The Ole Miss Rebels competed at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Auburn, Ala., on May 14-16. Out of all 16 SEC teams, the Rebel men finished No. 9 with 47.75 points, and the women finished No. 13 with 26.75 points.
While a total of 18 Rebels contributed points, three athletes rose above the rest and earned a total of five medals for Ole Miss.
Akaoma Odeluga
Odeluga was the first medalist for the Rebels in the women’s hammer throw on Thursday.
In her series, Odeluga jumped into the No. 3 position with her first throw, but it was her last valid mark of 67.19 meters that solidified her No. 3 finish and placed her as the No. 5 Rebel all-time in the women’s hammer throw.
On day two of the championships, Odeluga returned for the shot put competition. After her initial attempt was declared a foul, she laid down a mark of 18.08 meters that snuck her into the lead. She later improved to 18.25 meters — a mark which no other competitors could top, and Odeluga earned her first SEC title to get her sixth career conference medal.
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan
In the men’s throwing events, Robinson-O’Hagan extended his undefeated season with a win in both the hammer throw and the shot put.
For Robinson-O’Hagan, his hammer throw win was a monumental achievement. With the victory, he became the first four-time hammer champion in SEC history.
However, it was not an easy win. After two fouls to start the competition, Robinson-O’Hagan risked elimination with a possible third consecutive foul. Despite the added pressure, he was able to get a mark on the board, and he told the SEC Network that he was only a little worried.
“Two in a row, that’s a little unusual for me,” Robinson-O’Hagan said. “I was a little scared but I got it done.”
In the shot put competition the next day, Robinson-O’Hagan was the clear favorite, and out of all 18 competitors, he boasted the only mark over 20 meters this season.
Robinson-O’Hagan moved into the lead early with a 20.56-meter throw that would have secured the victory. In his next few throws, he extended his lead with a 20.80-meter heave that crowned him the SEC champion by a total of over three feet.
Alicia Burnett
Burnett was the final Rebel to bring a medal back to Oxford, thanks to her No. 2 finish in the women’s 100-meter dash.
In her quest for her first outdoor conference medal, Burnett first had to navigate the qualifying round. The preliminaries proved to be no trouble for Burnett though, and she won her heat in 11.23 seconds to qualify for the final on Saturday.
When Burnett entered the final, she came in with the No. 7 fastest mark of the meet and had work to do. In the final, Burnett had a solid start, but was beat by a lean at the line and finished No. 2 in an excellent 11.01 seconds.
Other top Rebel finishers
Other notable results from the championships included the men’s 4×100-meter relay squad of Dekell Minor, Jordan Urrutia, Wesley Todd and Tarique Wright. The relay team’s time of 38.65 seconds significantly improved on their own record of 38.98 seconds from the Ole Miss Classic earlier this season.
Their mark earned them a No. 5 finish at the meet and new NCAA No. 7 mark. The four teams ahead of them posted the best four times in the NCAA this season.
Triple jumper Sterling Scott narrowly missed the podium with his No. 4 finish but ended with a new wind legal personal record of 16.36 meters.
Max Armstrong also nearly made the podium with his 1:46.06 finish in the men’s 800-meter run, and earned a No. 5 finish. Armstrong is now the No. 4 Rebel all-time in the event.
What’s next?
The Rebels will compete in the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Ky., on May 27-30.
At the regional, the top 12 individual athlete finishers in each event and the top 12 relay teams earn a spot at the national meet.
Heat sheets, live results and a daily live stream for the East Regional can be found via the NCAA meet page once the meet starts.
