Rebel Track And Field Earns National Ranking
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Following an eighth place finish over the weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships, the Ole Miss men’s indoor track and field team enters this week ranked 23rd in the nation in the new U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.
The Rebels scored in eight different events at the championships and finished with a total of 37 points to mark the highest scoring output since the 1994 team tallied 44 points.
Freshman jumper Ricky Robertson tied the school record and was crowned the SEC Champion in the high jump after posting an NCAA automatic height of 7-04.25. Sophomore Brian Knight finished in second place in the high jump and picked up seven points with an NCAA provisional height of 7-03.25. Both Knight and Robertson rank third in the nation in the high jump.
Caleb Lee collected four points in the long jump by taking fifth place with an NCAA provisional distance of 25-00.75, ranking him 23rd in the country.
Freshman sprinter Mike Granger finished in fourth place in the 60 meters and collected five points with an NCAA provisional time of 6.69. His time of 6.66 in the prelimanaries was the third-fastest time in school history. His prelim time leaves him ranked 10th in the NCAA in the event.
Jonathan Juin turned in an eighth place finish in the 200 meters and tallied one point for the Rebels with a time of 21.40. His mark of 21.14 in the prelimanaries was the third-fastest time in school history.
Distance runner Barnabas Kirui earned one point in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:17.43 en route to an eighth place finish. He went on to post a fourth place finish in the 5000 meters with an NCAA provisional time of 13:58.68 on his way to picking up five points for the Rebels. The Kaplong, Kenya, native is currently ranked 24th in the nation in the 5000 meters.
The men’s 4×400 meter relay team of Carson Blanks, Knight, Matt Daniels and Lee Ellis Moore finished in sixth place with an NCAA provisional time of 3:10.34 on its way to collecting three points.
The Ole Miss distance medley team of Martin Kirui, Ty Gillespie, Riley Young and Chad Berry turned in an eighth place finish and tallied one point with a time of 10:15.57.
Ole Miss returns to action March 5-6 when the Rebels take part in an NCAA last chance meet.
