Ole Miss track and field put together a complete weekend in Nashville, closing out the Vanderbilt Invitational with multiple event wins, record-setting performances, and strong debuts across both squads.
The Rebels set the tone on Friday with one of the top moments of the meet. In the men’s 600 meters, redshirt junior Carson Turner broke the Ole Miss indoor school record with a winning time of 1:16.72. He was followed closely by Cade Flatt in 1:17.21 and Max Armstrong in 1:17.45, giving Ole Miss a clean sweep and three performances that all surpassed the previous program mark. The older record remains the standard-track record due to facility size, but the showing marked a major statement from the Rebel distance group.
Ole Miss controlled the throwing events throughout the weekend, starting with the men’s weight throw on day one. Senior Tarik Robinson O’Hagan claimed another decisive win, while Bryson Smith and Mason Hickel rounded out the top three. Robinson O’Hagan added to his weekend haul on Saturday by winning the shot put with a throw of 20.37 meters, continuing a dominant stretch that has made him one of the most consistent throwers in the country. Freshman Ashton Hearn finished second with a personal best that moved him up the Ole Miss indoor record list.
Saturday’s action shifted much of the spotlight to the sprints, where Ole Miss made its presence felt in both 60 meter dash competitions. Junior Royanah Farmer delivered an impressive debut weekend as a Rebel, posting personal bests of 7.40 and 7.35 in the prelims and semifinals. Both times ranked among the fastest in school history and were the quickest of the meet, even though she did not run the final. Freshman Myla Reed also advanced to the semifinals in her collegiate debut, setting a personal best of 7.66.
On the men’s side, junior college transfer Dekell Minor wasted little time making his mark. Minor ran 6.74 in the prelims and improved to 6.72 in the semifinals, placing him seventh in Ole Miss history after just two races in a Rebel uniform. Wesley Todd added a pair of personal bests of his own while advancing alongside Minor.
The Rebels also continued their success in relay competition. Ole Miss won the men’s 4×400 meter relay for the second straight meet, with Joshua Knox, Cade Flatt, Wesley Todd, and Carson Turner combining for a time of 3:10.53. The performance followed last week’s win at Kentucky and came just outside the program’s all-time top ten.
In the field events, sophomore Lily Beattie delivered one of the top performances of the weekend for the women. Beattie won the pole vault with an indoor personal best clearance of 4.15 meters, reinforcing her position among the top vaulters in program history. Fellow sophomore Katie McFarland finished second with a season-best mark. The women also found success in the triple jump, where freshmen and sophomores posted multiple personal bests and added depth to the Ole Miss all-time lists.
Multi-event competition rounded out the weekend for the Rebels. Freshman William Numnum finished fifth overall in the men’s heptathlon, scoring 4,483 points across two days. His total already ranks among the top marks in school history and highlighted a strong collegiate debut. Earlier in the weekend, the women’s pentathlon group delivered solid first outings as well, led by freshman Carmela Coulter’s top ten finish.
By the time the meet concluded, Ole Miss had claimed six total event wins across two days and posted numerous personal bests, school list performances, and promising debuts. The Rebels will take next week off before returning to action at the Bob Pollock Invitational in Clemson on Jan. 30 and 31, carrying momentum built from a productive weekend in Nashville.
