The Ole Miss track and field program is preparing to host its second outdoor track meet of the season with the Joe Walker Invite this weekend. Before this season, the Rebels has not hosted a meet at home in two years. This will also be their third meet of the outdoor season.
Track and field last saw action at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford over the weekend of March 26. The Rebels are hoping to build more momentum after an outstanding showing in that meet, where they gathered a total of 15 event wins and had three multiple event winners.
Results from the Ole Miss Classic include impressive first-place performances from sophomore Brandee Presley in the women’s 100 and 200-meter dashes, senior Kieshonna Brooks in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and long jump and junior Cade Bethmann in the men’s 800-meter race.
Presley improved her time in the 100-meter dash for the second consecutive week by running 11.38 (+0.1). The sophomore’s time currently ranks No. 3 nationally in outdoor competition. The All-American followed that sensational performance with another win in the 200-meter with a time of 23.80 (-0.3), and she ranks at No. 9 in the NCAA.
Brooks, who has seen limited competition in the last year, ran away with two wins in the hurdles and long jump. Brooks jumped a season-best at 6.14m/20-01.75, which landed her in the NCAA rankings at No. 13. In the 100-meter hurdles, Brooks ran a wind-legal 13.70 (+0.7) and outran second place by more than half a second.
On the men’s side, Bethmann cruised to victory in the 800-meter race posting an impressive early season time of 1:48.93. Bethmann currently ranks No. 4 in the NCAA with this time.
Freshman Marcus Dropik and sophomore Jacob Lough also raced their way to fourth place and fifth place respectively. Their times of 1:51.17 (Dropik) and 1:51.32 (Lough) place them in the top-25 of all NCAA 800 runners.
Other impressive performances included first-place junior Orianna Shaw (54.72) in the women’s 400-meter dash, another women’s first-place finisher Cate Tracht (4:29.78) in the 1500-meter race, and men’s 400-meter dash winner James Burnett with a time of 47.03.
The Rebels will host the Joe Walker Invite on Friday, April 9, with all-day events continuing through Saturday, April 10. Field events will begin at 12 p.m. on Friday while running events will start at 6:30 p.m. the same day.
