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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field’s Akaoma Odeluga Named SEC Outdoor Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year
5/12/2026 | Track and Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ole Miss women's track & field All-American junior Akaoma Odeluga has been named the SEC Outdoor Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Monday.
Odeluga is only the third woman in combined Ole Miss track & field and cross country history to win the award, joining teammate Loral Winn's honor during the 2023 cross country season, as well as Olympian McKenzie Long's win indoors in 2024. Across both men's and women's programs, Odeluga is now the seventh Rebel all-time to win the honor, with men's wins coming from Lee Ellis Moore (2011 men's indoor), Craig Engels (2017 men's outdoor), Mario Garcia Romo (2022 men's indoor) and Aiden Britt (2022 men's cross country).
Odeluga is in the midst of a career season, currently leading the SEC and ranking second in the NCAA at a one-foot career-best blast of 19.23m/63-01.25 last month at the Virginia Challenge. That throw ranks Odeluga seventh-best in outdoor collegiate history, ninth in absolute collegiate history (indoor/outdoor) and No. 19 in U.S. history. On the 2026 world list, it ranks fourth outdoors and eighth overall, as well as second on the U.S. absolute list.
Odeluga also ranks fourth in the SEC and 18th nationally in the hammer at her season-best 64.92m/213-0. Odeluga is one of only two women in collegiate history at 63 feet in the shot and 210 in the hammer.
In the classroom, Odeluga owns a 3.94 GPA in political science and has been a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree in addition to making the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team.
Ole Miss track & field begins its outdoor postseason this week at Auburn, which will host the 2026 SEC Outdoor Championships on May 14-16.
Odeluga is only the third woman in combined Ole Miss track & field and cross country history to win the award, joining teammate Loral Winn's honor during the 2023 cross country season, as well as Olympian McKenzie Long's win indoors in 2024. Across both men's and women's programs, Odeluga is now the seventh Rebel all-time to win the honor, with men's wins coming from Lee Ellis Moore (2011 men's indoor), Craig Engels (2017 men's outdoor), Mario Garcia Romo (2022 men's indoor) and Aiden Britt (2022 men's cross country).
Odeluga is in the midst of a career season, currently leading the SEC and ranking second in the NCAA at a one-foot career-best blast of 19.23m/63-01.25 last month at the Virginia Challenge. That throw ranks Odeluga seventh-best in outdoor collegiate history, ninth in absolute collegiate history (indoor/outdoor) and No. 19 in U.S. history. On the 2026 world list, it ranks fourth outdoors and eighth overall, as well as second on the U.S. absolute list.
Odeluga also ranks fourth in the SEC and 18th nationally in the hammer at her season-best 64.92m/213-0. Odeluga is one of only two women in collegiate history at 63 feet in the shot and 210 in the hammer.
In the classroom, Odeluga owns a 3.94 GPA in political science and has been a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree in addition to making the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team.
Ole Miss track & field begins its outdoor postseason this week at Auburn, which will host the 2026 SEC Outdoor Championships on May 14-16.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Throws
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Distance
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