HottyToddy.com’s Daily Ole Miss Sports Roundup

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Today’s roundup features Ole Miss Sports.

School-Record 33 Ole Miss Entries Accepted to NCAA East Prelims

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics
@olemisspix

Ole Miss Track & Field will boast a strong presence in the preliminary round of the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, as the NCAA accepted an unprecedented 33 entries between the Rebel men’s and women’s teams.

The NCAA East Preliminary Round will be held next weekend, May 26-28, at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

There will be 32 Rebel athletes – 17 men and 15 women – competing in 18 different events at the prelims, including 2016 SEC champions Craig Engels (men’s 1500m), Branden Greene (men’s high jump) and Raven Saunders (women’s shot put).

Under the direction of first-year head coach Connie Price-Smith, Ole Miss boasts its most entries (33) and athletes (32) to be accepted to the East Preliminary since the NCAA adopted its current preliminary round format in 2010. This follows a standout showing at the SEC Outdoor Championships that saw the Rebel men capture their second-best finish in school history (5th) and Saunders win the SEC Commissioner’s Trophy as the top female points scorer at the meet.

“We are excited about the group of athletes that have qualified for the NCAA preliminary round,” said Price-Smith, who will also coach the U.S. women’s track & field team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “They are healthy and looking forward to the competition. We have 32 athletes that will travel to Jacksonville, and I am looking forward to watching them compete and advance on to the final round of the NCAA competition.”

The NCAA Selection Committee accepted the top 48 performers in each individual event (after coaches’ and medical scratches) and the top 24 relay teams in both relays to compete at each site hosting the NCAA Preliminary Rounds for a total of 96 individuals and 48 relays competing in each event nationwide. The West Preliminary Round is being held in Lawrence, Kansas.

The top 12 finishers in each event at the regional will qualify for the national semifinal and final rounds of the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held June 8-11 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Last year, Ole Miss produced school records with 14 qualifiers and 17 athletes making it to Eugene, which led to a school-record nine outdoor All-Americans.

Returning to the NCAA Preliminary Round on the men’s side are Kevin Conway, Robert Domanic, Craig Engels, MJ Erb, Wesley Gallagher, Trevor Gilley, Branden Greene, Nathan Loe, Ryan Manahan, Dempsey McGuigan, Dameon Morgan, Holland Sherrer, Sean Tobin and Ryan Walling. Women who have competed at the prelims before are Kiannah Alexander, Nicole Henderson, Lindsey Murray, Shannon Ray, Raven Saunders, Khadijah Suleman, Breanna Tate and Deanna Tate.

First-time NCAA Preliminary qualifiers include Barclay Angle, Derek Gutierrez, Mark Robertson, Emily Bean, Jolie Carbo, McKenna Coughlin, Katy McAuley, Aisha Newsome, Bo Ummels and Britt Ummels.

Current Rebels who have previously made appearances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships include Robert Domanic, Craig Engels, Wesley Gallagher, Trevor Gilley, Branden Greene and Holland Sherrer on the men’s side, and Nicole Henderson, Shannon Ray, Raven Saunders and Khadijah Suleman for the women.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Information

Ole Miss’ Kory Henkes to Coach USA World Junior Golf Team in Japan

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss head women’s golf coach Kory Henkes has been chosen to lead the girls team at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Toyota City (Nagoya), Japan from June 14-17. Henkes, who just completed her first year at Ole Miss, will be representing her country in a coaching capacity for the first time.

“I am extremely excited and honored to have been selected as the coach for the US Junior World Cup team,” Henkes said.  “The opportunity to represent my country, while coaching the sport I love, is truly a blessing.  Our team is comprised of a group of very talented players and I am looking forward to working with them throughout the championship.  We will be sure to enjoy every aspect of this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Under the direction of Henkes the Ole Miss women’s golf team thrived in 2015-16. The Rebels set 10 team and/or individual records and earned six top-10 finishes including a seventh-place finish at the SEC Championships – the third-highest finish in program history. Additionally, under Henkes’ tutelage senior Alison Hovtter tied for ninth in the individual standings at the SEC Championships – the highest individual finish for an Ole Miss golfer since 2010. Off the course, senior Abby Newtonwas named co-SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and was named to the 2015-16 class of Who’s Who of American Colleges and Universities.

Henkes spent time on the LPGA Tour serving as a caddy to Kristy McPherson, who finished in the top 50 on the money list in 2008 and also caddied for her older brother Kyle, who earned his PGA Tour card for 2012 by finishing 15th on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2011.

The USA squad will consist of three players 18 and under before June 2016 and not in college. The team will compete against teams from Spain, Italy, Korea, Japan and several other countries from North and South America, as well as Oceania and Africa. The competition will be held at the Chukyo Golf Club.

The teams will arrive in Japan on June 10 for practice rounds and sightseeing and there will be an opening ceremony for the men and women’s teams on June 13 before the competition begins on June 14.

For all Ole Miss women’s golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf ,Facebook at Ole Miss Women’s Golf and on Instagram @OleMissWGolf

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Information

Volleyball Recruiting Class Recognized by PrepVolleyball.com

Coach Steven McRoberts

The Ole Miss volleyball team is moving. The Rebels are moving to a different venue for the 2016 season while the Gillom Sports Center is renovated, and they are moving up in the volleyball ranks, as the 2016 recruiting class received Highest Honorable Mention by PrepVolleyball.com.

“Our staff did a great job putting this class together,” head coach Steven McRoberts said. “Angela Mooney, our assistant coach and recruiting coordinator invested a lot of time and effort bringing these ladies to Ole Miss. This a very athletic group and they are going to make us a lot more competitive at every position. We have All-Americans, multiple state champions and national club champions. We can’t wait for them to arrive later this summer and to start helping us compete for SEC Championships and NCAA Tournaments.”

The six-member class includes two-time high school All-America selection Jordan Fate, a setter from Fairview, Texas as well as honorable mention All-Americans Emily Engelken (OH/RS – Overland Park, Kansas) and Nicole Purcell (DS – Leawood, Kansas).  Purcell was also recently named a Defensive Dandy Lion by PrepVolleyball.com.

Completing the class is North Dakota First Team All-State honoree Emily Stroup (OH/RS), Leah Mulkey (OH – Austin, Texas) and Nayo Warnell (MB – Dickinson, Texas).

For more information on Ole Miss Volleyball, follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissVB, on Facebook at OleMissVolleyball and on Instagram at OleMissVB. Also follow Coach McRoberts on Twitter, @CoachMcRoberts.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Information

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