career)
18. Dereck Elkins – 30:11.80 – All-Region (2nd career)
32. Shane Bracken – 30:42.90 – 7-second PR
38. Aiden Britt – 30:57.90 – First XC 10K
46. Ben Savino – 31:01.30
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #7 Alabama – 34 *
2. #24 Florida State – 88 *
3. (RV) Ole Miss – 124
4. (RV) Lipscomb – 131
5. Tennessee – 144
6. Georgia Tech – 165
7. Florida – 167
8. Southern Miss – 287
9. Middle Tennessee – 318
10. Vanderbilt – 327
22 others
* = NCAA automatic qualifier
Women's Individual Results
9. Ryann Helmers – 19:57.90 – All-Region (2nd career)
12. Loral Winn – 20:00.90 – All-Region (1st career)
24. Laura Taborda – 20:29.00 – All-Region (2nd career)
39. Skylar Boogerd – 20:46.30
42. Sophie Baumann – 20:51.50
52. Kristel van den Berg – 21:11.70
65. Jocelyn Long – 21:22.30
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Just two weeks ago, the Rebel men were locked in a heated battle with those Crimson Tide – as well as Tennessee and Arkansas – in the closest team race in the SEC since 1994 and the closest among four teams in conference history. Friday, though, the Rebel men received two crucial races from their fourth and fifth scorers to squeeze past the 16th-ranked Tide, finishing second by a 69-73 advantage over Alabama for one of the two automatic bids to NCAAs. No. 20 Tennessee – the SEC runners-up two weeks ago – ran away with the team title and an AQ ticket to nationals with 39 points.
This is the ninth consecutive year the Rebel men have qualified for the NCAA Championships after having never done so prior to 2014.
"Today was a really nice step forward for the men," said Ole Miss cross country coach Adam Smith. "We knew going into the race that we didn't want our season to end today. The guys knew they had to auto to make NCAAs, and we ended up beating the SEC champs to do so. Anthony, Cole, and Chris have been our big-three all year, and they didn't disappoint today. Dereck Elkins really stepped up today, and had a great second half of the race for us."
Senior Anthony Camerieri led the way for the Rebels as he has all season long, today posting the best individual finish for the Ole Miss men at the regional meet since 2018. Camerieri was fifth overall for his first career All-Region honor, clocking in at a monstrous 47-second 10K best of 29:28.90 after sticking with an impressive lead pack of runners for nearly all 10 kilometers.
All-American senior Cole Bullock earned his second All-Region nod after running a 10K PR of 29:51.30 to finish 11th overall. Fellow senior Chris Maxon was All-Region as well in 16th place, running 30:03.70 in his first cross country 10K of his career.
It was those fourth and fifth place finishes, though, that ended up being the difference for Ole Miss. Senior Dereck Elkins was nine scoring spots ahead of his fourth-slot counterpart on Alabama's roster, earning All-Region honors for the second straight year in 18th place at 30:11.80. Fellow senior Shane Bracken followed that up with a one-point edge over his No. 5 mirror image for the Crimson Tide, finishing 32nd overall at a 7-second 10K best of 30:42.90.
That 10-point swing ended up pushing Ole Miss ahead of Alabama by its eventual four-point advantage, thus punching the Rebels' ticket to Stillwater for the national meet.
Also running for Ole Miss on Friday were Aiden Britt (38th, 30:57.90) and Ben Savino (46th, 31:01.30).
The Ole Miss women came up just short of an automatic bid of their own in the 6K race, but should still receive at least one individual berth via tomorrow's NCAA Selection Show.
The formchart held on the women's side, with SEC champs No. 7 Alabama running away with the South Region title by a 34-88 edge over No. 24 Florida State. The Rebel women, meanwhile, held off Lipscomb, 124-131, for third place.
"On the women's side, we were in the same boat as the men, knowing we would have to auto to make the meet, and it just didn't happen for us today," Smith said. "Ryann and Loral put themselves out there and ran great races, but we just weren't as strong on the back end today to grab Florida State. Ryann looks like she will make the meet as an individual qualifier, so at least we will have some presence on the ladies' side in Stillwater."
Senior Ryann Helmers was superb as she has been all throughout the 2022 campaign, leading the Rebel women in ninth place for her second career All-Region finish. For the second straight meet, Helmers clocked in at a sub-20 6K time of 19:57.90 – making her the only Rebel woman within available records to ever run multiple career sub-20 times, let alone in back-to-back races.
Other known sub-20 times in Ole Miss women's history were Helmers' SEC personal best from two weeks ago of 19:37.15, Loral Winn's SEC time of 19:57.87 from the same meet, All-American Sintayehu Vissa's 19:53.20 from the 2021 NCAA Championships, and Clio Ozanne-Jaques' 19:48.20 from the 2018 SEC Championships.
Speaking of Winn, she wasn't far behind Helmers yet again, finishing 12th overall for her first career All-Region nod at 20:00.90 – nearly joining Helmers in cracking sub-20 for the second straight meet. Laura Taborda earned her second career All-Region honor – her first at Ole Miss – with a 24th-place finish at 20:29.00.
Other Rebel women running on Friday were Skylar Boogerd (39th, 20:46.30), Sophie Baumann (42nd, 20:51.50), Kristel van den Berg (52nd, 21:11.70) and Jocelyn Long (65th, 21:22.30).
The NCAA Selection Show will be held on NCAA.com this Saturday (Nov. 12) at 4 p.m. CT. The 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held next Saturday (Nov. 19) at Oklahoma State.
Men's 10K Team Scores
1. #20 Tennessee – 39 *
2. (RV) Ole Miss – 69 *
3. #16 Alabama – 73
4. Florida State – 134
5. Auburn – 204
6. Lipscomb – 206
7. Georgia Tech – 229
8. North Florida – 234
9. Georgia – 249
10. ETSU – 261
12 others
* = NCAA automatic qualifier
Men's Individual Results
5. Anthony Camerieri – 29:28.90 – 47-second PR – All-Region (1st career)
11. Cole Bullock – 29:51.30 – PR – All-Region (2nd career)
16. Chris Maxon – 30:03.70 – First XC 10K – All-Region (1st career)
18. Dereck Elkins – 30:11.80 – All-Region (2nd career)
32. Shane Bracken – 30:42.90 – 7-second PR
38. Aiden Britt – 30:57.90 – First XC 10K
46. Ben Savino – 31:01.30
Women's 6K Team Scores
1. #7 Alabama – 34 *
2. #24 Florida State – 88 *
3. (RV) Ole Miss – 124
4. (RV) Lipscomb – 131
5. Tennessee – 144
6. Georgia Tech – 165
7. Florida – 167
8. Southern Miss – 287
9. Middle Tennessee – 318
10. Vanderbilt – 327
22 others
* = NCAA automatic qualifier
Women's Individual Results
9. Ryann Helmers – 19:57.90 – All-Region (2nd career)
12. Loral Winn – 20:00.90 – All-Region (1st career)
24. Laura Taborda – 20:29.00 – All-Region (2nd career)
39. Skylar Boogerd – 20:46.30
42. Sophie Baumann – 20:51.50
52. Kristel van den Berg – 21:11.70
65. Jocelyn Long – 21:22.30
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Wednesday, October 08