Ole Miss women’s track & field caught an important day of competition from two highly decorated seniors, as Shey Taiwo scored for the Rebels in the hammer while McKenzie Long advanced in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes on Day Two of the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday.
Taiwo, one of the most successful throwers in Ole Miss and NCAA history, added three more national points to her storied career, finishing sixth in the hammer for First-Team All-America honors. Taiwo was nearing the bubble for the cutoff, but on her third attempt solidified her spot in the final with a toss of 66.99m/219-09 – which stood as her best of the day.
Thursday’s hammer competition marked the end to a sparkling career for Taiwo, who leaves as the No. 2 collegiate and No. 3 world weight thrower of all-time at her 2022 NCAA title-winning heave of 25.55m/83-10, in addition to her No. 2 school mark in the hammer of 71.27m/233-10 that earned her NCAA runner-up honors in 2021. All told, Taiwo leaves Ole Miss with six All-America awards, an NCAA title (weight throw, indoor 2022), an NCAA runner-up (hammer, outdoor 2021), 27 career NCAA points scored, four SEC medals and 47 career SEC points scored.
“I am proud of myself,” Taiwo told reporters after competition. “The last two years have been the hardest of my life with injuries, multiple surgeries and dealing with grieving. It’s been a real mental and physical battle, but I am happy I got to the end and scored some points for my team, and I did the best I could do.”
Ole Miss wrapped up the night with two crucial qualifying performances from All-American senior McKenzie Long, who has set the stage for an exciting Saturday night after advancing in the 100 and 200-meter dashes on Thursday.
Long’s first ticket of the night came in the 100, but not without some heartburn first. She finished third in the second heat – just outside of the automatic bid – at 11.13 (+0.1), meaning she had to wait and see if she had made it in on time. When the third heat had finished, her 11.13 had stood up to scrutiny, making Long just the second Rebel woman to ever make the NCAA final in the 100-meter dash alongside Teneeshia Jones, who finished fifth in 2001.
Less than an hour later, Long was back on the track in a stacked second heat of the 200-meter dash semifinal. Long didn’t leave anything to chance this time, however, going toe-to-toe with current world leader Julien Alfred of Texas to earn an automatic bid to Saturday’s final. Long was second in the heat at 22.38 (+0.9) to Alfred’s 22.33 (+0.9), with a rematch for the NCAA title now set for Saturday night.
Long is now the first Rebel woman to ever make the 200-meter dash final, thus also making her the first to ever make both the 100 and 200 finals in the same NCAA meet.
Earlier in the evening, Long scratched out as the leadoff leg of the Ole Miss women’s 4×100-meter relay, but that didn’t slow down the quartet of Olivia Womack, Gabrielle Matthews, Jayda Eckford and Ariyonna Augustine from running the third-fastest time in school history. The Rebel foursome passed the stick in 43.49 to finish 13th for Second-Team All-America honors, which now gives this year’s Ole Miss team three of the top-four times in school history – highlighted by a school record 43.43 at the SEC Championships.
Other Rebel women competing at the national meet on Thursday were seniors Jasmine Mitchell in the shot put final (21st, 16.43m/53-11) and Kristel van den Berg in the 3000-meter steeplechase semifinal (24th, 10:31.22), with both earning Honorable Mention All-America distinction for their performances.
Ole Miss has three races left to run in Austin for the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships. First up, All-American senior Tiarnan Crorken takes to the track Friday night in the men’s 800-meter final at 9:14 p.m. CT on ESPN2. And then on Saturday night, McKenzie Long will represent the Rebels in the women’s 100-meter dash (8:52 p.m. CT) and 200-meter dash (9:37 p.m. CT) finals – both on ESPN2.
Day Two Finals Qualifiers
McKenzie Long – Women’s 100-Meter Dash
McKenzie Long – Women’s 200-Meter Dash
Day Two First-Team All-Americans
Shey Taiwo – Women’s Hammer, 6th Place
Day Two Second-Team All-Americans
Ariyonna Augustine – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 13th Place
Jayda Eckford – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 13th Place
Gabrielle Matthews – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 13th Place
Olivia Womack – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 13th Place
Day Two Honorable Mention All-Americans
Jasmine Mitchell – Women’s Shot Put, 21st Place
Kristel van den Berg – Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase, 24th Place
REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION
Women’s 100-Meter Dash – Semifinal
8. McKenzie Long – 11.13q (+0.1)
Women’s 200-Meter Dash – Semifinal
4. McKenzie Long – 22.38Q (+0.9)
Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase – Semifinal
24. Kristel van den Berg – 10:31.22 – Honorable Mention All-American
Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay – Semifinal
13. Womack, Matthews, Eckford, Augustine – 43.49 – Second-Team All-Americans – No. 3 Ole Miss History
Women’s Shot Put – Final
21. Jasmine Mitchell – 16.43m/53-11 – Honorable Mention All-American
Women’s Hammer – Final
6. Shey Taiwo – 66.99m/219-09 – First-Team All-American
—–
Day One Finals Qualifiers
Tiarnan Crorken – Men’s 800-Meter
Day One First-Team All-Americans
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – Men’s Hammer, 8th Place
Day One Second-Team All-Americans
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – Men’s Shot Put, 11th Place
Day One Honorable Mention All-Americans
Ahmad Young Jr. – Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles, 19th Place
Baylor Franklin – Men’s 800-Meter, 22nd Place
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men’s 800-Meter – Semifinal
5. Tiarnan Crorken – 1:47.93q
22. Baylor Franklin – 2:06.61 – Honorable Mention All-American
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles – Semifinal
19. Ahmad Young Jr. – 13.88 (+1.1) – Honorable Mention All-American
Men’s Shot Put – Final
11. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 19.73m/64-08.75 – Second-Team All-American
Men’s Hammer – Final
8. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 71.38m/234-02 – First-Team All-American – School Record
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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