The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field Sweeps Hammers, Clocks Fast Times at SEC Outdoor Day One
5/9/2024 | Track and Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ole Miss track & field continued to reign supreme in the throws, sweeping the hammer at an excellent first day of the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships on Thursday.
The blazing Florida sun did little to dampen Ole Miss early on, as the Rebels came swinging right out of the gate with two monster showings in the hammer. Across both men's and women's competition, Ole Miss claimed two titles, four medals, and scored a whopping 44 points – helping put the Rebels atop both the men's (24) and women's (20) team leaderboards after Day One.
All-American sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan defended his SEC crown in the hammer with ease, cruising to victory on his second-round heave of 70.17m/230-2. Robinson-O'Hagan is just the ninth in SEC history to ever repeat as the men's hammer champion, and he led an absolute wrecking crew of Rebels that helped score all 24 Ole Miss men's points on Thursday – the most in the event since 2003, when Georgia scored 26 points.
Senior and Dartmouth transfer Jake Dalton shined in his first career SEC meet, taking the silver medal behind Robinson-O'Hagan at 68.43m/224-6 – improving on his spot at No. 3 in Ole Miss history and moving up to No. 22 in the NCAA this season.
"(Today's competition) was really nice to see," Dalton said. "I've been chasing this mark all season. My practices have been going great, I've been throwing this in practice all year, so it's kind of a huge weight off my chest to get that mark out there, especially at SECs where it really matters."
Also scoring for the Rebels in the men's hammer were redshirt junior Costen Campion (fourth, 62.85m/206-2) and redshirt sophomore Mason Hickel (8th, 60.25m/197-8).
In the women's hammer, All-American senior Jasmine Mitchell made history, as she was able to claim her third career SEC crown – the first ever SEC women's hammer title in Ole Miss history.
Mitchell did so right off the bat on her first throw of the competition, holding on for the win on that first attempt of 68.06m/223-3. Even more impressive, though, is not just that she beat out the defending NCAA Champion Stephanie Ratcliffe of Georgia, but that she did so while dealing with a lingering foot injury that has plagued her for the last several weeks.
"When I get in the ring, my first throw is always to go after it, make it the best of the best, and that's what I did," Mitchell said. "I wasn't afraid, I wasn't scared. I went in there and did what I had to do."
Fellow All-American senior Jalani Davis won her 10th career SEC medal as the bronze medal finisher at 66.79m/219-1, and was followed by freshman Skylar Soli, who took fifth at a new PR of 62.18m/204-0 in her first SEC hammer final to move to No. 5 in Ole Miss history.
The hammer sweep by Robinson-O'Hagan and Mitchell marks just the sixth in the history of the SEC, and the first since 2017. Furthermore, the Rebel duo are the first U.S.-born teammates to do so in conference history.
Ole Miss also received two superb preliminary performances on the track, courtesy of sprinters McKenzie Long and Gabrielle Matthews.
Long, a Rebel senior and two-time NCAA runner-up who entered this week as the national leader in the 200-meter dash, made easy work of the prelim, winning her heat at a wind-legal season-best 22.37 (+0.6) to punch her ticket to Saturday's final. Long is the defending SEC Outdoor champion, and is looking to become the first repeat winner since LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan won three in a row from 2011-13. That wind-legal time gets Long on the world charts for the year as well, ranking her No. 4 in the United States and No. 8 worldwide.
Matthews, a sophomore from Portmore, Jamaica, dismantled her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles to not only advance to Saturday's final, but also move atop the leaderboards in her native country. Matthews finished second overall and earned an automatic qualifier at a huge PR of 55.82, breaking her previous school record of 56.72 set on this same track on April 12.
Matthews is now the first Rebel woman to ever break 56 seconds (after previously also becoming the first to break 57), and this season that 55.82 ranks No. 4 in the NCAA, No. 16 worldwide, and No. 1 among all Jamaican athletes.
Ole Miss returns to action bright and early on Friday with the resumption of the men's decathlon at 10 a.m. CT.
Day One Men's Team Scores (Through Three Scored Events)
1. Ole Miss – 24
2. #4 Alabama – 18
T3. #5 Arkansas – 14
T3. #1 Florida – 14
5. #22 Georgia – 10
6. #2 Texas A&M – 9
T7. #3 LSU – 6
T7. Missouri – 6
T7. #14 Tennessee – 6
10. #15 Mississippi State – 5
11. #20 South Carolina – 3
12. #12 Kentucky – 2
Day One Women's Team Scores (Through Three Scored Events)
1. #12 Ole Miss – 20
2. #4 Texas A&M – 18
3. #15 Alabama – 17
4. #8 Georgia – 11
5. #2 Arkansas – 9
T6. Missouri – 8
T6. #10 Tennessee – 8
8. #1 LSU – 6
T9. Kentucky – 5
T9. Vanderbilt – 5
T11. #7 Florida – 4
T11. Mississippi State – 4
13. Auburn – 2
Day One Medalists
Jasmine Mitchell – Women's Hammer, Gold Medal
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Hammer, Gold Medal
Jake Dalton – Men's Hammer, Silver Medal
Jalani Davis – Women's Hammer, Bronze Medal
Other Day One Scorers
Costen Campion – Men's Hammer, 4th Place
Skylar Soli – Women's Hammer, 5th Place
Mason Hickel – Men's Hammer, 8th Place
Day One Finals Qualifiers
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 200-Meter (Prelims)
2. McKenzie Long – 22.37 (+0.6) – Wind-Legal SB, No. 8 World, No. 4 U.S.
Women's 800-Meter (Prelims)
10. Jo-Lauren Keane – 2:07.50
Men's 800-Meter (Prelims)
13. Chase Rose – 1:49.12
21. Carson Turner – 1:51.37
26. Marcus Dropik – 1:52.18
DNF Cade Flatt
Women's 10K (Final)
9. Sarah Schiffmann – 34:48.84 – PR, No. 10 Ole Miss History
10. Ryann Helmers – 34:56.73 – Season Debut
14. Skylar Boogerd – 35:18.56
Men's 10K (Final)
13. Aiden Britt – 30:59.85
DNF Dereck Elkins
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
2. Gabrielle Matthews – 55.82 – PR, School Record, No. 16 World, No. 1 Jamaica, No. 4 NCAA
Women's Hammer (Final)
1. Jasmine Mitchell – 68.06m/223-3
3. Jalani Davis – 66.79m/219-1
5. Skylar Soli – 62.18m/204-0 – PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History
12. Akaoma Odeluga – 51.77m/169-10
13. Naomi Woolfolk – 50.34m/165-02 – PR
Men's Hammer (Final)
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 70.17m/230-2
2. Jake Dalton – 68.43m/224-6 – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History, No. 22 NCAA
4. Costen Campion – 62.85m/206-2
8. Mason Hickel – 60.25m/197-8
12. Joseph Lanham – 54.74m/179-7
Women's Javelin (Final)
14. Abigail Green – 41.26m/135-4
Men's Javelin (Final)
10. Jake Railey – 68.31m/224-1
Men's Decathlon
Pierce Genereux – 3,016 Points, 10th Place
100-Meter Dash: 11th, 11.86 (+0.5) – 679 points
Long Jump: 11th, 5.98m/19-07.50 (+2.0) – 582 points
Shot Put: 8th, 11.81m/38-9 – 595 points
High Jump: T-10th, 1.71m/5-07.25 – 552 points
400-Meter Dash: 10th, 54.77 – 608 points
The blazing Florida sun did little to dampen Ole Miss early on, as the Rebels came swinging right out of the gate with two monster showings in the hammer. Across both men's and women's competition, Ole Miss claimed two titles, four medals, and scored a whopping 44 points – helping put the Rebels atop both the men's (24) and women's (20) team leaderboards after Day One.
All-American sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan defended his SEC crown in the hammer with ease, cruising to victory on his second-round heave of 70.17m/230-2. Robinson-O'Hagan is just the ninth in SEC history to ever repeat as the men's hammer champion, and he led an absolute wrecking crew of Rebels that helped score all 24 Ole Miss men's points on Thursday – the most in the event since 2003, when Georgia scored 26 points.
Senior and Dartmouth transfer Jake Dalton shined in his first career SEC meet, taking the silver medal behind Robinson-O'Hagan at 68.43m/224-6 – improving on his spot at No. 3 in Ole Miss history and moving up to No. 22 in the NCAA this season.
"(Today's competition) was really nice to see," Dalton said. "I've been chasing this mark all season. My practices have been going great, I've been throwing this in practice all year, so it's kind of a huge weight off my chest to get that mark out there, especially at SECs where it really matters."
Also scoring for the Rebels in the men's hammer were redshirt junior Costen Campion (fourth, 62.85m/206-2) and redshirt sophomore Mason Hickel (8th, 60.25m/197-8).
In the women's hammer, All-American senior Jasmine Mitchell made history, as she was able to claim her third career SEC crown – the first ever SEC women's hammer title in Ole Miss history.
Mitchell did so right off the bat on her first throw of the competition, holding on for the win on that first attempt of 68.06m/223-3. Even more impressive, though, is not just that she beat out the defending NCAA Champion Stephanie Ratcliffe of Georgia, but that she did so while dealing with a lingering foot injury that has plagued her for the last several weeks.
"When I get in the ring, my first throw is always to go after it, make it the best of the best, and that's what I did," Mitchell said. "I wasn't afraid, I wasn't scared. I went in there and did what I had to do."
Fellow All-American senior Jalani Davis won her 10th career SEC medal as the bronze medal finisher at 66.79m/219-1, and was followed by freshman Skylar Soli, who took fifth at a new PR of 62.18m/204-0 in her first SEC hammer final to move to No. 5 in Ole Miss history.
The hammer sweep by Robinson-O'Hagan and Mitchell marks just the sixth in the history of the SEC, and the first since 2017. Furthermore, the Rebel duo are the first U.S.-born teammates to do so in conference history.
Ole Miss also received two superb preliminary performances on the track, courtesy of sprinters McKenzie Long and Gabrielle Matthews.
Long, a Rebel senior and two-time NCAA runner-up who entered this week as the national leader in the 200-meter dash, made easy work of the prelim, winning her heat at a wind-legal season-best 22.37 (+0.6) to punch her ticket to Saturday's final. Long is the defending SEC Outdoor champion, and is looking to become the first repeat winner since LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan won three in a row from 2011-13. That wind-legal time gets Long on the world charts for the year as well, ranking her No. 4 in the United States and No. 8 worldwide.
Matthews, a sophomore from Portmore, Jamaica, dismantled her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles to not only advance to Saturday's final, but also move atop the leaderboards in her native country. Matthews finished second overall and earned an automatic qualifier at a huge PR of 55.82, breaking her previous school record of 56.72 set on this same track on April 12.
Matthews is now the first Rebel woman to ever break 56 seconds (after previously also becoming the first to break 57), and this season that 55.82 ranks No. 4 in the NCAA, No. 16 worldwide, and No. 1 among all Jamaican athletes.
Ole Miss returns to action bright and early on Friday with the resumption of the men's decathlon at 10 a.m. CT.
Day One Men's Team Scores (Through Three Scored Events)
1. Ole Miss – 24
2. #4 Alabama – 18
T3. #5 Arkansas – 14
T3. #1 Florida – 14
5. #22 Georgia – 10
6. #2 Texas A&M – 9
T7. #3 LSU – 6
T7. Missouri – 6
T7. #14 Tennessee – 6
10. #15 Mississippi State – 5
11. #20 South Carolina – 3
12. #12 Kentucky – 2
Day One Women's Team Scores (Through Three Scored Events)
1. #12 Ole Miss – 20
2. #4 Texas A&M – 18
3. #15 Alabama – 17
4. #8 Georgia – 11
5. #2 Arkansas – 9
T6. Missouri – 8
T6. #10 Tennessee – 8
8. #1 LSU – 6
T9. Kentucky – 5
T9. Vanderbilt – 5
T11. #7 Florida – 4
T11. Mississippi State – 4
13. Auburn – 2
Day One Medalists
Jasmine Mitchell – Women's Hammer, Gold Medal
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Hammer, Gold Medal
Jake Dalton – Men's Hammer, Silver Medal
Jalani Davis – Women's Hammer, Bronze Medal
Other Day One Scorers
Costen Campion – Men's Hammer, 4th Place
Skylar Soli – Women's Hammer, 5th Place
Mason Hickel – Men's Hammer, 8th Place
Day One Finals Qualifiers
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 200-Meter (Prelims)
2. McKenzie Long – 22.37 (+0.6) – Wind-Legal SB, No. 8 World, No. 4 U.S.
Women's 800-Meter (Prelims)
10. Jo-Lauren Keane – 2:07.50
Men's 800-Meter (Prelims)
13. Chase Rose – 1:49.12
21. Carson Turner – 1:51.37
26. Marcus Dropik – 1:52.18
DNF Cade Flatt
Women's 10K (Final)
9. Sarah Schiffmann – 34:48.84 – PR, No. 10 Ole Miss History
10. Ryann Helmers – 34:56.73 – Season Debut
14. Skylar Boogerd – 35:18.56
Men's 10K (Final)
13. Aiden Britt – 30:59.85
DNF Dereck Elkins
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
2. Gabrielle Matthews – 55.82 – PR, School Record, No. 16 World, No. 1 Jamaica, No. 4 NCAA
Women's Hammer (Final)
1. Jasmine Mitchell – 68.06m/223-3
3. Jalani Davis – 66.79m/219-1
5. Skylar Soli – 62.18m/204-0 – PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History
12. Akaoma Odeluga – 51.77m/169-10
13. Naomi Woolfolk – 50.34m/165-02 – PR
Men's Hammer (Final)
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 70.17m/230-2
2. Jake Dalton – 68.43m/224-6 – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History, No. 22 NCAA
4. Costen Campion – 62.85m/206-2
8. Mason Hickel – 60.25m/197-8
12. Joseph Lanham – 54.74m/179-7
Women's Javelin (Final)
14. Abigail Green – 41.26m/135-4
Men's Javelin (Final)
10. Jake Railey – 68.31m/224-1
Men's Decathlon
Pierce Genereux – 3,016 Points, 10th Place
100-Meter Dash: 11th, 11.86 (+0.5) – 679 points
Long Jump: 11th, 5.98m/19-07.50 (+2.0) – 582 points
Shot Put: 8th, 11.81m/38-9 – 595 points
High Jump: T-10th, 1.71m/5-07.25 – 552 points
400-Meter Dash: 10th, 54.77 – 608 points
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