The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field Weight Throwers Steal Show at Day One of Vanderbilt Invitational
1/17/2025 | Track and Field
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss track & field's men's and women's weight throwers put on a clinic, leading a productive first day of competition at the Vanderbilt Invitational on Friday.
The 78 foot barrier had eluded star junior and Bowerman watch list member Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan since his bombastic first season in 2023 that saw him set the collegiate freshman record at 23.62m/77-6. But today he flew past that mark on a mammoth one-foot PR and a near four-foot season-best of 23.99m/78-08.50 – the second-best throw in the world this season.
That mark not only obliterated his own school record, but it currently ranks him as the 16th-best collegian all-time in the weight throw. Combined with his shot put PR of 21.05m/69-00.75 that won him an NCAA title last March, Robinson-O'Hagan is one of three men in collegiate history to own a combined shot/weight distance of at least 45 meters. After Friday, Robinson-O'Hagan's 45.04 meters ranks behind only North Dakota State's Payton Otterdahl in 2019 (45.92m) and Ohio State's Dan Taylor across 2003 and 2004 (45.34m).
What followed behind Robinson-O'Hagan was a powerful display from the Rebel men's weight throwers. Junior Bryson Smith was the runner-up at a two-foot career-best 21.81m/71-06.75, good for second in Ole Miss history and No. 9 in the NCAA this season. Smith joins Robinson-O'Hagan as the lone Rebel men to ever break the 70-foot barrier in the event.
Junior Mason Hickel had a two-foot improvement of his own in third place at 21.02m/68-11.75, which moves him up to No. 4 in Ole Miss history and 17th on the national descending lists. Hickel's efforts today makes this season the first in program history with a trio of 21-meter throwers. Senior Costen Campion was seventh at 20.02m/65-08.25, but his previous season-best already makes this the first in Ole Miss history with four 20-meter throwers as well.
It was more of the same in the women's weight throw for sophomore and reigning SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week Akaoma Odeluga, who improved yet again against a stacked field at Vanderbilt on Friday.
Odeluga was fifth overall at a one-foot PR of 21.47m/70-05.25, which improves upon her spot at No. 7 in Ole Miss history as well as No. 7 in the NCAA this season. In three meets this season, Odeluga has now improved nearly 11 feet in the weight throw over her freshman best of 18.25m/59-10.50.
Fellow sophomore Skylar Soli was right behind her in sixth place at a season-best 20.10m/65-11.50, currently good for 18th in Division I. Meanwhile, atop the leaderboard on Friday were Rebel alums and NCAA Champions Jalani Davis (24.61m/80-9) and Janeah Stewart (23.87m/78-03.75), who led the competition by setting the top-two marks in the world this season.
Sophomore transfer and Oxford native John Kendricks continued to improve as well, finishing third in the men's pole vault at an Ole Miss best 5.22m/17-01.50. He is now the 10th Rebel men's vaulter to clear 17 feet indoors, with his performance today moving him up to No. 8 in program history.
Elsewhere in the field, Ole Miss received a handful of strong performances in the long jump events. In the women's seeded section, junior transfer Lizzie Hatton took sixth at an overall career-best leap of 5.95m/19-06.25, while freshman Indya Dotson had her best day as a Rebel as well in eighth place at a PR 5.81m/19-00.75. In the unseeded section, senior transfer Dieusi Armand was the runner-up at a season-best 5.69m/18-8.
In the men's unseeded long jump, senior Guy Bond had the best indoor performance of his career, finishing fourth at 7.22m/23-08.25.
On the track, the Rebels closed the night with two fast performances in the 1000-meter races. Senior Jo-Lauren Keane opened her indoor campaign with a blazing 1000-meter time of 2:44.36, good for second overall and a half-second away from Loral Winn's 2023 record of 2:43.85.
In the men's 1000-meter, sophomore Evan Thornton-Sherman made his indoor debut as well, finishing third at 2:23.06.
Action picks back up for Ole Miss on Saturday morning, with the resumption of the men's heptathlon at 8:30 a.m. CT and the women's 60-meter dash prelims at 12:35 p.m. CT.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 1000-Meter
2. Jo-Lauren Keane – 2:44.36 – First Collegiate 1000
21. Alycia Hart – 2:56.45 – PR
Men's 1000-Meter
3. Evan Thornton-Sherman – 2:23.06 – First Collegiate 1000
Women's 5K
12. Adie Luna – 17:45.27 – Collegiate Debut
Men's Pole Vault (Open)
5. Ford Maberry – 4.66m/15-03.50
Men's Pole Vault (Invite)
3. John Kendricks – 5.22m/17-01.50 –SB, No. 8 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 21
NH Miles Walden
Women's Long Jump (Unseeded)
2. Dieusi Armand – 5.69m/18-8 – SB
Women's Long Jump (Seeded)
6. Lizzie Hatton – 5.95m/19-06.25 – PR
8. Indya Dotson –5.81m/19-00.75 – PR
Men's Long Jump (Unseeded)
4. Guy Bond – 7.22m/23-08.25 – Indoor PR
18. Carson Walls – 6.36m/20-10 – SB
Women's Weight Throw (Invite)
5. Akaoma Odeluga – 21.47m/70-05.25 – PR, No. 7 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 7
6. Skylar Soli – 20.10m/65-11.50 – SB, 2025 NCAA No. 18
Men's Weight Throw (Open)
13. Keegan Wilfawn – 15.31m/50-02.75
Men's Weight Throw (Invite)
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 23.99m/78-08.50 – PR, Ole Miss Record, No. 16 Collegiate History, 2025 World No. 2, 2025 Collegiate No. 2
2. Bryson Smith – 21.81m/71-06.75 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 9
3. Mason Hickel – 21.02m/68-11.75 – PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 17
7. Costen Campion – 20.02m/65-08.25
Women's Pentathlon
Nyajah Gordon – 2,966 Points, 11th Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Hurdles: 6th, 8.99 – 912 points – PR
High Jump: 15th, 1.28m/4-02.25 – 389 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 10th, 9.87m/32-04.75 – 521 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 6th, 5.16m/16-11.25 – 603 points
800-Meter: 10th, 2:42.84 – 541 points – Collegiate Debut
Men's Heptathlon (Through Four Events)
Caughran Fowler – 2,606 Points, 2nd Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Dash: 1st, 6.99 – 886 points – PR
Long Jump: 4th, 5.97m/19-7 – 580 points
Shot Put: 2nd, 11.28m/37-00.25 – 563 points – PR
High Jump: 4th, 1.74m/5-08.50 – 577 points – Collegiate Debut
The 78 foot barrier had eluded star junior and Bowerman watch list member Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan since his bombastic first season in 2023 that saw him set the collegiate freshman record at 23.62m/77-6. But today he flew past that mark on a mammoth one-foot PR and a near four-foot season-best of 23.99m/78-08.50 – the second-best throw in the world this season.
That mark not only obliterated his own school record, but it currently ranks him as the 16th-best collegian all-time in the weight throw. Combined with his shot put PR of 21.05m/69-00.75 that won him an NCAA title last March, Robinson-O'Hagan is one of three men in collegiate history to own a combined shot/weight distance of at least 45 meters. After Friday, Robinson-O'Hagan's 45.04 meters ranks behind only North Dakota State's Payton Otterdahl in 2019 (45.92m) and Ohio State's Dan Taylor across 2003 and 2004 (45.34m).
What followed behind Robinson-O'Hagan was a powerful display from the Rebel men's weight throwers. Junior Bryson Smith was the runner-up at a two-foot career-best 21.81m/71-06.75, good for second in Ole Miss history and No. 9 in the NCAA this season. Smith joins Robinson-O'Hagan as the lone Rebel men to ever break the 70-foot barrier in the event.
Junior Mason Hickel had a two-foot improvement of his own in third place at 21.02m/68-11.75, which moves him up to No. 4 in Ole Miss history and 17th on the national descending lists. Hickel's efforts today makes this season the first in program history with a trio of 21-meter throwers. Senior Costen Campion was seventh at 20.02m/65-08.25, but his previous season-best already makes this the first in Ole Miss history with four 20-meter throwers as well.
It was more of the same in the women's weight throw for sophomore and reigning SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week Akaoma Odeluga, who improved yet again against a stacked field at Vanderbilt on Friday.
Odeluga was fifth overall at a one-foot PR of 21.47m/70-05.25, which improves upon her spot at No. 7 in Ole Miss history as well as No. 7 in the NCAA this season. In three meets this season, Odeluga has now improved nearly 11 feet in the weight throw over her freshman best of 18.25m/59-10.50.
Fellow sophomore Skylar Soli was right behind her in sixth place at a season-best 20.10m/65-11.50, currently good for 18th in Division I. Meanwhile, atop the leaderboard on Friday were Rebel alums and NCAA Champions Jalani Davis (24.61m/80-9) and Janeah Stewart (23.87m/78-03.75), who led the competition by setting the top-two marks in the world this season.
Sophomore transfer and Oxford native John Kendricks continued to improve as well, finishing third in the men's pole vault at an Ole Miss best 5.22m/17-01.50. He is now the 10th Rebel men's vaulter to clear 17 feet indoors, with his performance today moving him up to No. 8 in program history.
Elsewhere in the field, Ole Miss received a handful of strong performances in the long jump events. In the women's seeded section, junior transfer Lizzie Hatton took sixth at an overall career-best leap of 5.95m/19-06.25, while freshman Indya Dotson had her best day as a Rebel as well in eighth place at a PR 5.81m/19-00.75. In the unseeded section, senior transfer Dieusi Armand was the runner-up at a season-best 5.69m/18-8.
In the men's unseeded long jump, senior Guy Bond had the best indoor performance of his career, finishing fourth at 7.22m/23-08.25.
On the track, the Rebels closed the night with two fast performances in the 1000-meter races. Senior Jo-Lauren Keane opened her indoor campaign with a blazing 1000-meter time of 2:44.36, good for second overall and a half-second away from Loral Winn's 2023 record of 2:43.85.
In the men's 1000-meter, sophomore Evan Thornton-Sherman made his indoor debut as well, finishing third at 2:23.06.
Action picks back up for Ole Miss on Saturday morning, with the resumption of the men's heptathlon at 8:30 a.m. CT and the women's 60-meter dash prelims at 12:35 p.m. CT.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 1000-Meter
2. Jo-Lauren Keane – 2:44.36 – First Collegiate 1000
21. Alycia Hart – 2:56.45 – PR
Men's 1000-Meter
3. Evan Thornton-Sherman – 2:23.06 – First Collegiate 1000
Women's 5K
12. Adie Luna – 17:45.27 – Collegiate Debut
Men's Pole Vault (Open)
5. Ford Maberry – 4.66m/15-03.50
Men's Pole Vault (Invite)
3. John Kendricks – 5.22m/17-01.50 –SB, No. 8 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 21
NH Miles Walden
Women's Long Jump (Unseeded)
2. Dieusi Armand – 5.69m/18-8 – SB
Women's Long Jump (Seeded)
6. Lizzie Hatton – 5.95m/19-06.25 – PR
8. Indya Dotson –5.81m/19-00.75 – PR
Men's Long Jump (Unseeded)
4. Guy Bond – 7.22m/23-08.25 – Indoor PR
18. Carson Walls – 6.36m/20-10 – SB
Women's Weight Throw (Invite)
5. Akaoma Odeluga – 21.47m/70-05.25 – PR, No. 7 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 7
6. Skylar Soli – 20.10m/65-11.50 – SB, 2025 NCAA No. 18
Men's Weight Throw (Open)
13. Keegan Wilfawn – 15.31m/50-02.75
Men's Weight Throw (Invite)
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 23.99m/78-08.50 – PR, Ole Miss Record, No. 16 Collegiate History, 2025 World No. 2, 2025 Collegiate No. 2
2. Bryson Smith – 21.81m/71-06.75 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 9
3. Mason Hickel – 21.02m/68-11.75 – PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 17
7. Costen Campion – 20.02m/65-08.25
Women's Pentathlon
Nyajah Gordon – 2,966 Points, 11th Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Hurdles: 6th, 8.99 – 912 points – PR
High Jump: 15th, 1.28m/4-02.25 – 389 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 10th, 9.87m/32-04.75 – 521 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 6th, 5.16m/16-11.25 – 603 points
800-Meter: 10th, 2:42.84 – 541 points – Collegiate Debut
Men's Heptathlon (Through Four Events)
Caughran Fowler – 2,606 Points, 2nd Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Dash: 1st, 6.99 – 886 points – PR
Long Jump: 4th, 5.97m/19-7 – 580 points
Shot Put: 2nd, 11.28m/37-00.25 – 563 points – PR
High Jump: 4th, 1.74m/5-08.50 – 577 points – Collegiate Debut
Players Mentioned
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Multi
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Jumps
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Distance
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Jumps
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Throws
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Distance
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Pole Vault
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Distance
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Pole Vault
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Throws
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Throws
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Throws
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Throws
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Distance
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Pole Vault
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Jumps
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Distance
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