The University of Mississippi Athletics
What to Watch: Ole Miss at the NCAA Indoor Championships
3/7/2024 | Track and Field
BOSTON – Action begins tonight for Ole Miss track & field at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where five Rebels will be competing against the best of the best in search of national glory.
Like any other scored track competition, the national indoor meet uses the standard scoring system for the top-eight places in each event, assigning points of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 in descending order. Those top-eight scorers each earn First-Team All-America honors, while the remainder of finishing athletes in places nine through 16 earn Second-Team status. Aside from the first night – which is dedicated solely to the weight throw competitions – each day of action will be split between a men's and women's window.
Unlike regular season competitions or conference meets, where entries are plentiful, points are hard to come by at the national meet, where each school is at the mercy of how many qualifiers they were able to get through. In order to qualify, athletes needed to finish within the top-16 on the national leaderboard for their individual events (top-12 in the relays).
Ole Miss has eight total entries from those five athletes: All-American seniors Jalani Davis and Jasmine Mitchell in both the women's weight throw and shot put, All-American sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan in the men's weight throw and shot put, freshman Mensi Stiff in the women's shot put and All-American senior McKenzie Long in the women's 200-meter dash.
Below are some key points to watch for in Boston this weekend. For more information on the team and how to follow along, check out our preview HERE.
Team Rankings Snapshot
Ole Miss enters the meet ranked No. 7 on the women's side and No. 25 on the men's, putting both Rebel squads in strong position to post another coveted top-25 national team finish. In its history indoors, Ole Miss has finished within the top-25 a total of 21 times – eight times under head coach Connie Price-Smith.
The Rebels have been mainstays within the top-10 and top-15 indoors the last several years as well, with the Ole Miss men going back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, and the women in each of the last two seasons in 2022 and 2023. The Rebel women's sixth-place finish in 2022 – thanks to a one-two punch in the women's weight throw and a runner-up finish in the mile – still ranks as the best team finish in the combined history of Ole Miss track & field, indoors or outdoors.
A pair of top-15 finishes will potentially keep an impressive streak going for both Rebel units, as Ole Miss stands alongside just Arkansas and Texas as the lone schools to place both men's and women's teams within the top-15 in each of the last two seasons.
Weight Throw in the Spotlight
A facility issue with the weight throw area at The Track at New Balance forced the NCAA to push the men's and women's weight throw up a day to Thursday night, giving Ole Miss' powerful weight throwers the spotlight all to themselves to kick things off in Boston.
First up will be sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who was the third-place finisher in the weight in 2023 – the best finish by a freshman nationally since 2013. He enters this year ranked fourth at 23.59m/77-04.75, which is just over an inch shy of his career best from 2023 – the national collegiate freshman record of 23.62m/77-6.
The Rebel women are the two-time defending national champions in the women's weight, with former Rebel great Shey Taiwo falling one centimeter shy of the collegiate record in her victory in 2022, and current senior Jalani Davis taking the crown in 2023.
Davis will look to become the first repeat champion in the event since 2009-10, and she will once again form a formidable combination with fellow senior Jasmine Mitchell. In three prior trips to the NCAA weight throw final, Mitchell has never finished worse than fourth, giving her 19 career NCAA points in the event – highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2022.
Davis and Mitchell enter ranked first and second, respectively, with Davis at her career-best and collegiate all-time No. 3 mark of 25.09m/82-03.75, with Mitchell behind her at 24.20m/79-04.75.
Under the direction Price-Smith and her husband, throws coach John Smith, Ole Miss has completely rewritten the women's weight throw record books – as have the formidable combo of Davis and Mitchell.
LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Davis and Robinson-O'Hagan aren't just skilled in the weight throw; they are both among the best shot putters of their era as well. Robinson-O'Hagan enters ranked second in the men's shot put at his school record 20.38m/66-10.50, while Davis is third in the women's edition at her SEC winning heave of 18.61m/61-00.75.
In world history, only one woman has thrown 80 feet in the weight and 60 feet in the shot put. That would be Jalani Davis, and she has done so twice within the same meet at both the 2023 and 2024 SEC Indoor Championships.
Davis also owns the world record for career combined distance in the weight throw and shot put indoors at 43.70m, while Robinson-O'Hagan ranks as one of just four collegians to ever throw 77 feet in the weight and 66 feet in the shot put.
RETURN TRIP FOR LONG
Senior McKenzie Long had never qualified for a national meet before transferring to Ole Miss. As a Rebel, though, she is a four-time All-American and a six-time national qualifier across both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Long was the fourth-place finisher in the 200 indoors last season, which included her school record 22.48 in the prelim run at altitude in Albuquerque. This season, Long enters seeded fourth overall at her season-best 22.60.
Outdoors last year, Long became one of the top stories in the sprinting world following blistering performances at the Texas Relays. That outdoor season culminated with an SEC title in the 200 and an NCAA runner-up finish at a wind-aided 21.88 (+2.5) – the third-fastest time in collegiate history on the all-conditions list.
FIRST NATIONAL MEET FOR STIFF
Freshman Mensi Stiff wasted no time in establishing herself as the best women's freshman shot putter in Ole Miss history, setting the Rebel freshman record twice. Her PR and NCAA qualifying performance of 17.54m/57-06.50 ranks ninth entering the national meet, and she is one of just two freshmen to punch their ticket in the women's shot put.
Stiff's performance this indoor season stands up to historical scrutiny as well, as she is one of just eight women's freshmen nationally since 2010 to break at least 57 feet in the shot put. Last summer, Stiff won a gold medal for Team USA in the shot put at the 2023 Pan American U20 Championships, capping off a stellar high school career that saw her win three national titles and finish as the fourth-best girls shot putter in American history.
Like any other scored track competition, the national indoor meet uses the standard scoring system for the top-eight places in each event, assigning points of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 in descending order. Those top-eight scorers each earn First-Team All-America honors, while the remainder of finishing athletes in places nine through 16 earn Second-Team status. Aside from the first night – which is dedicated solely to the weight throw competitions – each day of action will be split between a men's and women's window.
Unlike regular season competitions or conference meets, where entries are plentiful, points are hard to come by at the national meet, where each school is at the mercy of how many qualifiers they were able to get through. In order to qualify, athletes needed to finish within the top-16 on the national leaderboard for their individual events (top-12 in the relays).
Ole Miss has eight total entries from those five athletes: All-American seniors Jalani Davis and Jasmine Mitchell in both the women's weight throw and shot put, All-American sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan in the men's weight throw and shot put, freshman Mensi Stiff in the women's shot put and All-American senior McKenzie Long in the women's 200-meter dash.
Below are some key points to watch for in Boston this weekend. For more information on the team and how to follow along, check out our preview HERE.
Team Rankings Snapshot
Ole Miss enters the meet ranked No. 7 on the women's side and No. 25 on the men's, putting both Rebel squads in strong position to post another coveted top-25 national team finish. In its history indoors, Ole Miss has finished within the top-25 a total of 21 times – eight times under head coach Connie Price-Smith.
The Rebels have been mainstays within the top-10 and top-15 indoors the last several years as well, with the Ole Miss men going back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, and the women in each of the last two seasons in 2022 and 2023. The Rebel women's sixth-place finish in 2022 – thanks to a one-two punch in the women's weight throw and a runner-up finish in the mile – still ranks as the best team finish in the combined history of Ole Miss track & field, indoors or outdoors.
A pair of top-15 finishes will potentially keep an impressive streak going for both Rebel units, as Ole Miss stands alongside just Arkansas and Texas as the lone schools to place both men's and women's teams within the top-15 in each of the last two seasons.
Weight Throw in the Spotlight
A facility issue with the weight throw area at The Track at New Balance forced the NCAA to push the men's and women's weight throw up a day to Thursday night, giving Ole Miss' powerful weight throwers the spotlight all to themselves to kick things off in Boston.
First up will be sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who was the third-place finisher in the weight in 2023 – the best finish by a freshman nationally since 2013. He enters this year ranked fourth at 23.59m/77-04.75, which is just over an inch shy of his career best from 2023 – the national collegiate freshman record of 23.62m/77-6.
The Rebel women are the two-time defending national champions in the women's weight, with former Rebel great Shey Taiwo falling one centimeter shy of the collegiate record in her victory in 2022, and current senior Jalani Davis taking the crown in 2023.
Davis will look to become the first repeat champion in the event since 2009-10, and she will once again form a formidable combination with fellow senior Jasmine Mitchell. In three prior trips to the NCAA weight throw final, Mitchell has never finished worse than fourth, giving her 19 career NCAA points in the event – highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2022.
Davis and Mitchell enter ranked first and second, respectively, with Davis at her career-best and collegiate all-time No. 3 mark of 25.09m/82-03.75, with Mitchell behind her at 24.20m/79-04.75.
Under the direction Price-Smith and her husband, throws coach John Smith, Ole Miss has completely rewritten the women's weight throw record books – as have the formidable combo of Davis and Mitchell.
Current senior duo Jalani Davis and Jasmine Mitchell enter their final NCAA Indoor meet as one of the most dominant pairings in the history of the women's weight, which debuted at NCAAs in 1996.#HottyToddy x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/etkgZzTgza
— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) March 7, 2024
LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Davis and Robinson-O'Hagan aren't just skilled in the weight throw; they are both among the best shot putters of their era as well. Robinson-O'Hagan enters ranked second in the men's shot put at his school record 20.38m/66-10.50, while Davis is third in the women's edition at her SEC winning heave of 18.61m/61-00.75.
In world history, only one woman has thrown 80 feet in the weight and 60 feet in the shot put. That would be Jalani Davis, and she has done so twice within the same meet at both the 2023 and 2024 SEC Indoor Championships.
Davis also owns the world record for career combined distance in the weight throw and shot put indoors at 43.70m, while Robinson-O'Hagan ranks as one of just four collegians to ever throw 77 feet in the weight and 66 feet in the shot put.
| All-Time World Combination Ranking, Women's Weight Throw / Indoor Shot | |||
| Name (Country) | Shot | Weight | Combo |
| Jalani Davis (USA) | 18.61m/61-00.75 | 25.09m/82-03.75 | 43.70m |
| Jessica Ramsey (USA) | 19.50m/63-11.75 | 24.04m/78-10.50 | 43.54m |
| Jeneva Stevens (USA) | 19.10m/62-8 | 24.24m/79-06.50 | 43.34m |
| Janeah Stewart (USA) | 17.63m/57-10.25 | 25.60m/84-0 | 43.23m |
| Sade Olatoye (NGR) | 17.88m/58-8 | 25.32m/83-1 | 43.20m |
| Felisha Johnson (USA) | 18.72m/61-5 | 24.22m/79-05.50 | 42.94m |
| Maggie Ewen (USA) | 19.79m/64-11.25 | 22.82m/74-10.50 | 42.61m |
| Jasmine Mitchell (USA) | 17.42m/57-2 | 24.94m/81-10 | 42.36m |
| DeAnna Price (USA) | 16.29m/53-05.50 | 26.02m/84-04.50 | 42.31m |
| Gwen Berry (USA) | 16.30m/53-05.75 | 25.60m/84-0 | 41.90m |
| All-Time Collegiate Combination Ranking, Men's Weight Throw / Indoor Shot | |||
| Name (Country) | Shot | Weight | Combo |
| Payton Otterdahl, North Dakota State | 21.81m/71-06.75 (2019, Senior) | 24.11m/79-01.25 (2019, Senior) | 45.92m |
| Dan Taylor, Ohio State | 21.33m/69-11.75 (2003, Junior) | 24.01m/78-09.25 (2004, Senior) | 45.34m |
| Denzel Comenentia, Georgia | 20.72m/67-11.75 (2019, Senior) | 23.71m/77-09.50 (2018, Junior) | 44.43m |
| Chuk Enekwechi, Purdue | 19.95m/65-05.50 (2016, Senior) | 24.39m/80-00.25 (2015, Junior) | 44.34m |
| Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, Ole Miss | 20.38m/66-10.50 (2024, Sophomore) | 23.62m/77-6 (2023, Freshman) | 44.00m |
RETURN TRIP FOR LONG
Senior McKenzie Long had never qualified for a national meet before transferring to Ole Miss. As a Rebel, though, she is a four-time All-American and a six-time national qualifier across both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Long was the fourth-place finisher in the 200 indoors last season, which included her school record 22.48 in the prelim run at altitude in Albuquerque. This season, Long enters seeded fourth overall at her season-best 22.60.
Outdoors last year, Long became one of the top stories in the sprinting world following blistering performances at the Texas Relays. That outdoor season culminated with an SEC title in the 200 and an NCAA runner-up finish at a wind-aided 21.88 (+2.5) – the third-fastest time in collegiate history on the all-conditions list.
NATIONAL RUNNER-UP 🔥@kenzielong21 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/njDH7tdcfd
— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) June 11, 2023
FIRST NATIONAL MEET FOR STIFF
Freshman Mensi Stiff wasted no time in establishing herself as the best women's freshman shot putter in Ole Miss history, setting the Rebel freshman record twice. Her PR and NCAA qualifying performance of 17.54m/57-06.50 ranks ninth entering the national meet, and she is one of just two freshmen to punch their ticket in the women's shot put.
Stiff's performance this indoor season stands up to historical scrutiny as well, as she is one of just eight women's freshmen nationally since 2010 to break at least 57 feet in the shot put. Last summer, Stiff won a gold medal for Team USA in the shot put at the 2023 Pan American U20 Championships, capping off a stellar high school career that saw her win three national titles and finish as the fourth-best girls shot putter in American history.
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