Ole Miss will have a strong presence in this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a school record of seven Ole Miss track and field athletes will be competing in August. Current Ole Miss track and field Head Coach Ronnie Price-Smith will also be in Rio serving as the head coach for the USA women’s track and field team.
The only current Rebel athlete competing is sophomore Raven Saunders, who is just 20 years old and is the first athlete from Ole Miss to compete in the shot put. Saunders will represent the USA and recently won at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championships and set collegiate records in outdoor and indoor competitions. Saunders was the runner up at the Olympic Trials with a throw of 63 feet, 1.5 inches.
Brittney Reese lands during the women’s long jump final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Saturday, July 2, 2016, in Eugene Ore. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Former Rebel star and Olympic Gold Medalist Brittney Reese will be making another return to the games after placing fifth in 2008 and winning in 2012. Reese, a nine-time U.S. champion, will once again be representing the U.S. in the long jump. Reese set also set an Olympic Trials record by jumping 23 feet, 11.75 inches.
Sam Kendricks, who graduated from Ole Miss in 2014, will be the first Rebel to compete in the men’s pole vault after setting an Olympic Trials record with a vault of 19 feet, 4.75 inches. Kendricks was a two time NCAA champion at Ole Miss, a five-time U.S. champion, and will be representing the USA in the games.
Sam Kendricks competes during the mens pole vault event at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Monday, July 4, 2016, in Eugene Ore. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Also competing for the USA will be Kendricks’ former teammate Ricky Robertson. Robertson is the first Rebel athlete to compete in the Olympic high jump, and was a three-time NCAA runner up and seven-time All-American during his four years at Ole Miss.
Recent graduate Khadijah Suleman will be competing for Nigeria in the 4×100-meter relay. Suleman was a two time All-American with the Rebels, and ranks second among all-time Rebels in the indoor 200-meter race.
Antwon Hicks will also be competing in Rio, as he is slated to run in the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Hicks is the second Ole Miss athlete to make the Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles, and will also be representing Nigeria. During his Ole Miss career from 2002-05, Hicks was a six-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion.
Ole Miss Volunteer Assistant Coach Gwen Berry will also be competing in the women’s hammer throw after placing second in the Olympic Trials. Berry threw 239 feet, 9 inches in her trial and will be Ole Miss’ first representative in the hammer throw.
