In just his third season as the head coach of the Ole Miss track and cross country programs, Brian O’Neal is guiding the Rebels into a new chapter of excellence. A total of 17 male and female athletes will make the journey to Eugene, Oregon for the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 11 different events.
A sum of 14 male and female qualifying entries is a new school record. Not only does this break the previous achievement of 13 championship qualifying entries by the 2011 team, but the nine men’s entries are the second-most in school history.
A weekend of stellar performances at the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Florida not only decided who would have the opportunity to compete at the final level, but demonstrated to Coach O’Neal and Rebel fans just how determined and focused these athletes are as they head into the most important part of their season.
“I’m tremendously proud of our athletes for their competitive spirit and poise displayed this weekend,” O’Neal said. “We approached this weekend with the thought process of performing at a high level and to advance to the final rounds of the NCAA Championships. The energy with which we competed allowed us to overcome some adverse situations. This team is resilient and fun to coach. They understand the nature of single-elimination rounds and embrace that we have to be at our absolute best during each round or the season is over.”
“Now we’ll get a chance to go home and rest as we prepare for the next round,” O’Neal said. “We look forward to our next challenge in Eugene.”
On Saturday, the Rebels did not disappoint. Six men and four women runners became qualifiers.
Sophomore, Texas natives Robert Domanic and Trevor Gilley qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1,500 meters for the first time best online casino in school history. This will be both runners’ first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The only senior on the men’s team to qualify was another Texas native, Robert Semien. Semien advanced in the 110-meter hurdles for his second year in a row. Only .05 seconds off of his recently set personal record, his time of 13.78 was the seventh-best time at the quarterfinals.
Freshman Shannon Ray was the first woman to qualify in the 200 meters since 2002. She did so with her personal best time of 23.15, which moved her up to No. 3 in school history.
Four other men and three other women runners qualified prior to Saturday’s competition.
Not only does the future look bright for this Rebel track team in this season’s championship, but in the seasons the come. With only two seniors on the team, the underclassmen will only gain more experience and confidence in their upcoming seasons under Coach O’Neal’s leadership.
The national meet will take place June 10-13 at historic Hayward Field in what has become known as Track Town USA.
