The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, June 5
Eugene, Ore.
All Day
Ole Miss
vs
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Women’s Track & Field Wins Three National Titles, Caps Historic NCAA Outdoor Meet
6/8/2024 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. – In the span of 90 minutes across the sun-strewn, hallowed grounds of Hayward Field on Saturday, Ole Miss track & field simultaneously pulled off a program-defining day of competition and captured the hearts and minds of the nation after winning an unbelievable three national titles, closing out the Rebels' stay at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Two days ago, the Rebel women opened eyes around the nation after superb qualifying performances in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay. Today, Ole Miss proved that was no fluke, emerging as the victor in three of those four events for an amazing 32 meet points on Saturday alone.
First, the Rebel quartet of Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews and Jahniya Bowers brought home the first NCAA Outdoor relay title in Ole Miss history. What followed was a tour-de-force performance by Long across the 100 and 200 that will go down as one of the single-best days of competition in the annals of collegiate track & field history and the history of Ole Miss Athletics.
Those performances helped push Ole Miss to 38 total points by meet's end, placing the Rebels at an overall program record fifth-place finish. That ties the record set this very season indoors, giving ninth-year head coach Connie Price-Smith another accolade in a very long list of accomplishments during her tenure with the Rebels.
"It's been a wonderful season, totally, truly incredible, and I'm honored to be a part of what these young ladies and gentlemen have done," Price-Smith said. "To come out here and get fifth in this arena with the people they were competing against has just been amazing. The whole year building up to this has been nothing but fun to be a part of, and exciting to watch unfold."
Ole Miss opened the history-making day with its win in the relay, crossing the line in 42.34 – the ninth-best time in meet history. Postrace, Lewis said the roar of the crowd after the gun momentarily halted her first exchange with Long, but the Ole Miss relay team's training kicked in and the baton was passed in time. Long built the lead on her second leg, but Matthews' third leg blew the door open for the Rebels, giving Bowers a lead she built even further as she crossed the line to bring the title home.
"We've been working really hard all year for this," Lewis said. "We knew the job wouldn't be complete until we won, so it was really satisfying to go out there and execute our race to bring home the title."
"I really wasn't nervous," Lewis continued. "Our coach was like, don't make this meet bigger than it is. I've run a couple full sites before at World Champs, so I'm accustomed to being in front of big crowds and performing at a high level."
This marks the first relay title outdoors in Ole Miss men's or women's history, and it joins the 2017 men's distance medley relay team as the lone national champion relays in program history. Ole Miss is the first school to win its first title in the women's 4x1 since 2002 (South Carolina), and it is the first school not named LSU, Texas or USC to win since 2017 (Kentucky).
Running with, and then beating, the established powerhouses in the relay all season long gave the Rebels a chip on their shoulder heading into today's NCAA final.
"It feels like we have something to prove at this meet," Lewis said. "I feel like, in a sense, we've been the underdogs all season because other schools have done this before. It's our first time, so it was a great experience to go in there and execute."
"I know we could have run faster because we've had better exchanges in the past, but once we got the stick around I knew we would win," Lewis concluded. "We have the best team, we have the best chemistry, so I knew winning today was the only option."
Winning proved to also be the only option for McKenzie Long over the ensuing hour of drama.
Just 50 minutes after the relay, Long was back in the blocks in the final of the women's 100-meter dash. Long was the top time qualifier in Thursday's semifinal, an impressive feat in its own right considering Long sees this as her second-best event. But a serendipitous stroke of luck in the starting blocks should have been a sign of good things to come: her blocks were already set to their preferred settings.
"I literally went out on the blocks, and my blocks setting was already set," Long said. "You usually have to fix your blocks before you get into your lane. But, the 100 is the event where I'm less comfortable in compared to the 200. When I went out there and the block was already in my settings, I was shook. I was like Mom, this is instantly you. That's never happened to me before."
What Long is alluding to is the untimely passing of her mother, Tara Jones, this past indoor season – which Long has been dealing with, both on and off the track, with grace and humility all season long.
In those blocks, Long found her signature second gear, chasing down the field and crossing the line in a slightly-windy 10.82 (+2.2) for her first career NCAA individual title – and the first for Ole Miss men's or women's track & field outdoors in an event shorter than the 800-meter.
Barely 40 minutes later, Long's grand finale was at-hand in the 200-meter. Long exploded off the curve and into the cheering homestretch for the final time as a Rebel, and did so in stunning fashion, clocking in at a world-leading, wind-legal 21.83 (+1.0) to win her third – and final – NCAA title in just 90 minutes.
With her journey now complete, all of Long's emotions from the last few months came pouring out at the finish line and in front of a national TV audience perhaps gaining their first glimpse of America's future sprinting superstar.
"I talk to my mom every day. Everything that I do is for her," Long told ESPN's John Anderson. "And in those blocks right there, I said 'Mom, this is my last race, just push me through,' and she did."
"This year was so hard for me," Long continued. "I'm just blessed, I'm so blessed to be here."
That time makes Long the second-best collegian of all-time in the women's 200-meter dash with the second-fastest time, just barely missing Abby Steiner's 2022 collegiate record 21.80 (+1.3) run on this very same track. It also already puts Long into a tie for No. 10 in the history of the United States and No. 24 in the history of the world, and all before she has run a race as a professional sprinter.
Long's double alone in the 100 and 200-meter dashes put her into rarified air in collegiate history, now standing as just the 15th woman in Division I history to do so. But her triple crown across both events and as the second leg on Ole Miss' winning 4x100-meter relay puts her into elite company as one of just six women to ever pull off the feat.
In the last 48 hours, Long has run six world-class races, and not once did she ever finish second.
"Running so comfortable like I did in the prelims gave me all the confidence coming into today," Long said. "Yes, I was tired, my legs are tired, but I just told myself 'This is your last,' so I just pushed through."
But at the forefront of all of this success was the pain and hard work and heartbreak Long went through along the way to get there. Numerous injuries during her time at NC State. Switching schools and coaches. Graduating from college, finishing one master's degree, and then starting a second one. Losing her mom in the midst of her final collegiate season, and then persevering through that to become one of the greatest of all time.
"My emotions were all over the place," Long said. "Whenever I crossed the 200 line, I was balling my eyes out because, honestly, without grieving and without going through that process, I don't think I could have found myself this season. I definitely found myself this season. That really helped me grow as an athlete, grow as a person, and I'm just getting stronger every day."
"I'm just so grateful," Long continued. "Today has been the most pivotal moment of my life. I'm really just grateful and blessed that I'm here to showcase my abilities. I'm just looking forward to keep going."
Elsewhere on the track, sophomore Gabrielle Matthews also had a successful double in her first career NCAA final in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh at 55.33 for First-Team All-America honors. Matthews, the SEC Champion, has completely rewritten Ole Miss' records in the event, and she is now the first Rebel woman to ever score in the 400 hurdles.
With the collegiate season now in the rearview, Ole Miss athletes past and present now turn their attention to the summer competition schedule – primarily with the upcoming U.S. U20 Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials, both held back here at Hayward Field later this month.
NCAA Champions
Jahniya Bowers – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Akilah Lewis – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
McKenzie Long – Women's 100-Meter Dash
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash
McKenzie Long – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put
First-Team All-Americans
Jahniya Bowers – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Akilah Lewis – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 100-Meter Dash, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put, 1st Place
Jalani Davis – Women's Hammer, 3rd Place
Toby Gillen – Men's 5K, 7th Place
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles, 7th Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Hammer, 7th Place
Second-Team All-Americans
Mensi Stiff – Women's Shot Put, 10th Place
Ahmad Young Jr. – Men's 110-Meter Hurdles, 10th Place
Honorable Mention All-Americans
Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley – Men's Triple Jump, 18th Place
Skylar Soli – Women's Hammer, 18th Place
Jake Dalton – Men's Hammer, 20th Place
REBELS IN DAY FOUR COMPETITION
Women's 100-Meter Dash – Final
1. McKenzie Long – 10.82 (+2.2) – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American
Women's 200-Meter Dash – Final
1. McKenzie Long – 21.83 (+1.0) – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American – 2024 World Lead, PR, Ole Miss Record, No. 2 Collegiate History (No. 2 Time), T-No. 10 U.S. History, T-No. 24 World History
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Final
7. Gabrielle Matthews – 55.33 – First-Team All-American
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay – Final
1. Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews, Jahniya Bowers – 42.34 – NCAA Champions, First-Team All-Americans – No. 9 Time NCAA Meet History, No. 18 Time Collegiate History
-----
REBELS IN DAY THREE COMPETITION
Men's 5K – Final
7. Toby Gillen – 13:59.00 – First-Team All-American
Men's Triple Jump – Final
18. Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley – 15.44m/50-8 (+0.8) – Honorable Mention All-American
-----
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
Women's 100-Meter Dash – Semifinals
1. McKenzie Long – 10.91 (+0.0) AQ – Wind-Legal PR, Wind-Legal Ole Miss Record, No. 10 Collegiate History, 2024 World No. 6, 2024 U.S. No. 4
Women's 200-Meter Dash – Semifinals
1. McKenzie Long – 21.95 (+0.3) AQ – Wind-Legal PR, Wind-Legal Ole Miss Record, No. 3 Collegiate History, T-No. 15 U.S. History, 2024 World Lead
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
8. Gabrielle Matthews – 56.19 AQ
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay – Semifinals
1. Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews, Jahniya Bowers – 42.22 AQ – School Record, No. 5 Collegiate History (12th-fastest time), 2024 World No. 5
Women's Shot Put – Final
10. Mensi Stiff – 17.11m/56-01.75 – Second-Team All-American – Outdoor PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History, T-No. 10 U.S. U20 History Outdoors
FOUL Akaoma Odeluga
Women's Hammer – Final
3. Jalani Davis – 69.86m/229-2 – First-Team All-American – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History, 2024 U.S. No. 11
18. Skylar Soli – 61.72m/202-6 – Honorable Mention All-American
-----
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
10. Ahmad Young Jr. – 13.46 (+0.2) – Second-Team All-American – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History
Men's Shot Put – Final
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 20.88m/68-6 – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American – Outdoor PR, Outdoor Ole Miss Record
Men's Hammer – Final
7. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 72.81m/238-10 – First-Team All-American – PR, School Record, 2024 U.S. No. 13
20. Jake Dalton – 66.06m/216-9 – Honorable Mention All-American
Two days ago, the Rebel women opened eyes around the nation after superb qualifying performances in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay. Today, Ole Miss proved that was no fluke, emerging as the victor in three of those four events for an amazing 32 meet points on Saturday alone.
First, the Rebel quartet of Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews and Jahniya Bowers brought home the first NCAA Outdoor relay title in Ole Miss history. What followed was a tour-de-force performance by Long across the 100 and 200 that will go down as one of the single-best days of competition in the annals of collegiate track & field history and the history of Ole Miss Athletics.
Those performances helped push Ole Miss to 38 total points by meet's end, placing the Rebels at an overall program record fifth-place finish. That ties the record set this very season indoors, giving ninth-year head coach Connie Price-Smith another accolade in a very long list of accomplishments during her tenure with the Rebels.
"It's been a wonderful season, totally, truly incredible, and I'm honored to be a part of what these young ladies and gentlemen have done," Price-Smith said. "To come out here and get fifth in this arena with the people they were competing against has just been amazing. The whole year building up to this has been nothing but fun to be a part of, and exciting to watch unfold."
Ole Miss opened the history-making day with its win in the relay, crossing the line in 42.34 – the ninth-best time in meet history. Postrace, Lewis said the roar of the crowd after the gun momentarily halted her first exchange with Long, but the Ole Miss relay team's training kicked in and the baton was passed in time. Long built the lead on her second leg, but Matthews' third leg blew the door open for the Rebels, giving Bowers a lead she built even further as she crossed the line to bring the title home.
"We've been working really hard all year for this," Lewis said. "We knew the job wouldn't be complete until we won, so it was really satisfying to go out there and execute our race to bring home the title."
"I really wasn't nervous," Lewis continued. "Our coach was like, don't make this meet bigger than it is. I've run a couple full sites before at World Champs, so I'm accustomed to being in front of big crowds and performing at a high level."
This marks the first relay title outdoors in Ole Miss men's or women's history, and it joins the 2017 men's distance medley relay team as the lone national champion relays in program history. Ole Miss is the first school to win its first title in the women's 4x1 since 2002 (South Carolina), and it is the first school not named LSU, Texas or USC to win since 2017 (Kentucky).
Running with, and then beating, the established powerhouses in the relay all season long gave the Rebels a chip on their shoulder heading into today's NCAA final.
"It feels like we have something to prove at this meet," Lewis said. "I feel like, in a sense, we've been the underdogs all season because other schools have done this before. It's our first time, so it was a great experience to go in there and execute."
"I know we could have run faster because we've had better exchanges in the past, but once we got the stick around I knew we would win," Lewis concluded. "We have the best team, we have the best chemistry, so I knew winning today was the only option."
Winning proved to also be the only option for McKenzie Long over the ensuing hour of drama.
Just 50 minutes after the relay, Long was back in the blocks in the final of the women's 100-meter dash. Long was the top time qualifier in Thursday's semifinal, an impressive feat in its own right considering Long sees this as her second-best event. But a serendipitous stroke of luck in the starting blocks should have been a sign of good things to come: her blocks were already set to their preferred settings.
"I literally went out on the blocks, and my blocks setting was already set," Long said. "You usually have to fix your blocks before you get into your lane. But, the 100 is the event where I'm less comfortable in compared to the 200. When I went out there and the block was already in my settings, I was shook. I was like Mom, this is instantly you. That's never happened to me before."
What Long is alluding to is the untimely passing of her mother, Tara Jones, this past indoor season – which Long has been dealing with, both on and off the track, with grace and humility all season long.
In those blocks, Long found her signature second gear, chasing down the field and crossing the line in a slightly-windy 10.82 (+2.2) for her first career NCAA individual title – and the first for Ole Miss men's or women's track & field outdoors in an event shorter than the 800-meter.
Barely 40 minutes later, Long's grand finale was at-hand in the 200-meter. Long exploded off the curve and into the cheering homestretch for the final time as a Rebel, and did so in stunning fashion, clocking in at a world-leading, wind-legal 21.83 (+1.0) to win her third – and final – NCAA title in just 90 minutes.
With her journey now complete, all of Long's emotions from the last few months came pouring out at the finish line and in front of a national TV audience perhaps gaining their first glimpse of America's future sprinting superstar.
"I talk to my mom every day. Everything that I do is for her," Long told ESPN's John Anderson. "And in those blocks right there, I said 'Mom, this is my last race, just push me through,' and she did."
"This year was so hard for me," Long continued. "I'm just blessed, I'm so blessed to be here."
We know mom is so proud 🫶@kenzielong21 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/rAJdZ6Td6w
— Ole Miss Track & Field (@OleMissTrack) June 8, 2024
That time makes Long the second-best collegian of all-time in the women's 200-meter dash with the second-fastest time, just barely missing Abby Steiner's 2022 collegiate record 21.80 (+1.3) run on this very same track. It also already puts Long into a tie for No. 10 in the history of the United States and No. 24 in the history of the world, and all before she has run a race as a professional sprinter.
Long's double alone in the 100 and 200-meter dashes put her into rarified air in collegiate history, now standing as just the 15th woman in Division I history to do so. But her triple crown across both events and as the second leg on Ole Miss' winning 4x100-meter relay puts her into elite company as one of just six women to ever pull off the feat.
In the last 48 hours, Long has run six world-class races, and not once did she ever finish second.
"Running so comfortable like I did in the prelims gave me all the confidence coming into today," Long said. "Yes, I was tired, my legs are tired, but I just told myself 'This is your last,' so I just pushed through."
But at the forefront of all of this success was the pain and hard work and heartbreak Long went through along the way to get there. Numerous injuries during her time at NC State. Switching schools and coaches. Graduating from college, finishing one master's degree, and then starting a second one. Losing her mom in the midst of her final collegiate season, and then persevering through that to become one of the greatest of all time.
"My emotions were all over the place," Long said. "Whenever I crossed the 200 line, I was balling my eyes out because, honestly, without grieving and without going through that process, I don't think I could have found myself this season. I definitely found myself this season. That really helped me grow as an athlete, grow as a person, and I'm just getting stronger every day."
"I'm just so grateful," Long continued. "Today has been the most pivotal moment of my life. I'm really just grateful and blessed that I'm here to showcase my abilities. I'm just looking forward to keep going."
Elsewhere on the track, sophomore Gabrielle Matthews also had a successful double in her first career NCAA final in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh at 55.33 for First-Team All-America honors. Matthews, the SEC Champion, has completely rewritten Ole Miss' records in the event, and she is now the first Rebel woman to ever score in the 400 hurdles.
With the collegiate season now in the rearview, Ole Miss athletes past and present now turn their attention to the summer competition schedule – primarily with the upcoming U.S. U20 Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials, both held back here at Hayward Field later this month.
NCAA Champions
Jahniya Bowers – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Akilah Lewis – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
McKenzie Long – Women's 100-Meter Dash
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash
McKenzie Long – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put
First-Team All-Americans
Jahniya Bowers – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Akilah Lewis – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 100-Meter Dash, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 200-Meter Dash, 1st Place
McKenzie Long – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 4x100-Meter Relay, 1st Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put, 1st Place
Jalani Davis – Women's Hammer, 3rd Place
Toby Gillen – Men's 5K, 7th Place
Gabrielle Matthews – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles, 7th Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Hammer, 7th Place
Second-Team All-Americans
Mensi Stiff – Women's Shot Put, 10th Place
Ahmad Young Jr. – Men's 110-Meter Hurdles, 10th Place
Honorable Mention All-Americans
Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley – Men's Triple Jump, 18th Place
Skylar Soli – Women's Hammer, 18th Place
Jake Dalton – Men's Hammer, 20th Place
REBELS IN DAY FOUR COMPETITION
Women's 100-Meter Dash – Final
1. McKenzie Long – 10.82 (+2.2) – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American
Women's 200-Meter Dash – Final
1. McKenzie Long – 21.83 (+1.0) – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American – 2024 World Lead, PR, Ole Miss Record, No. 2 Collegiate History (No. 2 Time), T-No. 10 U.S. History, T-No. 24 World History
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Final
7. Gabrielle Matthews – 55.33 – First-Team All-American
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay – Final
1. Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews, Jahniya Bowers – 42.34 – NCAA Champions, First-Team All-Americans – No. 9 Time NCAA Meet History, No. 18 Time Collegiate History
-----
REBELS IN DAY THREE COMPETITION
Men's 5K – Final
7. Toby Gillen – 13:59.00 – First-Team All-American
Men's Triple Jump – Final
18. Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley – 15.44m/50-8 (+0.8) – Honorable Mention All-American
-----
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
Women's 100-Meter Dash – Semifinals
1. McKenzie Long – 10.91 (+0.0) AQ – Wind-Legal PR, Wind-Legal Ole Miss Record, No. 10 Collegiate History, 2024 World No. 6, 2024 U.S. No. 4
Women's 200-Meter Dash – Semifinals
1. McKenzie Long – 21.95 (+0.3) AQ – Wind-Legal PR, Wind-Legal Ole Miss Record, No. 3 Collegiate History, T-No. 15 U.S. History, 2024 World Lead
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
8. Gabrielle Matthews – 56.19 AQ
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay – Semifinals
1. Akilah Lewis, McKenzie Long, Gabrielle Matthews, Jahniya Bowers – 42.22 AQ – School Record, No. 5 Collegiate History (12th-fastest time), 2024 World No. 5
Women's Shot Put – Final
10. Mensi Stiff – 17.11m/56-01.75 – Second-Team All-American – Outdoor PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History, T-No. 10 U.S. U20 History Outdoors
FOUL Akaoma Odeluga
Women's Hammer – Final
3. Jalani Davis – 69.86m/229-2 – First-Team All-American – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History, 2024 U.S. No. 11
18. Skylar Soli – 61.72m/202-6 – Honorable Mention All-American
-----
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
10. Ahmad Young Jr. – 13.46 (+0.2) – Second-Team All-American – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History
Men's Shot Put – Final
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 20.88m/68-6 – NCAA Champion, First-Team All-American – Outdoor PR, Outdoor Ole Miss Record
Men's Hammer – Final
7. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 72.81m/238-10 – First-Team All-American – PR, School Record, 2024 U.S. No. 13
20. Jake Dalton – 66.06m/216-9 – Honorable Mention All-American
Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
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