The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field Wins Three Events, Breaks School Record at Day One of Vanderbilt Invitational
1/16/2026 | Track and Field
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss men's and women's track & field got off to an excellent start at the Vanderbilt Invitational, winning three events and breaking a school record in Day One action on Friday.
That school record came courtesy of a dynamic showing by the Rebel men's distance runners in the 600-meter.
Redshirt junior Carson Turner led a trio of Rebels that each would have broken All-American John Rivera Jr.'s 2022 record of 1:17.45, with Turner setting the new mark at his winning time of 1:16.72. Senior Cade Flatt – who last week ran an excellent third leg on Ole Miss' 4x400-meter relay – crossed second in 1:17.21, while sophomore Max Armstrong was third at 1:17.45.
However, Rivera's 2022 time still stands as the standard track size record, as it was run at UAB's 200-meter facility as opposed to Vanderbilt's oversized track.
It was business as usual for the Ole Miss men in the weight throw this morning, with senior Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan winning with ease at 22.88m/75-00.75. Fellow seniors Bryson Smith (21.84m/71-8) and Mason Hickel (21.26m/69-9) followed right behind in second and third, respectively. Robinson-O'Hagan has only lost to fellow collegians in the weight throw four times in his Ole Miss career, three of which have been in the NCAA finals.
In the invitational section of the women's weight throw, junior Akaoma Odeluga was the top collegian at 22.22m/72-10.75 – finishing behind a pair of former Ole Miss national champs in Jalani Davis (24.22m/79-05.50) and Janeah Stewart (22.33m/73-03.25). Also in the invite section were junior Skylar Soli (third, 20.40m/66-11.25), redshirt senior Nyah Edwards (fifth, 20.03m/65-08.75) and freshman Natalie Brown (ninth, 17.64m/57-10.50).
In the open section, sophomore Naomi Woolfolk won on a three-foot PR of 18.89m/61-11.75 (No. 13 Ole Miss history), while freshman Temidayo Owoyemi took fourth at a PR of 16.91m/55-05.75.
Ole Miss had additional success in invitational sections on Friday, as senior jumper Lizzie Hatton found a career-best performance on her sixth and final attempt. Hatton soared an indoor PR of 6.17m/20-3, which ranks her ninth in school history indoors while this season that currently ranks her 22nd nationally.
Friday also marked the first multis of the year for Ole Miss, which had representatives in both the women's pentathlon (which wrapped today) and the men's heptathlon (which resumes tomorrow morning).
In the pentathlon, freshman Carmela Coulter had an excellent debut to her college multi career, finishing ninth at 3,389 points to already rank her 14th in Ole Miss history. Coulter's best performance of the day came in the high jump, where she finished second at 1.64m/5-04.50 for 783 points, and then she closed the day with a strong sixth-place showing in the 800-meter at 2:30.10 (692 points). Sophomore Nyajah Gordon was 13th at a PR total of 3,006 points, which included PRs in the high jump (1.43m/4-08.25) and 800-meter (2:41.78).
In the heptathlon, sophomore Caughran Fowler currently sits in second place through four events after a superb first day of competition. Fowler set PRs in the long jump (6.30m/20-8), shot put (11.81m/38-9) and high jump (1.76m/5-09.25), and won the 60-meter dash at 7.01 to start the day with 879 points. Freshman William Numnum enters day two in eighth place at 2,416 points.
Competition starts again for Ole Miss on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. CT with the resumption of the men's heptathlon.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 200-Meter Dash
22. Myla Reed – 25.39 – Collegiate Debut
Men's 600-Meter
1. Carson Turner – 1:16.72 – School Record
2. Cade Flatt – 1:17.21 – No. 2 Ole Miss History
3. Max Armstrong – 1:17.45 – T-No. 3 Ole Miss History
Men's 1000-Meter
3. Chase Rose – 2:22.30
6. Gabe Scales – 2:23.17 – PR
7. Connor Henson – 2:24.13 – PR
Men's Pole Vault
5. Logan Kelley – 5.10m/16-08.75 – SB
Women's Long Jump – Invite
4. Lizzie Hatton – 6.17m/20-3 – Indoor PR, No. 9 Ole Miss History Indoors, 2026 NCAA No. 22, SEC No. 7
Women's Long Jump – Open
3. Indya Dotson – 5.84m/19-2 – SB
Women's Weight Throw – Invite
3. Akaoma Odeluga – 22.22m/72-10.75
4. Skylar Soli – 20.40m/66-11.25
5. Nyah Edwards – 20.03m/65-08.75
9. Natalie Brown – 17.64m/57-10.50
Women's Weight Throw – Open
1. Naomi Woolfolk – 18.89m/61-11.75 – 3-foot PR, No. 13 Ole Miss History
4. Temidayo Owoyemi – 16.91m/55-05.75 – PR
Men's Weight Throw
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 22.88m/75-00.75
2. Bryson Smith – 21.84m/71-8
3. Mason Hickel – 21.26m/69-9
Women's Pentathlon
Carmela Coulter – 3,389 Points, 9th Place – Collegiate Debut, No. 14 Ole Miss History
60-Meter Hurdles: 11th, 9.24 – 860 points
High Jump: 2nd, 1.64m/5-04.50 – 783 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 17th, 8.54m/28-00.25 – 434 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 11th, 5.22m/17-01.50 – 620 points – Collegiate Debut
800-Meter: 6th, 2:30.10 – 692 points – Collegiate Debut
Nyajah Gordon – 3,006 Points, 13th Place – PR
60-Meter Hurdles: 7th, 8.95 – 920 points – PR
High Jump: 19th, 1.43m/4-08.25 – 544 points – Overall PR
Shot Put: 19th, 7.75m/25-05.25 – 383 points – Season Debut
Long Jump: 13th, 5.17m/16-11.50 – 606 points
800-Meter: 14th, 2:41.78 – 553 points – Indoor PR
Men's Heptathlon (Through Four Events)
Caughran Fowler – 2,719 Points, 2nd Place
60-Meter Dash: 1st, 7.01 – 879 points – Season Debut
Long Jump: 6th, 6.30m/20-8 – 652 points – Overall PR
Shot Put: 3rd, 11.81m/38-9 – 595 points – Overall PR
High Jump: 7th, 1.76m/5-09.25 – 593 points – Overall PR
William Numnum – 2,416 Points, 8th Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Dash: 3rd, 7.24 – 799 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 8th, 6.03m/19-09.50 – 593 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 7th, 10.31m/33-10 – 504 points
High Jump: 9th, 1.67m/5-05.75 – 520 points – Collegiate Debut
That school record came courtesy of a dynamic showing by the Rebel men's distance runners in the 600-meter.
Redshirt junior Carson Turner led a trio of Rebels that each would have broken All-American John Rivera Jr.'s 2022 record of 1:17.45, with Turner setting the new mark at his winning time of 1:16.72. Senior Cade Flatt – who last week ran an excellent third leg on Ole Miss' 4x400-meter relay – crossed second in 1:17.21, while sophomore Max Armstrong was third at 1:17.45.
However, Rivera's 2022 time still stands as the standard track size record, as it was run at UAB's 200-meter facility as opposed to Vanderbilt's oversized track.
It was business as usual for the Ole Miss men in the weight throw this morning, with senior Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan winning with ease at 22.88m/75-00.75. Fellow seniors Bryson Smith (21.84m/71-8) and Mason Hickel (21.26m/69-9) followed right behind in second and third, respectively. Robinson-O'Hagan has only lost to fellow collegians in the weight throw four times in his Ole Miss career, three of which have been in the NCAA finals.
In the invitational section of the women's weight throw, junior Akaoma Odeluga was the top collegian at 22.22m/72-10.75 – finishing behind a pair of former Ole Miss national champs in Jalani Davis (24.22m/79-05.50) and Janeah Stewart (22.33m/73-03.25). Also in the invite section were junior Skylar Soli (third, 20.40m/66-11.25), redshirt senior Nyah Edwards (fifth, 20.03m/65-08.75) and freshman Natalie Brown (ninth, 17.64m/57-10.50).
In the open section, sophomore Naomi Woolfolk won on a three-foot PR of 18.89m/61-11.75 (No. 13 Ole Miss history), while freshman Temidayo Owoyemi took fourth at a PR of 16.91m/55-05.75.
Ole Miss had additional success in invitational sections on Friday, as senior jumper Lizzie Hatton found a career-best performance on her sixth and final attempt. Hatton soared an indoor PR of 6.17m/20-3, which ranks her ninth in school history indoors while this season that currently ranks her 22nd nationally.
Friday also marked the first multis of the year for Ole Miss, which had representatives in both the women's pentathlon (which wrapped today) and the men's heptathlon (which resumes tomorrow morning).
In the pentathlon, freshman Carmela Coulter had an excellent debut to her college multi career, finishing ninth at 3,389 points to already rank her 14th in Ole Miss history. Coulter's best performance of the day came in the high jump, where she finished second at 1.64m/5-04.50 for 783 points, and then she closed the day with a strong sixth-place showing in the 800-meter at 2:30.10 (692 points). Sophomore Nyajah Gordon was 13th at a PR total of 3,006 points, which included PRs in the high jump (1.43m/4-08.25) and 800-meter (2:41.78).
In the heptathlon, sophomore Caughran Fowler currently sits in second place through four events after a superb first day of competition. Fowler set PRs in the long jump (6.30m/20-8), shot put (11.81m/38-9) and high jump (1.76m/5-09.25), and won the 60-meter dash at 7.01 to start the day with 879 points. Freshman William Numnum enters day two in eighth place at 2,416 points.
Competition starts again for Ole Miss on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. CT with the resumption of the men's heptathlon.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Women's 200-Meter Dash
22. Myla Reed – 25.39 – Collegiate Debut
Men's 600-Meter
1. Carson Turner – 1:16.72 – School Record
2. Cade Flatt – 1:17.21 – No. 2 Ole Miss History
3. Max Armstrong – 1:17.45 – T-No. 3 Ole Miss History
Men's 1000-Meter
3. Chase Rose – 2:22.30
6. Gabe Scales – 2:23.17 – PR
7. Connor Henson – 2:24.13 – PR
Men's Pole Vault
5. Logan Kelley – 5.10m/16-08.75 – SB
Women's Long Jump – Invite
4. Lizzie Hatton – 6.17m/20-3 – Indoor PR, No. 9 Ole Miss History Indoors, 2026 NCAA No. 22, SEC No. 7
Women's Long Jump – Open
3. Indya Dotson – 5.84m/19-2 – SB
Women's Weight Throw – Invite
3. Akaoma Odeluga – 22.22m/72-10.75
4. Skylar Soli – 20.40m/66-11.25
5. Nyah Edwards – 20.03m/65-08.75
9. Natalie Brown – 17.64m/57-10.50
Women's Weight Throw – Open
1. Naomi Woolfolk – 18.89m/61-11.75 – 3-foot PR, No. 13 Ole Miss History
4. Temidayo Owoyemi – 16.91m/55-05.75 – PR
Men's Weight Throw
1. Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan – 22.88m/75-00.75
2. Bryson Smith – 21.84m/71-8
3. Mason Hickel – 21.26m/69-9
Women's Pentathlon
Carmela Coulter – 3,389 Points, 9th Place – Collegiate Debut, No. 14 Ole Miss History
60-Meter Hurdles: 11th, 9.24 – 860 points
High Jump: 2nd, 1.64m/5-04.50 – 783 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 17th, 8.54m/28-00.25 – 434 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 11th, 5.22m/17-01.50 – 620 points – Collegiate Debut
800-Meter: 6th, 2:30.10 – 692 points – Collegiate Debut
Nyajah Gordon – 3,006 Points, 13th Place – PR
60-Meter Hurdles: 7th, 8.95 – 920 points – PR
High Jump: 19th, 1.43m/4-08.25 – 544 points – Overall PR
Shot Put: 19th, 7.75m/25-05.25 – 383 points – Season Debut
Long Jump: 13th, 5.17m/16-11.50 – 606 points
800-Meter: 14th, 2:41.78 – 553 points – Indoor PR
Men's Heptathlon (Through Four Events)
Caughran Fowler – 2,719 Points, 2nd Place
60-Meter Dash: 1st, 7.01 – 879 points – Season Debut
Long Jump: 6th, 6.30m/20-8 – 652 points – Overall PR
Shot Put: 3rd, 11.81m/38-9 – 595 points – Overall PR
High Jump: 7th, 1.76m/5-09.25 – 593 points – Overall PR
William Numnum – 2,416 Points, 8th Place – Collegiate Debut
60-Meter Dash: 3rd, 7.24 – 799 points – Collegiate Debut
Long Jump: 8th, 6.03m/19-09.50 – 593 points – Collegiate Debut
Shot Put: 7th, 10.31m/33-10 – 504 points
High Jump: 9th, 1.67m/5-05.75 – 520 points – Collegiate Debut
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Throws
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Multi
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Jumps
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Throws
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Distance
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Multi
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Multi
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Jumps
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Distance
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Throws
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Pole Vault
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Multi
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Throws
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Sprints
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Distance
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Distance
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