Friday, April 12
Gainesville, Fla.
All Day
Ole Miss
at
Tom Jones Memorial
Track & Field Amid Stacked Field at Florida’s Tom Jones Memorial
4/11/2024 | Track and Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ole Miss track & field faces a key early season test at Florida's Tom Jones Memorial, which will feature most of the national top-25 in a high-powered clash this weekend. Competition will run April 12-13, and fans can watch the action live on SECN+.
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Results: PrimeTime Timing
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Day 1 Stream: 3:45 PM CT
Day 2 Stream: 12:15 PM CT
MEET NOTES
• The Rebel women enter ranked No. 7 and the men No. 16 in the latest USTFCCCA Rating Index released for Week Three. In total, 28 ranked schools will be in Gainesville this weekend -- 14 apiece across men's and women's competition.
• Ranked women's schools in attendance aside from the 7th-ranked Rebels are: No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 11 Georgia, No. 12 Florida, No. 13 TCU, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 16 UCF, No. 19 Baylor, No. 24 Penn and No. 25 Houston.
• Alongside the No. 16 Ole Miss men are: No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 South Florida, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 8 Mississippi State, No. 9 Auburn, No. 11 Georgia, No. 14 Virginia Tech, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 20 South Carolina and No. 24 Penn State.
• This will also serve as a scouting opportunity of Florida's Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium, which is also set to host the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships next month on May 9-11.
• Friday evening will feature the outdoor 200-meter debut for All-American senior and two-time NCAA runner-up McKenzie Long, who is scheduled to run in what shapes up to be a NCAA final-esque heat in the invitational section of the women's 200.
• Long enters the weekend already ranked second in the NCAA in the 100-meter dash from LSU's Battle on the Bayou two weeks ago at a slightly-windy 10.89 (+2.6). That time also still ranks second in the United States and fourth worldwide on the all-conditions list for 2024.
• Long has finished as the runner-up in both of her last two trips to NCAAs: a 21.88 (+2.5) at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin last summer that ranks third all-time on the all-conditions collegiate list, and a 22.51 from the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston last month.
• Long is also slated to run on Ole Miss' 4x100-meter relay squad this weekend. The Rebel quartet of Jahniya Bowers, Long, Gabrielle Matthews and Hannah Foxx enter the weekend ranks 14th nationally and fifth in the SEC at their season-opening 44.04 in Baton Rouge two weeks ago.
• Two-time NCAA Champion and All-American senior Jalani Davis has a busy weekend ahead as well, scheduled to take part in the invitational sections of both the women's shot put and hammer. Davis enters ranked third nationally in the shot put at her SEC-leading 18.54m/60-10, as well as fourth in the hammer at her 68.78m/225-08 from the Joe Walker Invite last week at home. Davis also ranks 15th nationally and fourth in the SEC in the discus at her school record 57.54m/188-09 from LSU two weeks ago, but Davis will take the week off in the event this weekend.
• Davis is the lone woman worldwide this outdoor season at 18 meters in the shot put and 68 meters in the hammer, let alone the only thrower worldwide this year with a 57-meter mark in the discus alongside those two. This past indoor season, Davis was the NCAA Champion in the weight throw, the third-place finisher in the shot put, and became the second woman in SEC history to sweep both events at the conference meet.
• Fellow All-American senior Jasmine Mitchell is also off to an excellent start to the 2024 outdoor season, leading the conference in the hammer and ranking within the national top-20 in both the hammer and shot put. Mitchell has either won or finished as the top collegian in each of her hammer competitions this outdoor season, with her latest season-best of 69.37m/227-07 ranking third in the NCAA and sixth among all throwers in the United States this year.
• Mitchell also ranks 19th nationally in the shot put at 16.92m/55-06.25. Mitchell is the lone thrower worldwide this season at 69 meters in the hammer and 16 meters in the shot put.
• Mitchell opened the season at 68.08m/223-04 from the Ole Miss Classic, making her only the second Rebel to ever open at 68 meters or better in the hammer alongside former teammate and 2021 NCAA hammer runner-up Shey Taiwo, who opened the 2022 season at 69.24m/227-02 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
• Freshman Akaoma Odeluga has quickly made her mark as one of the more exciting up-and-coming shot putters nationally, highlighted by a superb showing at home last week at the Joe Walker Invite. Odeluga was the runner-up to Davis at a two-foot PR of 17.37m/57-0 that stands as an Ole Miss freshman record outdoors and ranks fourth all-time in school history on the outdoor list.
• That throw also makes Odeluga the No. 7 U20 performer in the history of the United States, the best since Alyssa Wilson in 2017. This season, Odeluga ranks No. 1 worldwide among U20 athletes, as well as fourth in the SEC, fifth in the East Region and 12th in the NCAA overall. She leads all SEC freshmen, and ranks second among all freshmen nationally. Odeluga is one of nine freshmen since 2015 to break 57 feet in the shot put outdoors, one of two this season alongside Texas' Nina Ndubuisi.
• Other Rebel women currently ranked in the national top-50 are: Gabrielle Matthews in the 200-meter dash (20th, 23.15/+2.0); Mensi Stiff in the shot put (29th, 16.45m/53-11.75); Skylar Soli in the hammer (32nd, 61.61m/202-01); Jahniya Bowers in the 100-meter dash (33rd, 11.33/+2.6); Skylar Boogerd in the 10K (34th, 33:24.12); Sophie Baumann in the 5K (41st, 16:07.04); and Madison Hulsey in the 800-meter (49th, 2:05.99).
• The No. 16 Rebel men are heavily paced by NCAA Indoor Champion and sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who ranks within the top-10 nationally in both the shot put and hammer. Robinson-O'Hagan still leads the United States and ranks ninth worldwide this outdoor season at his NCAA-leading 20.69m/67-10.75 from the Ole Miss Classic on March 23. That mark shattered his own school record by two feet and it also broke the previous Ole Miss Track & Field Complex record of 20.28m/66-06.50. Meanwhile, his school record and winning hammer mark of 72.42m/237-07, also from the Ole Miss Classic, ranks sixth in the NCAA and sixth among Americans this outdoor season.
• Robinson-O'Hagan is the lone thrower worldwide this season at 72 meters in the hammer and 20 in the shot put. In the shot put, Robinson-O'Hagan has now thrown beyond 20 meters in the shot put 11 times in the last six weeks after doing so once as a freshman, including four times in his NCAA title winning series indoors capped by his victorious 21.05m/69-00.75.
• Ole Miss owns the top USTFCCCA #EventSquad ranking in the men's hammer thanks to Robinson-O'Hagan and two additional top-50 performances from Jake Dalton (27th, 66.31m/217-07) and Costen Campion (64.07m/210-02).
• The Rebel distance squad has shown incredible range from 800-meters all the way to 10K so far this outdoor season, as evidenced by a third-place 5K squad (average 13:46.88), fourth-place 1500-meter squad (average 3:43.79) and sixth-place 800-meter squad (average 1:49.02) in the latest USTFCCCA rankings.
• SEC indoor silver medalist and junior Toby Gillen leads the SEC and ranks 11th nationally in the 5K at his 13:39.66 from the Stanford Invitational two weeks ago, and he leads a crew of five Rebels all within the national top-50: Cruz Gomez (30th, 13:49.13), Elyas Ayyoub (32nd, 13:49.29), Cole Bullock (35th, 13:49.46) and Evan Thornton-Sherman (49th, 13:52.92).
• Gomez also leads the SEC at his 1500-meter debut of 3:41.29, which currently ranks 12th in the NCAA. Gabe Scales owns a highly rated 1500-meter time as well at 3:41.70, good for third in the SEC and 16th nationally. Both Gomez and Scales ran those times last week at home in the invitational section of the Joe Walker Invite.
• Other Rebel distance runners with top-50 times include Marcus Dropik (12th, 1:47.82) and Chase Rose (22nd, 1:48.19) in the 800-meter, and Dereck Elkins in the 10K (50th, 28:44.87).
• The Rebel jumpers have a pair of impressive performances thus far themselves, led by a national top-10 high jump mark from Arvesta Troupe. His season-opening 2.18m/7-01.75 still ranks fourth in both the SEC and the NCAA East Region, as well as eighth nationally.
• Other Rebels in the NCAA top-50 are: Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley in the triple jump (26th, 15.36m/50-04.75); Drew O'Connor in the pole vault (38th, 5.22m/17-01.50); and Ahmad Young Jr. in the 110-meter hurdles (40th, 13.83/+2.0).
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Results: PrimeTime Timing
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Day 1 Stream: 3:45 PM CT
Day 2 Stream: 12:15 PM CT
MEET NOTES
• The Rebel women enter ranked No. 7 and the men No. 16 in the latest USTFCCCA Rating Index released for Week Three. In total, 28 ranked schools will be in Gainesville this weekend -- 14 apiece across men's and women's competition.
• Ranked women's schools in attendance aside from the 7th-ranked Rebels are: No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 11 Georgia, No. 12 Florida, No. 13 TCU, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 16 UCF, No. 19 Baylor, No. 24 Penn and No. 25 Houston.
• Alongside the No. 16 Ole Miss men are: No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 South Florida, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 8 Mississippi State, No. 9 Auburn, No. 11 Georgia, No. 14 Virginia Tech, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 20 South Carolina and No. 24 Penn State.
• This will also serve as a scouting opportunity of Florida's Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium, which is also set to host the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships next month on May 9-11.
• Friday evening will feature the outdoor 200-meter debut for All-American senior and two-time NCAA runner-up McKenzie Long, who is scheduled to run in what shapes up to be a NCAA final-esque heat in the invitational section of the women's 200.
• Long enters the weekend already ranked second in the NCAA in the 100-meter dash from LSU's Battle on the Bayou two weeks ago at a slightly-windy 10.89 (+2.6). That time also still ranks second in the United States and fourth worldwide on the all-conditions list for 2024.
• Long has finished as the runner-up in both of her last two trips to NCAAs: a 21.88 (+2.5) at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin last summer that ranks third all-time on the all-conditions collegiate list, and a 22.51 from the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston last month.
• Long is also slated to run on Ole Miss' 4x100-meter relay squad this weekend. The Rebel quartet of Jahniya Bowers, Long, Gabrielle Matthews and Hannah Foxx enter the weekend ranks 14th nationally and fifth in the SEC at their season-opening 44.04 in Baton Rouge two weeks ago.
• Two-time NCAA Champion and All-American senior Jalani Davis has a busy weekend ahead as well, scheduled to take part in the invitational sections of both the women's shot put and hammer. Davis enters ranked third nationally in the shot put at her SEC-leading 18.54m/60-10, as well as fourth in the hammer at her 68.78m/225-08 from the Joe Walker Invite last week at home. Davis also ranks 15th nationally and fourth in the SEC in the discus at her school record 57.54m/188-09 from LSU two weeks ago, but Davis will take the week off in the event this weekend.
• Davis is the lone woman worldwide this outdoor season at 18 meters in the shot put and 68 meters in the hammer, let alone the only thrower worldwide this year with a 57-meter mark in the discus alongside those two. This past indoor season, Davis was the NCAA Champion in the weight throw, the third-place finisher in the shot put, and became the second woman in SEC history to sweep both events at the conference meet.
• Fellow All-American senior Jasmine Mitchell is also off to an excellent start to the 2024 outdoor season, leading the conference in the hammer and ranking within the national top-20 in both the hammer and shot put. Mitchell has either won or finished as the top collegian in each of her hammer competitions this outdoor season, with her latest season-best of 69.37m/227-07 ranking third in the NCAA and sixth among all throwers in the United States this year.
• Mitchell also ranks 19th nationally in the shot put at 16.92m/55-06.25. Mitchell is the lone thrower worldwide this season at 69 meters in the hammer and 16 meters in the shot put.
• Mitchell opened the season at 68.08m/223-04 from the Ole Miss Classic, making her only the second Rebel to ever open at 68 meters or better in the hammer alongside former teammate and 2021 NCAA hammer runner-up Shey Taiwo, who opened the 2022 season at 69.24m/227-02 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
• Freshman Akaoma Odeluga has quickly made her mark as one of the more exciting up-and-coming shot putters nationally, highlighted by a superb showing at home last week at the Joe Walker Invite. Odeluga was the runner-up to Davis at a two-foot PR of 17.37m/57-0 that stands as an Ole Miss freshman record outdoors and ranks fourth all-time in school history on the outdoor list.
• That throw also makes Odeluga the No. 7 U20 performer in the history of the United States, the best since Alyssa Wilson in 2017. This season, Odeluga ranks No. 1 worldwide among U20 athletes, as well as fourth in the SEC, fifth in the East Region and 12th in the NCAA overall. She leads all SEC freshmen, and ranks second among all freshmen nationally. Odeluga is one of nine freshmen since 2015 to break 57 feet in the shot put outdoors, one of two this season alongside Texas' Nina Ndubuisi.
• Other Rebel women currently ranked in the national top-50 are: Gabrielle Matthews in the 200-meter dash (20th, 23.15/+2.0); Mensi Stiff in the shot put (29th, 16.45m/53-11.75); Skylar Soli in the hammer (32nd, 61.61m/202-01); Jahniya Bowers in the 100-meter dash (33rd, 11.33/+2.6); Skylar Boogerd in the 10K (34th, 33:24.12); Sophie Baumann in the 5K (41st, 16:07.04); and Madison Hulsey in the 800-meter (49th, 2:05.99).
• The No. 16 Rebel men are heavily paced by NCAA Indoor Champion and sophomore Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who ranks within the top-10 nationally in both the shot put and hammer. Robinson-O'Hagan still leads the United States and ranks ninth worldwide this outdoor season at his NCAA-leading 20.69m/67-10.75 from the Ole Miss Classic on March 23. That mark shattered his own school record by two feet and it also broke the previous Ole Miss Track & Field Complex record of 20.28m/66-06.50. Meanwhile, his school record and winning hammer mark of 72.42m/237-07, also from the Ole Miss Classic, ranks sixth in the NCAA and sixth among Americans this outdoor season.
• Robinson-O'Hagan is the lone thrower worldwide this season at 72 meters in the hammer and 20 in the shot put. In the shot put, Robinson-O'Hagan has now thrown beyond 20 meters in the shot put 11 times in the last six weeks after doing so once as a freshman, including four times in his NCAA title winning series indoors capped by his victorious 21.05m/69-00.75.
• Ole Miss owns the top USTFCCCA #EventSquad ranking in the men's hammer thanks to Robinson-O'Hagan and two additional top-50 performances from Jake Dalton (27th, 66.31m/217-07) and Costen Campion (64.07m/210-02).
• The Rebel distance squad has shown incredible range from 800-meters all the way to 10K so far this outdoor season, as evidenced by a third-place 5K squad (average 13:46.88), fourth-place 1500-meter squad (average 3:43.79) and sixth-place 800-meter squad (average 1:49.02) in the latest USTFCCCA rankings.
• SEC indoor silver medalist and junior Toby Gillen leads the SEC and ranks 11th nationally in the 5K at his 13:39.66 from the Stanford Invitational two weeks ago, and he leads a crew of five Rebels all within the national top-50: Cruz Gomez (30th, 13:49.13), Elyas Ayyoub (32nd, 13:49.29), Cole Bullock (35th, 13:49.46) and Evan Thornton-Sherman (49th, 13:52.92).
• Gomez also leads the SEC at his 1500-meter debut of 3:41.29, which currently ranks 12th in the NCAA. Gabe Scales owns a highly rated 1500-meter time as well at 3:41.70, good for third in the SEC and 16th nationally. Both Gomez and Scales ran those times last week at home in the invitational section of the Joe Walker Invite.
• Other Rebel distance runners with top-50 times include Marcus Dropik (12th, 1:47.82) and Chase Rose (22nd, 1:48.19) in the 800-meter, and Dereck Elkins in the 10K (50th, 28:44.87).
• The Rebel jumpers have a pair of impressive performances thus far themselves, led by a national top-10 high jump mark from Arvesta Troupe. His season-opening 2.18m/7-01.75 still ranks fourth in both the SEC and the NCAA East Region, as well as eighth nationally.
• Other Rebels in the NCAA top-50 are: Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley in the triple jump (26th, 15.36m/50-04.75); Drew O'Connor in the pole vault (38th, 5.22m/17-01.50); and Ahmad Young Jr. in the 110-meter hurdles (40th, 13.83/+2.0).
| 2024 Tom Jones Memorial, Master Schedule (all times CT) | ||
| Day One | Friday, April 12 | ||
| Time | Event | Athlete(s) |
| 11:00 AM | Men's Hammer | Joseph Lanham (Flight 2) |
| 1:00 PM | Men's High Jump | Guy Bond |
| Men's Pole Vault | Miles Walden | |
| Women's Hammer | Akaoma Odeluga (Flight 1) Naomi Woolfolk (Flight 1) |
|
| 2:45 PM | Men's Javelin | Jake Railey (Flight 1) |
| 4:00 PM | Women's 200-Meter Dash (Invite) | McKenzie Long (Heat 1, Lane 6) |
| 4:15 PM | Women's Javelin | Abigail Green (Flight 2) |
| 4:30 PM | Men's Pole Vault (Invite) | Logan Kelley Drew O'Connor |
| 5:25 PM | Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (Invite) | Gabrielle Matthews (Heat 3, Lane 4) |
| 5:30 PM | Men's Shot Put (Invite) | Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan |
| Men's High Jump (Invite) | Arvesta Troupe | |
| 6:00 PM | Men's Long Jump | Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley (Flight 1) Guy Bond (Flight 1) |
| 6:30 PM | Women's Shot Put (Invite) | Jalani Davis Jasmine Mitchell Akaoma Odeluga Mensi Stiff |
| 6:40 PM | Women's 1500-Meter | Sophie Baumann (Heat 1) Madison Hulsey (Heat 2) Frances Luna (Heat 2) |
| 7:10 PM | Men's 1500-Meter | Connor Henson (Heat 1) Aidan Hodge (Heat 2) Landen McNair (Heat 2) Cole Piotrowski (Heat 3) |
| Day Two | Saturday, April 13 | ||
| Time | Event | Athlete(s) |
| 8:00 AM | Women's Discus | Akaoma Odeluga (Flight 1) Mensi Stiff (Flight 2) |
| 9:00 AM | Women's Pole Vault | Mary Cate Doughty |
| 10:00 AM | Men's Hammer (Invite) | Costen Campion Jake Dalton Mason Hickel Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan |
| 10:30 AM | Women's Triple Jump | Eni Akinniyi (Flight 1) Kayla Jemison (Flight 1) Kyla McLaurin (Flight 1) |
| Men's Triple Jump | Gavin Nembhard (Flight 1) Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley (Flight 2) |
|
| 11:15 AM | Women's Hammer (Invite) | Jalani Davis Jasmine Mitchell Skylar Soli |
| 11:30 AM | Men's 110-Meter Hurdles Prelim (Invite) | Ahmad Young Jr. (Heat 1, Lane 6) |
| 12:30 PM | Women's 4x100-Meter Relay | Heat 3, Lane 9 Jahniya Bowers McKenzie Long Gabrielle Matthews Akilah Lewis |
| 1:00 PM | Women's 800-Meter | Madison Hulsey (Heat 3) Jo-Lauren Keane (Heat 3) |
| 1:25 PM | Men's 800-Meter | Marcus Dropik (Heat 2) Chase Rose (Heat 3) Carson Turner (Heat 3) Cole Piotrowski (Heat 4) |
| 1:30 PM | Women's Pole Vault (Invite) | Samara McConnell |
| 2:00 PM | Men's Shot Put | Mason Hickel |
| 2:10 PM | Men's 110-Meter Hurdles Final (Invite) | -- |
| 3:30 PM | Women's 100-Meter Dash | Jahniya Bowers (Heat 2, Lane 2) Akilah Lewis (Heat 2, Lane 3) |