Young Breaks Records At NCAA Prelims

Isiah Young / Photo Credit: Cheryl Treworgy

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Isiah Young is a fast man, and it seems like every time he runs he just gets faster.

Young demolished his own school record with a scintillating 9.99 in the 100 meters to highlight the Ole Miss performances on Thursday, the first day of the NCAA East Preliminary Round.

The recently voted Southeastern Conference Runner of the Year picked up where he left off at the league outdoor meet two weeks ago. His 9.99 is the fastest by a collegian this season, the fastest ever at the NCAA East prelims and just outside the top 10 in NCAA history. He moves up to a tie for fourth in the world this year, just behind well-known Americans Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers.

The senior from Junction City, Kan., had run sub-10.1 three times this year, but he took it to a whole new level on Thursday. The next closest prelim time was a 10.14 by Jackson State’s Anaso Jobodwana.

Young advances to Friday’s quarterfinals, which is scheduled to run at 5:45 p.m. CT. He is also slated to run in the 200 meter first round on Friday (7:25 p.m.) and the 4×100 meter quarterfinal on Saturday (5:15 p.m.).

The only Ole Miss athlete to advance to the June 5-8 NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.) on Thursday was sophomore Sam Kendricks in the pole vault. The top 12 in each event at the preliminary site advance to Eugene, and Kendricks was one of 12 vaulters to clear 17-2.75 on Thursday. He officially tied for fifth place based on misses.

A native of Oxford, Miss., Kendricks will be making his third straight appearance at an NCAA national meet. He earned All-America honors by placing 10th at last year’s outdoor meet and third at this year’s indoor championships.

Freshman Asia Cooper advanced to the quarterfinals of the 100 meters, a la her teammate Young. She finished third in her heat to automatically advance, clocking a personal-best time of 11.59 that moves her up to eighth-best all-time in Ole Miss history.

Cooper will take part in Friday’s quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m., with a chance to advance to Eugene.

Other Rebels slated to compete on Saturday include Benjamin Lapane in the men’s javelin (11:00 a.m.), Onyi Afoaku in the men’s shot put (4:00), Taryn Hartfield in the women’s 100-meter hurdles (4:00), Robert Semien in the men’s 110-meter hurdles (4:30) and Haley Cutright in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (7:50). –– From Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations

AGATE

MEN

100 Meters – First Round

1. Isiah Young – 9.99Q (SR)

Pole Vault – First Round

T5. Sam Kendricks – 17-2.75q

Long Jump – First Round

29. Malcolm Davis – 23-3.5

Discus – First Round

38. Onyi Afoaku – 156-11

45. Hunter Harrison – 153-4

WOMEN

100 Meters – First Round

17. Asia Cooper – 11.59Q

10,000 Meters – Semifinals

36. Kayleigh Skinner – 36:07.71

400-Meter Hurdles – First Round

39. Sofia Hellberg-Jonsen – 1:00.58

Long Jump – First Round

20. Shari Russell – 19-8.75

31. Allegra Wells – 19-1.25