The University of Mississippi Athletics

Track & Field Ready to Host High-Octane Joe Walker Invitational
4/7/2022 | Track and Field
Total 26 Schools, 48 Teams, 704 Athletes to Compete in Oxford
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JOE WALKER INVITATIONAL April 8-9 • Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss Track & Field Complex OleMissGameday.com |
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| Meet Info • Gameday Info • Live Results • Schedule (PDF) • Heat Sheets (PDF) Ole Miss Notes (PDF) • Outdoor Records (PDF) • Facility Records (PDF) |
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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss track & field will host one of the premiere meets in the nation this weekend at the fifth iteration of the Joe Walker Invitational at the Ole Miss Track & Field Complex this weekend. Competition is set to begin with the start of the multi events at 1 p.m. CT on Friday before an action-packed evening of distance races. The meet will conclude on Saturday with competition resuming at 10 a.m. CT.
PROMOTIONS
• Free admission
• Pop-Itz Giveaway – Friday, April 8 (first 100 fans)
• Commemorative Baton Giveaway – Friday, April 8 (while supplies last)
• Senior Day – Saturday, April 9, 11 a.m. CT
• Free Crawfish – Saturday, April 9 (while supplies last)
MEET NOTES
• Also on the schedule for this weekend will be a formal dedication ceremony Friday evening for the Jerry Hollingsworth Track & Field / Cross Country Facility that houses the brand-new locker room and lounge areas for the Ole Miss track & field and cross country teams.
• On Saturday, Ole Miss will honor 29 Rebel seniors: Joseph Benedetto, Cade Bethmann, Tedreauna Britt, Kenney Broadnax, Deborah Bulai, Michael Coccia, Elijah Dryer, Jayda Eckford, Anna Elkin, Baylor Franklin, Mario Garcia Romo, Brooke Gilmore, Toni Glatz, Ryann Helmers, Lauren Hoselton, Montel Johnson, Bria Mack, Nick Moulai, John Rivera Jr., Morgan Claire Rose, Kelly Rowe, Ben Savino, Everett Smulders, Shey Taiwo, Cate Tracht, Kristel van den Berg, Lydia van Dijk, Jamie Witmer and James Young.
• This is the fifth Joe Walker Invitational, which is named for the former Ole Miss track & field head coach who led the Rebels to 11 top-20 national finishes, 124 All-America honors, 12 NCAA individual champions and 60 SEC individual titles during his 30-year career in Oxford. Known for his ability to groom elite-level jumpers and hurdlers and for his warm and caring persona, Walker was inducted into the Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
• A total of 26 schools, 48 teams, five USTFCCCA Top-25 squads, and 993 entries from 704 total athletes. Included in that total are a handful of professional athletes and pacemakers for the invitational distance races.
• Professional athletes with Ole Miss ties in competition include two-time Olympian and Oxford native, Sam Kendricks (pole vault), Tokyo Olympian and current volunteer coach Jessica Ramsey (shot put), Rebel NCAA Champion and current volunteer coach Janeah Stewart (hammer), and All-American Rebel great Waleed Suliman in the 1500-meter and 5K races.
• The crown jewel of the meet will be a series of high-octane invitational distance races set, with the 1500-meter, 5K's and steeplechase races set for Friday evening and the 800-meter on Saturday afternoon. Last season, then-Ole Miss senior Waleed Suliman ran an Olympic Trials standard 3:36.53 in the 1500-meter, which also still stands as a facility record. In total, six facility records were set in the distance races last year alone.
By The Numbers:
• 26 schools
• 48 teams
• 993 entries
• 704 athletes
Men's Teams (24 teams, 476 entries, 333 athletes)
Alabama, #16 Auburn, Belmont, Bradley, Embry-Riddle, Furman, Georgetown, #6 Kentucky, Lamar, Lipscomb, Little Rock, Memphis, Mississippi State, Mississippi Valley State, New Orleans, Notre Dame, #25, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Southern, Southern Illinois, Tulsa, ULM, Vanderbilt
Women's Teams (24 teams, 517 entries, 371 athletes)
Alabama, #20 Auburn, Belmont, Bradley, Christian Brothers, Furman, Georgetown, #6 Kentucky, Lamar, Lipscomb, Little Rock, Memphis, Mississippi State, Mississippi Valley State, New Orleans, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Southern, Southern Illinois, Toledo, Tulsa, ULM, Vanderbilt
Ole Miss Track & Field Complex
• The 2017 season was the first for the renovated Ole Miss Track & Field Complex, which received $7.2 million in upgrades and can seat 1,500 spectators in its new design. Recently, a brand-new locker room facility was opened for use as an addition to the overall complex.
• In addition to its two regular season meets, Ole Miss will host the 2022 SEC Outdoor Championships on May 12-14. This is the first time the conference meet has come to Oxford since 2004.
TEAM NOTES
• Ole Miss enters the weekend with 25 total marks or times within the NCAA East Region top-50 -- with 13 of those resting within the national top-50 as well.
• Indoor NCAA Champion Shey Taiwo leads the Rebel women with her SEC and East Region leading mark in the hammer at 69.24m/227-02 from the Ole Miss Classic two weeks ago. Taiwo is the reigning NCAA runner-up in the hammer.
• All-American junior Lyndsey Reed became the all-time leader in the pole vault at Ole Miss both indoors and outdoors in her outdoor opener at the Ole Miss Classic two weeks ago, clearing 4.36m/14-03.50 to break Lindsey Murray's 2018 record of 4.35m/14-03.25.
• Fellow All-American junior Jalani Davis had an excellent open two weeks ago as well, launching the SEC's second-best in the shot put at 17.00m/55-09.25 to rank fourth in the East Region and No. 11 in the NCAA. Davis also ranks in the NCAA top-25 in the hammer at 62.70m/205-08 (No. 25).
• Leading the way for the Ole Miss men is junior Daniel Viveros in the shot put at his outdoor PR of 18.69m/61-4, currently the 18th-best in the NCAA as well as second-best in the SEC and sixth-best in the East Region. That throw ranks as the second-best ever by a Rebel outdoors.
• Several Rebel distance runners are set to make their 2022 outdoor debuts in Oxford this weekend, including NCAA mile champion Mario Garcia Romo.
• In its post-indoor update, the USTFCCCA ranked Ole Miss fifth in both men's and women's competition in its Program of the Year standings. Last season, the Rebels tied a program-record with a third-place finish in men's competition, and set a new women's best at No. 7. The Program of the Year award assigns a point value to the national finish of each team following the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons, with the lowest point total being named the winner. In women's competition, Ole Miss finished program-bests indoors (T-6th) and in cross country (10th), while the men finished tied for 10th indoors and were 15th in cross country.
• NCAA Champion and All-American senior Shey Taiwo was recently added back to The Bowerman Award Watch List on March 23. Taiwo won the national title in the weight throw indoors following a historic campaign in which she rewrote the record books and fell just one centimeter shy of the collegiate record and five shy of the world record at 25.55m/83-10. Taiwo opens her 2022 outdoor season this weekend and enters as the reigning NCAA runner-up in the hammer as the No. 9 performer in NCAA history at 71.27m/233-10.
• The Rebels are coming off the best combined performance at an NCAA meet in program history at the NCAA Indoor Championships two weeks ago, where the Ole Miss women set an overall program record with a tie for sixth place at 29 points -- the most points ever scored by any Rebel team at nationals. The Ole Miss men, meanwhile, finished in the top-10 in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history, finishing tied for 10th at a men's program record 20 points.
• Three of the six all-time NCAA top-10 finishes in Ole Miss history have come within the last calendar year: 2022 women's indoor (T-6th), 2022 men's indoor (T-10th), 2021 men's indoor (10th), 2013 men's outdoor (8th), 2001 men's indoor (10th) and 1991 men's indoor (9th).
• Ole Miss is one of just four teams nationally to place both men and women within the top-10 at the indoor national meet (alongside Arkansas, Texas and Texas A&M), and one of just two with Arkansas that have placed men and women within the top-15 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and at the NCAA Indoor Championships this season.
• Ole Miss won two national titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships, with Shey Taiwo nearly breaking both the NCAA and world record in the weight throw, while Mario Garcia Romo claimed the first NCAA mile title by a Rebel and the first by any individual Rebel indoors on the track since Antwon Hicks won the 2005 60-meter hurdles title.
• Ole Miss also had two NCAA runners-up in Jasmine Mitchell (weight throw) and Sintayehu Vissa (mile), who were part of a group of 16 Rebels to earn First or Second-Team All-American status for the indoor season.
• The Rebels are coming off a superb 2021 outdoor campaign that saw Ole Miss send a program record 16 entries to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Returning from that squad are: NCAA hammer runner-up Shey Taiwo, First-Team All-American Mario Garcia Romo (1500-meter, fifth), Second-Team All-Americans Jayda Eckford (4x100-meter relay, 14th), Toni Glatz (4x100-meter relay, 14th), Olivia Womack (4x100-meter relay, 14th), and Jalani Davis (discus, 14th; hammer, 16th; shot put, 19th). Also returning is Honorable Mention All-American Lyndsey Reed in the pole vault.
• Last season, Davis was the only thrower -- male or female -- to triple at the national meet and one of only two total. Indoors this year, Davis was also the only thrower of either gender to double in the weight throw and shot put.
• Ole Miss also returns two SEC Outdoor medalists from 2021: defending discus champion Tedreauna Britt, and shot put runner-up Jalani Davis. Indoors this year, Davis won the SEC shot put title.
• Indoors, Ole Miss tied a program record ranked No. 7 in women's competition for three straight weeks, while the Rebel men rose as high as No. 12 in the pre-championship index.
• A total of 26 new Rebels joined the roster for 2022: pole vaulter Frankie Amore, sprinter Ariyonna Augustine, jumper Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley, distance runenr Shane Bracken, distance runner Aiden Britt, jumper Spencer Brown, pole vaulter/multi athlete Jose Corbo, distance runner Tiarnan Crorken, distance runner Dereck Elkins, thrower Mason Hickel, distance runner Hannah Ielfield, thrower Montel Johnson, pole vaulter Ford Maberry, sprinter Bria Mack, distance runner Chris Maxon, sprinter Keirston Paige, distance runner Miles Phillips, distance runner Cole Piotrowski, distance runner Chase Rose, distance runner Gabe Scales, jumper LaRiah Shannon, jumper Annie Strong, distance runner Lydia van Dijk, sprinter Isaiah Weasby, distance runner James Young and hurdler Ahmad Young Jr.
• Ole Miss is in year seven under head coach Connie Price-Smith, who has led the Rebels to new heights in her time in Oxford. On the track, the Rebels have collected nine NCAA top-25 team finishes (three in the top-10), nine NCAA individual champions, seven NCAA runners-up, 122 First or Second-Team All-Americans, 210 NCAA points, 61 SEC Champions and program-record SEC finishes in men's indoor (third, 2x), women's indoor (fifth, 2x) and women's outdoor (fifth, 2018). Nationally under her guidance, the track Rebels have recorded program records in women's indoor (T-6th, 2022) and the second-best ever in men's indoor (10th, 2x). In 21 years as a head coach at both Ole Miss and Southern Illinois dating back to 2002, Price-Smith has collected 14 NCAA event titles and mentored 196 All-Americans on the track.
• In Ole Miss history across both seasons, 23 Rebels have won NCAA titles and 194 have earned First-Team All-American honors, while as a team Ole Miss has tallied 32 top-25 team finishes and scored 690.5 total national points.
• All-time, Ole Miss has won 50 SEC Outdoor individual titles, with 38 coming from the men and 12 from the women -- including returning senior and reigning SEC discus champion, Tedreauna Britt. Of those, 13 have come under Price-Smith (nine men, four women).
Rebel Men Competing:
100-Meter Dash: Elijah Dryer (Heat 1, Lane 8), Ryan Star (Heat 2, Lane 8), Tristyn Wooley (Heat 3, Lane 5)
200-Meter Dash: Tristyn Wooley (Heat 1, Lane 2), Elijah Dryer (Heat 1, Lane 4), Isaiah Weasby (Heat 2, Lane 3), Kenney Broadnax (Heat 2, Lane 9)
400-Meter Dash: Isaiah Weasby (Heat 1, Lane 6)
800-Meter: Cole Piotrowski (Heat 4, Lane 5), Jacob Lough (Heat 5, Lane 5), Shane Bracken (Heat 6, Lane 9), Marcus Dropik (Heat 7, Lane 7), Cade Bethmann (Heat 7, Lane 9), Baylor Franklin (Heat 8, Lane 5), Mario Garcia Romo (Heat 8, Lane 7), John Rivera Jr. (Heat 8, Lane 9)
1500-Meter: Chase Rose (Heat 2), Ben Savino (Heat 2), Marcus Dropik (Heat 3), Cole Piotrowski (Heat 3), Cade Bethmann (Heat 4), Cole Bullock (Heat 4), Dereck Elkins (Heat 4), Baylor Franklin (Heat 4), Shane Bracken (Heat 5), Mario Garcia Romo (Heat 5), John Rivera Jr. (Heat 5)
5K: Ben Savino (Heat 2), Cole Bullock (Heat 3), Dereck Elkins (Heat 3), Nick Moulai (Heat 3)
110-Meter Hurdles: Spencer Brown (Heat 1, Lane 3), Kenney Broadnax (Heat 1, Lane 4), Ahmad Young Jr. (Heat 1, Lane 6), Keirston Paige (Heat 1, Lane 7)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Chase Rose
4x100-Meter Relay (Lane 4): Ryan Star, Elijah Dryer, Kenney Broadnax, Tristyn Wooley
4x400-Meter Relay (Lane 4): Isaiah Weasby, Elijah Dryer, Tristyn Wooley, Ryan Star
High Jump: Ukurugenzi Kojo
Pole Vault: Frankie Amore, Ford Maberry, Miles Walden
Long Jump: Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley, Ukurugenzi Kojo, Cory Meek
Triple Jump: Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley
Shot Put: Daniel Viveros (Flight 2)
Discus: Daniel Viveros (Flight 2)
Hammer: Costen Campion (Flight 1), Joseph Benedetto (Flight 2), Montel Johnson (Flight 2), Joseph Lanham (Flight 2)
Decathlon: Pierce Genereux, Peyton Lowery
Rebel Women Competing:
100-Meter Dash: Ariyonna Augustine (Heat 1, Lane 5), Kelly Rowe (Heat 1, Lane 7), Olivia Womack (Heat 1, Lane 8)
200-Meter Dash: Olivia Womack (Heat 1, Lane 2), Kelly Rowe (Heat 1, Lane 3), Jayda Eckford (Heat 1, Lane 5), Ariyonna Augustine (Heat 1, Lane 6), Toni Glatz (Heat 1, Lane 9)
400-Meter Dash: Toni Glatz (Heat 1, Lane 3)
800-Meter: Makayla Fick (Heat 2, Lane 9), Madison Hulsey (Heat 4, Lane 6), Lydia van Dijk (Heat 5, Lane 2), Loral Winn (Heat 6, Lane 9), Sintayehu Vissa (Heat 7, Lane 9)
1500-Meter: Makayla Fick (Heat 1), Ryann Helmers (Heat 2), Morgan Claire Rose (Heat 3), Kristel van den Berg (Heat 3), Skylar Boogerd (Heat 4), Anna Elkin (Heat 4), Madison Hulsey (Heat 4), Lydia van Dijk (Heat 4), Sintayehu Vissa (Heat 5), Loral Winn (Heat 5)
5K: Makayla Fick (Heat 1), Brooke Gilmore (Heat 1), Skylar Boogerd (Heat 2), Anna Elkin (Heat 2), Ryann Helmers (Heat 2), Cate Tracht (Heat 2)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Morgan Claire Rose, Kristel van den Berg
4x100-Meter Relay (Lane 5): Kelly Rowe, Ariyonna Augustine, Jayda Eckford, Toni Glatz
4x400-Meter Relay (Heat 1, Lane 4): Olivia Womack, Jayda Eckford, Toni Glatz, Ariyonna Augustine
High Jump: LaRiah Shannon
Pole Vault: Remy Guertel, Samara McConnell, Elizabeth Nix, Lyndsey Reed
Long Jump: Skye Gross (Flight 2)
Triple Jump: Kyla McLaurin
Shot Put: Tedreauna Britt (Flight 2), Jalani Davis (Flight 2), Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2)
Discus: Deborah Bulai (Flight 1), Tedreauna Britt (Flight 2), Jalani Davis (Flight 2), Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2), Shey Taiwo (Flight 2)
Hammer: Deborah Bulai (Flight 2), Jalani Davis (Flight 2), Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2), Shey Taiwo (Flight 2)
Javelin: Lauren Hoselton (Flight 1)
Heptathlon: Meg Goebel, Annie Strong, Sara Van Aken
| Joe Walker Invitational, Master Schedule (all times CT) | ||
| Day One | Friday, April 8 | ||
| Time | Event | Athlete(s) |
| 1:00 PM | Women's Heptathlon (100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m Dash) | Meg Goebel Annie Strong Sara Van Aken |
| Women's Hammer (men to follow) | Deborah Bulai (Flight 2) Jalani Davis (Flight 2) Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2) Shey Taiwo (Flight 2) |
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| Men's Hammer (to follow women) | Costen Campion (Flight 1) Joseph Benedetto (Flight 2) Montel Johnson (Flight 2) Joseph Lanham (Flight 2) |
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| Women's Javelin (to follow men) | Lauren Hoselton (Flight 1) | |
| Men's Pole Vault (women to follow) | Frankie Amore Ford Maberry Miles Walden |
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| Women's Pole Vault (to follow men) | Remy Guertel Samara McConnell Elizabeth Nix Lyndsey Reed |
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| 1:15 PM | Men's Decathlon (100m Dash, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 400m Dash) | Pierce Genereux Peyton Lowery |
| 3:00 PM | Men's Long Jump | Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley Ukurugenzi Kojo Cory Meek |
| Women's Long Jump | Skye Gross (Flight 2) | |
| 5:00 PM | Women's 200-Meter Dash | Olivia Womack (Heat 1, Lane 2) Kelly Rowe (Heat 1, Lane 3) Jayda Eckford (Heat 1, Lane 5) Ariyonna Augustine (Heat 1, Lane 6) Toni Glatz (Heat 1, Lane 9) |
| 5:15 PM | Men's 200-Meter Dash | Tristyn Wooley (Heat 1, Lane 2) Elijah Dryer (Heat 1, Lane 4) Isaiah Weasby (Heat 2, Lane 3) Kenney Broadnax (Heat 2, Lane 9) |
| 6:30 PM | Women's 3000-Meter Steeplechase | Morgan Claire Rose Kristel van den Berg |
| 6:45 PM | Men's 3000-Meter Steeplechase | Chase Rose |
| 7:00 PM | Women's 1500-Meter | Makayla Fick (Heat 1) Ryann Helmers (Heat 2) Morgan Claire Rose (Heat 3) Kristel van den Berg (Heat 3) Skylar Boogerd (Heat 4) Anna Elkin (Heat 4) Madison Hulsey (Heat 4) Lydia van Dijk (Heat 4) Sintayehu Vissa (Heat 5) Loral Winn (Heat 5) |
| 7:30 PM | Men's 1500-Meter | Chase Rose (Heat 2) Ben Savino (Heat 2) Marcus Dropik (Heat 3) Cole Piotrowski (Heat 3) Cade Bethmann (Heat 4) Cole Bullock (Heat 4) Dereck Elkins (Heat 4) Baylor Franklin (Heat 4) Shane Bracken (Heat 5) Mario Garcia Romo (Heat 5) John Rivera Jr. (Heat 5) |
| 8:00 PM | Women's 5K (Heat 1) | Makayla Fick Brooke Gilmore |
| 8:40 PM | Men's 5K (Heat 2) | Ben Savino |
| 9:00 PM | Women's 5K (Heat 2) | Skylar Boogerd Anna Elkin Ryann Helmers Cate Tracht |
| 9:20 PM | Men's 5K (Heat 3) | Cole Bullock Dereck Elkins Nick Moulai |
| Day Two | Saturday, April 9 | ||
| Time | Event | Athlete(s) |
| 10:00 AM | Men's Decathlon (110m Hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin, 1500m) | Pierce Genereux Peyton Lowery |
| 10:15 AM | Women's Heptathlon (Long Jump, Javelin, 800m) | Meg Goebel Annie Strong Sara Van Aken |
| 12:00 PM | Men's Discus (women to follow) | Daniel Viveros (Flight 2) |
| Women's Discus (to follow men) | Deborah Bulai (Flight 1) Tedreauna Britt (Flight 2) Jalani Davis (Flight 2) Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2) Shey Taiwo (Flight 2) |
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| Women's Triple Jump | Kyla McLaurin | |
| Men's Triple Jump | Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley | |
| 12:30 PM | Women's Shot Put (men to follow) | Tedreauna Britt (Flight 2) Jalani Davis (Flight 2) Jasmine Mitchell (Flight 2) |
| Men's Shot Put (to follow women) | Daniel Viveros (Flight 2) | |
| 1:30 PM | Women's High Jump (men to follow) | LaRiah Shannon |
| Men's High Jump (to follow women) | Ukurugenzi Kojo | |
| 2:00 PM | Women's 4x100-Meter Relay (Lane 5) | Kelly Rowe Ariyonna Augustine Jayda Eckford Toni Glatz |
| 2:05 PM | Men's 4x100-Meter Relay (Lane 4) | Ryan Star Elijah Dryer Kenney Broadnax Tristyn Wooley |
| 2:40 PM | Men's 110-Meter Hurdles | Spencer Brown (Heat 1, Lane 3) Kenney Broadnax (Heat 1, Lane 4) Ahmad Young Jr. (Heat 1, Lane 6) Keirston Paige (Heat 1, Lane 7) |
| 2:50 PM | Women's 400-Meter Dash | Toni Glatz (Heat 1, Lane 3) |
| 3:05 PM | Men's 400-Meter Dash | Isaiah Weasby (Heat 1, Lane 6) |
| 3:10 PM | Women's 100-Meter Dash | Ariyonna Augustine (Heat 1, Lane 5) Kelly Rowe (Heat 1, Lane 7) Olivia Womack (Heat 1, Lane 8) |
| 3:20 PM | Men's 100-Meter Dash | Elijah Dryer (Heat 1, Lane 8) Ryan Star (Heat 2, Lane 8) Tristyn Wooley (Heat 3, Lane 5) |
| 3:45 PM | Women's 800-Meter | Makayla Fick (Heat 2, Lane 9) Madison Hulsey (Heat 4, Lane 6) Lydia van Dijk (Heat 5, Lane 2) Loral Winn (Heat 6, Lane 9) Sintayehu Vissa (Heat 7, Lane 9) |
| 4:25 PM | Men's 800-Meter | Cole Piotrowski (Heat 4, Lane 5) Jacob Lough (Heat 5, Lane 5) Shane Bracken (Heat 6, Lane 9) Marcus Dropik (Heat 7, Lane 7) Cade Bethmann (Heat 7, Lane 9) Baylor Franklin (Heat 8, Lane 5) Mario Garcia Romo (Heat 8, Lane 7) John Rivera Jr. (Heat 8, Lane 9) |
| 5:20 PM | Women's 4x400-Meter Relay (Heat 1, Lane 4) | Olivia Womack Jayda Eckford Toni Glatz Ariyonna Augustine |
| 5:35 PM | Men's 4x400-Meter Relay (Lane 4) | Isaiah Weasby Elijah Dryer Tristyn Wooley Ryan Star |
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
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