Ole Miss to host SEC cross country championships
Credit: Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss will be the site of its second conference championship event in less than six months this Friday when Oxford will play host to the 2022 SEC Cross Country Championships. Action begins at 10 a.m. CT at The Ole Miss Golf Course, and the meet will also be broadcast live on SEC Network.
This marks the fourth time in program history that Ole Miss has hosted the SEC Cross Country Championships, joining other hosting years in 1985, 1996 and 2009. After hosting the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships back in May, Ole Miss is now the first SEC school to host both within the same calendar year since 1994 and the ninth overall alongside Arkansas (1994), Tennessee (1986), Kentucky (1983), Georgia (1982), Florida (1981), Auburn (1980), Alabama (1979) and LSU (1975).
Competition will begin with the women’s 6K championship race at 10:08 a.m. CT, with the top-three from the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll all at least receiving votes in the latest USTFCCCA rankings: No. 7 Alabama, No. 21 Arkansas and Ole Miss. The Kentucky women, who were picked to finish fifth behind Florida, are also receiving votes in the latest national poll.
The men’s 8K championship race will follow at 10:50 a.m. CT, with two nationally ranked squads of its own. No. 17 Tennessee – picked to finish third in the preseason poll – holds the top national ranking at the moment ahead of preseason favorite No. 22 Alabama and two-time defending champion Arkansas, which is receiving votes in the latest national poll. The Rebel men were picked to finish not far behind in fourth place.
The Ole Miss women are coming off a strong team performance at Virginia’s Panorama Farms XC23 Invite on Oct. 15, where the Rebels took second in the team standings behind a team scoring spread of 47 seconds. Senior returning All-SEC runner Ryann Helmers has led the Rebels through all three of her races this season, averaging a finishing place of 11.3 after winning the SEC Preview on Sept. 16, finishing 25th at the high-powered Cowboy Jamboree on Sept. 24 and taking eighth at Virginia two weeks ago. Helmers’ season-best 6K time of 20:29.20 from the SEC Preview currently ranks third in the SEC in 2022.
Junior Loral Winn gives Ole Miss a solid one-two punch, ranking right behind Helmers in the conference standings at her SEC Preview runner-up time of 20:29.30, a 17-second PR. Other Rebel women currently within the SEC top-20 through 6K include: senior Jocelyn Long (10th, 20:44.80), sophomore Hannah Ielfield (13th, 20:51.70), freshman Sophie Baumann (14th, 20:54.00) and freshman Sarah Schiffmann (18th, 21:06.70). Skylar Boogerd, Madison Hulsey and Laura Taborda have yet to run a 6K time in 2022 but are all set to run for the Rebel women alongside teammates Jenna Kirby, Frances Luna and Kristel van den Berg.
The Ole Miss men will be led by senior transfer Anthony Camerieri, who has been the top runner for the Rebels in all three of his races this season. Camerieri currently holds the SEC’s top 8K time at 23:19.50, a career-best for the Miami (Ohio) transfer that he ran two weeks ago at Virginia to finish fifth overall. On this course back in September, Camerieri came away as the individual victor at a time of 24:02.4.
Fellow senior Chris Maxon has also had an excellent first campaign with the Rebels, currently ranking third in the conference at his career-best 8K time of 23:46.30 run at Virginia as well. Returning All-American and All-SEC senior Cole Bullock ranks in the top-10 in sixth at 23:54.80, while three other Rebels hold top-20 times: senior Shane Bracken (17th, 24:24.80), sophomore Aiden Britt (19th, 24:31.40) and senior Dereck Elkins (20th, 24:34.60).
Other Rebel men toeing the line on Friday include senior Dalton Hengst, sophomore Chase Rose, senior Ben Savino and freshman Gabe Scales.
For more information on how to attend or watch the 2022 SEC Cross Country Championships, please visit our championship central site HERE.
Ole Miss Women’s Conference Roster • 6K: 10:08 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (6K)
Sophie Baumann • 20:54.00 (14th SEC)
Skylar Boogerd • No time
Ryann Helmers • 20:29.20 (3rd SEC)
Madison Hulsey • No time
Hannah Ielfield • 20:51.70 (13th SEC)
Jenna Kirby • 23:32.50
Jocelyn Long • 20:44.80 (10th SEC)
Frances Luna • 21:50.30
Sarah Schiffmann • 21:06.70 (18th SEC)
Laura Taborda • No time
Kristel van den Berg • 21:18.20
Loral Winn • 20:29.30 (4th SEC)
Ole Miss Men’s Conference Roster • 8K: 10:50 a.m. CT
Name • Season Best (8K)
Shane Bracken • 24:24.80 (17th SEC)
Aiden Britt • 24:31.40 (19th SEC)
Cole Bullock • 23:54.80 (6th SEC)
Anthony Camerieri • 23:19.50 (1st SEC)
Dereck Elkins • 24:34.60 (20th SEC)
Dalton Hengst • 25:29.10
Chris Maxon • 23:46.30 (3rd SEC)
Chase Rose • 24:41.10
Ben Savino • No time
Gabe Scales • 25:14.40
SEC Women’s Preseason Poll
1. #7 Alabama (8) – 20
2. #21 Arkansas (6) – 21
3. (RV) Ole Miss – 39
4. Florida – 53
5. (RV) Kentucky – 55
T6. Tennessee – 90
T6. Texas A&M – 90
8. Missouri – 104
9. LSU – 107
10. Vanderbilt – 109
11. Auburn – 118
12. Georgia – 152
13. South Carolina – 155
14. Mississippi State – 161
SEC Men’s Preseason Poll
1. #22 Alabama (6) – 17
2. (RV) Arkansas (5) – 22
3. #17 Tennessee (1) – 30
4. Ole Miss – 38
5. Kentucky – 55
6. Missouri – 57
7. Florida – 72
8. Texas A&M – 81
9. Georgia – 92
10. Auburn – 100
T11. LSU – 114
T11. Vanderbilt – 114
