Ole Miss was heavily represented in the 2016 Rio Olympics with eight athletes competing in events and one coach at the games. Here are the current and former Rebels who competed in the games.
Oxford native and Ole Miss alum Sam Kendricks represented the Rebels and the U.S. in the men’s pole-vaulting competition. Kendricks won the bronze medal after clearing 5.85 meters, which was the first time the U.S. had medaled in that event since 2004. It was Kendricks’ first time to compete in the Olympics. While at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2014, Kendricks won back-to-back outdoor NCAA titles and his first USA title.
After finishing his senior season at Ole Miss, Anthony Perez went on to compete in men’s basketball for his home country of Venezuela in the Olympics. Venezuela was competing in the event for the first time in 24 years, and although they didn’t medal, Perez played quality minutes against the U.S., the eventual gold-medal winners, and Australia, the fourth place finishers.
Current Ole Miss junior Raven Saunders also competed in her first Olympics, placing fifth in the women’s shot put. Saunders was the youngest competitor in the event, and bettered her collegiate record she had set during her sophomore year. Saunders was coming off of a win for the Rebels in the NCAA Outdoor and Indoor National Championships last year.
Brittney Reese turned pro after her junior year in Oxford and has been one of the world’s best long jumpers since. She won gold in London in 2012 and took home silver in Rio after a jump of 7.17 meters in the final. It was the fourth all-time medal among Ole Miss track and field alumni and the Gulfport native is the first to ever win two medals.
Antwon Hicks, a Hot Springs, Arkansas native, placed 23rd overall in the men’s 110-meter hurdles for his home country of Nigeria. Hicks had a decorated career while in Oxford highlighted by his 2004 60-meter hurdles individual national championship.
Ricky Robertson placed 17th in the men’s high jump for the U.S. He competed for Ole Miss from 2010-13 where he was a first team all-SEC high jumper and was crowned SEC champion in the indoor high jump in four straight years. Robertson is from Hernando.
Rafaelle Souza competed for the host country Brazil on the soccer team that fell to Sweden in penalty kicks in the semifinals. She played at Ole Miss from 2011-13 where she was named a first-team All American as a senior as well as SEC scholar athlete of the year. She led the SEC in points her last two years, and led the team in goals, assists and points as a freshman.
Gwen Berry placed 14th for the U.S. in the women’s hammer throw. She is a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s track team. Berry was a three time All-American at southern Illinois where she competed for current Ole Miss head coach and women’s team USA track coach Connie Price-Smith.
Connie Price-Smith was named head coach of the Rebels in July 2015. She was the head coach of the United States women’s track team in Rio. The team won 16 medals with Smith at the helm including six gold, five silver and five bronze. She also competed in four Olympics for team USA and was an assistant track coach for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams.
