The University of Mississippi Athletics

Men’s Track & Field Finishes 10th, Robinson-O’Hagan Repeats as NCAA Champion
3/15/2025 | Track and Field
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Ole Miss men's track & field registered a top-10 national finish on the backs of a third consecutive national shot put title by junior Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan and a big scoring effort out of junior Arvesta Troupe in the men's high jump to close out the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday.
The Rebels ended the meet in a tie for 10th place overall with 20 meet points, which stands tied for second-best in Ole Miss men's history indoors and tied for third-best in overall Rebel men's history. Furthermore, today's performance is the fifth consecutive top-15 national finish indoors by the Ole Miss men, the longest such streak in combined program history – indoors or outdoors. Of the now 10 top-10 finishes in Ole Miss track & field history across both seasons, seven of them belong to 10th-year head coach Connie Price-Smith.
Robinson-O'Hagan – a three-time watch list member for The Bowerman – scored 14 of those 20 by himself, but his 10 points via his repeat victory in the men's shot put did not come easy. He entered the meet ranked first overall in the shot put and was straight off a fifth-place finish in a stacked men's weight throw final on Friday night, but Saturday's shot final proved to be his toughest test yet for the national crown.
His first round blast of 20.49m/67-02.75 immediately earned him the lead and would hold the top spot for the remainder of the competition. However, South Carolina's Chistopher Licata came dangerously close to taking the lead when he unleashed a massive PR of 20.46m/67-01.50 on his sixth and final attempt – just three centimeters shy of toppling Robinson-O'Hagan for the title.
Robinson-O'Hagan is now one of only 11 athletes in collegiate history to win at least three NCAA men's shot put crowns in a row across both the indoor and outdoor seasons, with today's win joining his indoor-outdoor sweep as a sophomore in 2024. This is the 14th indoor national title ever by a Rebel, the third title by any Ole Miss men's field athlete including his 2024 title indoors and Olmypian Savante' Stringfellow in the long jump in 2001. He is also now only the second Rebel men's athlete to win back-to-back NCAA Indoor titles alongside Antwon Hicks, who did so in the 60-meter hurdles in both 2004 and 2005.
Today's performance marks Robinson-O'Hagan's 10th career All-America award (eighth First-Team) and raises his tally to an impressive total of 47 career NCAA points scored.
Also in the field for the Rebel men was junior Arvesta Troupe in his first career NCAA qualifying appearance. The Fulton, Mississippi native cleared his first two bars with ease before topping out at 2.19m/7-02.25 on his second attempt at the height to secure bronze. Troupe was even in title contention with a couple of near misses at 2.22m/7-03.25 – which would have tied his career-best set just two weeks prior at the SEC Championships.
"I was able to get over the bar, [the] first two bars clean, that's always the goal when it comes to big meets, is to stay clean," Troupe said. "Go out there and be consistent and to jump with a clear mind."
Troupe's third-place finish today earned him his first career NCAA points and his first All-America award. He is the first Rebel to score in the men's high jump, indoors or outdoors, since Olympian Ricky Robertson finished sixth indoors in 2013.
"It means a lot, especially to come out here and get points on the table for Ole Miss in the jumps category," Troupe said. "You usually see the throwers and the sprinters getting all the points, so I was just happy to come out here and represent my name with the jumps."
Also competing for Ole Miss on Saturday was sophomore Akaoma Odeluga, who finished ninth for Second-Team All-America honors in the women's shot put final at 17.26m/56-07.50.
With indoor now in the rearview, Ole Miss track & field turns its attention to the outdoor season. The Rebels are set to host the Ole Miss Classic this coming week on March 21-22.
Final Men's Team Scores:
1. #2 USC – 39
2. #12 Georgia –33
3. #4 Auburn – 32
4. #1 Arkansas – 30
5. #10 Oklahoma State – 26
T6. #14 Mississippi State – 23
T6. #18 Virginia – 23
T8. #7 North Carolina – 22
T8. #6 Texas Tech – 22
T10. #16 Ole Miss – 20
T10. #3 Texas A&M – 20
T12. #21 Nebraska – 19
T12. #9 Oklahoma – 19
14. #25 BYU – 18
15. Oregon – 16
44 others
NCAA Champions
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put
First-Team All-Americans
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put, 1st Place
Arvesta Troupe – Men's High Jump, 3rd Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Weight Throw, 5th Place
Second-Team All-Americans
Akaoma Odeluga – Women's Shot Put, 9th Place
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
Men's High Jump – Final
3. Arvesta Troupe – 2.19m/7-02.25 – First-Team All-American
Women's Shot Put – Final
9. Akaoma Odeluga – 17.26m/56-07.50 – Second-Team All-American
Men's Shot Put – Final
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 20.49m/67-02.75 – Facility Record, First-Team All-American
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men's Weight Throw – Final
5. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 24.09m/79-00.75 – First-Team All-American
The Rebels ended the meet in a tie for 10th place overall with 20 meet points, which stands tied for second-best in Ole Miss men's history indoors and tied for third-best in overall Rebel men's history. Furthermore, today's performance is the fifth consecutive top-15 national finish indoors by the Ole Miss men, the longest such streak in combined program history – indoors or outdoors. Of the now 10 top-10 finishes in Ole Miss track & field history across both seasons, seven of them belong to 10th-year head coach Connie Price-Smith.
Robinson-O'Hagan – a three-time watch list member for The Bowerman – scored 14 of those 20 by himself, but his 10 points via his repeat victory in the men's shot put did not come easy. He entered the meet ranked first overall in the shot put and was straight off a fifth-place finish in a stacked men's weight throw final on Friday night, but Saturday's shot final proved to be his toughest test yet for the national crown.
His first round blast of 20.49m/67-02.75 immediately earned him the lead and would hold the top spot for the remainder of the competition. However, South Carolina's Chistopher Licata came dangerously close to taking the lead when he unleashed a massive PR of 20.46m/67-01.50 on his sixth and final attempt – just three centimeters shy of toppling Robinson-O'Hagan for the title.
Robinson-O'Hagan is now one of only 11 athletes in collegiate history to win at least three NCAA men's shot put crowns in a row across both the indoor and outdoor seasons, with today's win joining his indoor-outdoor sweep as a sophomore in 2024. This is the 14th indoor national title ever by a Rebel, the third title by any Ole Miss men's field athlete including his 2024 title indoors and Olmypian Savante' Stringfellow in the long jump in 2001. He is also now only the second Rebel men's athlete to win back-to-back NCAA Indoor titles alongside Antwon Hicks, who did so in the 60-meter hurdles in both 2004 and 2005.
Today's performance marks Robinson-O'Hagan's 10th career All-America award (eighth First-Team) and raises his tally to an impressive total of 47 career NCAA points scored.
Also in the field for the Rebel men was junior Arvesta Troupe in his first career NCAA qualifying appearance. The Fulton, Mississippi native cleared his first two bars with ease before topping out at 2.19m/7-02.25 on his second attempt at the height to secure bronze. Troupe was even in title contention with a couple of near misses at 2.22m/7-03.25 – which would have tied his career-best set just two weeks prior at the SEC Championships.
"I was able to get over the bar, [the] first two bars clean, that's always the goal when it comes to big meets, is to stay clean," Troupe said. "Go out there and be consistent and to jump with a clear mind."
Troupe's third-place finish today earned him his first career NCAA points and his first All-America award. He is the first Rebel to score in the men's high jump, indoors or outdoors, since Olympian Ricky Robertson finished sixth indoors in 2013.
"It means a lot, especially to come out here and get points on the table for Ole Miss in the jumps category," Troupe said. "You usually see the throwers and the sprinters getting all the points, so I was just happy to come out here and represent my name with the jumps."
Also competing for Ole Miss on Saturday was sophomore Akaoma Odeluga, who finished ninth for Second-Team All-America honors in the women's shot put final at 17.26m/56-07.50.
With indoor now in the rearview, Ole Miss track & field turns its attention to the outdoor season. The Rebels are set to host the Ole Miss Classic this coming week on March 21-22.
Final Men's Team Scores:
1. #2 USC – 39
2. #12 Georgia –33
3. #4 Auburn – 32
4. #1 Arkansas – 30
5. #10 Oklahoma State – 26
T6. #14 Mississippi State – 23
T6. #18 Virginia – 23
T8. #7 North Carolina – 22
T8. #6 Texas Tech – 22
T10. #16 Ole Miss – 20
T10. #3 Texas A&M – 20
T12. #21 Nebraska – 19
T12. #9 Oklahoma – 19
14. #25 BYU – 18
15. Oregon – 16
44 others
NCAA Champions
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put
First-Team All-Americans
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Shot Put, 1st Place
Arvesta Troupe – Men's High Jump, 3rd Place
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – Men's Weight Throw, 5th Place
Second-Team All-Americans
Akaoma Odeluga – Women's Shot Put, 9th Place
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
Men's High Jump – Final
3. Arvesta Troupe – 2.19m/7-02.25 – First-Team All-American
Women's Shot Put – Final
9. Akaoma Odeluga – 17.26m/56-07.50 – Second-Team All-American
Men's Shot Put – Final
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 20.49m/67-02.75 – Facility Record, First-Team All-American
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men's Weight Throw – Final
5. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 24.09m/79-00.75 – First-Team All-American
Players Mentioned
The Season: New Heights (2025)
Friday, August 01
From Walk-On to National Champ: Arvesta Troupe (T&F)
Monday, June 23
HIGHLIGHTS: Arvesta Troupe Makes History as NCAA High Jump Champ
Friday, June 13
PRESSER: Arvesta Troupe Talks Historic NCAA High Jump Win
Friday, June 13