Track and Field Athletes Compete at the USATF Outdoor Championships

Ole Miss’ Raven Saunders throws the shot put in competition. Photo courtesy of Josh McCoy/ Ole Miss Sports.

Current and former Ole Miss track and field athletes will compete at the 2018 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The national meet take place this weekend, June 21-24, and fans can watch the action live on the NBC family of networks.

Ole Miss athletes have won 16 USA titles, including 13 in the last 10 years alone. In 2017 the Rebels claimed titles in the men’s pole vault (Sam Kendricks) and women’s shot put (Raven Saunders). No large-scale summer competition spots are up for grabs such as the Olympics or World Championships. However, this meet will still serve as the qualifying pool for several Team USA events this coming summer including the Athletics World Cup in London (July 14-15) and the NACAC Senior Championships in Toronto (Aug. 10-12). 
The Rebels take to the track at 3:55 p.m. CT today (Thurs., June 21) as Craig Engels and Robert Domanic compete in the men’s 1500-meter. Below is a full list of info on the USA qualifiers.
Craig Engels | Men’s 1500-Meter
First-Round: Thurs., June 21, 3:55 p.m. CT
Finals: Sat., June 23, 4:40 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Pfafftown, N.C. / Ronald Reagan HS
Personal Best: 3:35.95 (from 2017)
Season Best: 3:38.53 (indoors) | 3:35.95 from 2017 is seed time
U.S. Rank: 10th
Quick Facts: 2017 NCAA DMR Champion … 6x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … 2018 IAAF World Indoor Finalist (1500-meter, 7th place) … 2018 USA Indoor bronze medalist (1500-meter) … 2017 Academic All-American.

Robert Domanic | Men’s 1500-Meter
First-Round: Thurs., June 21, 3:55 p.m. CT
Finals: Sat., June 23, 4:40 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Lewisville, Texas / Hebron HS
Personal Best: 3:36.33 (9th-fastest in NCAA history)
Season Best: 3:36.33
World Rank: 23rd
U.S. Rank: 2nd
Quick Facts: 2017 NCAA DMR Champion … 6x All-American … 5x SEC Champion … Owns second-fastest 1500-meter time in SEC history, ninth-best in NCAA history … Held top U.S. time in the 1500 for nearly the last two months.

Jolie Carbo | Women’s 400-Meter Dash
First-Round: Thurs., June 21, 4:40 p.m. CT
Semifinals: Fri., June 22, 6:05 p.m. CT
Finals: Sat., June 23, 4:08 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Terry, Miss. / Terry HS
Personal Best: 52.78 (2018)
Season Best: 52.78 (2018)
Seed Rank: 18th
Quick Facts: 2018 NCAA Qualifier in the 4×100-Meter Relay … 5th-fastest 400-meter runner outdoors in school history.

Isiah Young | Men’s 100-Meter Dash, Men’s 200-Meter Dash
First-Round: 100: Thurs., June 21, 6:10 p.m. CT | 200: Sat., June 23, 1:10 p.m. CT
Semifinals: 100: Fri., June 22, 5:50 p.m. CT | 200: Sun., June 24, 2 p.m. CT
Finals: 100: Fri., June 22, 7:30 p.m. CT | 200: Sun., June 24, 4:10 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Junction City, Kansas / Junction City HS
Personal Best: 100: 9.92 (+0.7, 2018) | 200: 19.86 (+1.6, 2013)
Season Best: 100: 9.92 (+0.7) | 200: 19.93 (+1.5)
World Rank: 100: T-2nd | 200: 5th
U.S. Rank: 100: T-1st | 200: 2nd
Quick Facts: 2012 Olympian (200-Meter) … 3x World Championships qualifier for Team USA (2013, 200-meter; 2015, 200-meter; 2017, 200-meter) … 2017 World finalist in the 200-meter (8th) … 3x USA Outdoor medalist … 2013 USA Outdoor Champion in the 200-meter … 2013 NCAA Outdoor runner-up in the 200-meter … 5x All-American … 2x SEC Champion … 2013 USTFCCCA South Region Track Athlete of the Year … 2013 SEC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year … 2013 SEC Outdoor Commissioner’s Trophy winner.

MJ Erb | Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase
First-Round: Fri., June 22, 3:15 p.m. CT
Finals: Sun., June 24, 3:55 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Farmington, N.Y. / Victor HS
Personal Best: 8:26.75 (2017)
Season Best: 8:32.78 | 8:26.75 from 2017 is seed time
U.S. Rank: 6th
Quick Facts: 3x All-American … 3x SEC Champion … 2016 Cross Country All-American; top Ole Miss finisher in 6th, helping the Rebels to their highest team finish ever in fourth.

Sam Kendricks | Men’s Pole Vault
Finals: Sat., June 23, 1:30 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Oxford, Miss. / Oxford HS
Personal Best: 6.00m/19-08.25 (2017) | T-4th in U.S. history
Season Best: 5.93m/19-05.50 (indoor) | 6.00m/19-08.25 from 2017 is seed mark
World Rank: T-2nd
U.S. Rank: 1st
Quick Facts: 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist … 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Gold Medalist … 4x World qualifier, 3x World medalist … 7x USA Champion (4 outdoors, 3 indoors) … Has won four straight USA Outdoor titles (no one has won five in a row since Cornelius Warmerdam from 1940-44) … 2x NCAA Champion … 2014 NCAA Runner-Up … 5x All-American … 2x SEC Champion … 2013 World University Games Gold Medalist … 2014 SEC Indoor Men’s Field Athlete of the Year … 10x IAAF Diamond League champion … 2017 USATF Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year … 22nd member of the six-meter club.

Gwen Berry (volunteer coach) | Hammer
Finals: Sat., June 23, 2:20 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Florissant, Mo. / McCluer HS
Personal Best: 77.78m/255-02 (2018) | American Record, 5th in World history
Season Best: 77.78m/255-02
World Rank: 1st
U.S. Rank: 1st
Quick Facts: 2016 Olympian … Has set the American record in the hammer three times … 4x MVC Champion at Southern Illinois … Owns the world record in the indoor weight throw (25.60m/84-00.00) … 2017 USA hammer champion … Three-time USA indoor champion in the weight throw (2013, 2014, 2017).

Janeah Stewart | Hammer, Shot Put
Finals: Hammer: Sat., June 23, 2:20 p.m. CT | Shot Put: Sun., June 24, 2:10 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Calumet City, Ill. / Thornwood HS
Personal Best: Hammer: 72.92m/239-03 (2018) | Shot Put: 17.97m/58-11.50 (2018)
Season Best: Hammer: 72.92m/239-03 | Shot Put: 17.97m/58-11.50
World Rank: Hammer: 12th | Shot Put: T-33rd
U.S. Rank: Hammer: 5th | Shot Put: 12th
Quick Facts: 2018 NCAA Champion in the hammer … Hit a 15-foot PR to win NCAA title, making her No. 4 hammer thrower in NCAA history with the 10th-best throw ever … Ranks No. 12 in the world and fifth in the U.S. in the hammer … Ranks 12th in the U.S. in the shot put … Hammer PR ranks No. 10 in U.S. history … 10x All-American … 3x SEC Champion … 10x SEC Medalist … 3x SEC Commissioner’s Trophy winner … Scored 80 career SEC points and 25 career NCAA points.

Jeneva Stevens (volunteer coach) | Hammer, Shot Put
Finals: Hammer: Sat., June 23, 2:20 p.m. CT | Shot Put: Sun., June 24, 2:10 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Dolton, Ill. / Thornridge HS
Personal Best: Hammer: 74.77m/245-03 (2013) | Shot Put: 19.11m/62-08.50 (2016)
Season Best: Hammer: 70.05m/229-10 | Shot Put: 18.55m/60-10.50
World Rank: Hammer: 24th | Shot Put: 14th
U.S. Rank: Hammer: 6th | Shot Put: 5th
Quick Facts: 2013 World University Games Gold Medalist in the hammer, the first American woman to ever medal in the event in worldwide competition … 3x World finalist … 3x NCAA Champion at Southern Illinois … 3x NCAA Runner-Up … 13x All-American … 34th-best NCAA Outdoor scorer (44) … 28th-best NCAA Indoor scorer (38).

Jessica Ramsey (volunteer coach) | Hammer, Shot Put
Finals: Hammer: Sat., June 23, 2:20 p.m. CT | Shot Put: Sun., June 24, 2:10 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Boynton Beach, Fla. / Boynton Beach HS
Personal Best: Hammer: 69.47m/227-11 (2015) | Shot Put: 18.42m/60-05.25
Season Best: Hammer: 67.34m/220-11 | Shot Put: 18.13m/59-05.75
World Rank: Shot Put: 29th
U.S. Rank: Hammer: 11th | Shot Put: 10th
Quick Facts: Tripled at the NCAA Outdoor meet for Western Kentucky in 2014, earning First-Team All-American honors in the shot put in eighth place.

Ricky Robertson | High Jump
Finals: Sun., June 24, 1:45 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Hernando, Miss. / Hernando HS
Personal Best: 2.32m/7-7.25 (2018)
Season Best: 2.32m/7-7.25
World Rank: T-11th
U.S. Rank: 4th
Quick Facts: 2016 Olympian in the high jump … 2x World qualifier … 2x USA Indoor medalist … 3x NCAA Runner-Up … 7x All-American (leads all Rebels) … 7x SEC Champion (only athlete to ever win seven SEC high jump titles) … 2x USTFCCCA South Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year … 2x SEC Field Athlete of the Year … 2x SEC Freshman of the Year indoors and outdoors in 2010 … 2x SEC Commissioner’s Trophy winner.

Raven Saunders | Shot Put
Finals: Sun., June 24, 2:10 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Charleston, S.C. / Burke HS
Personal Best: 19.76m/64-10.00 (2017) | No. 4 in U.S. history
Season Best: 19.56m/64.02.25
World Rank: 3rd
U.S. Rank: 1st
Quick Facts: 2016 Olympic finalist in the shot put (5th place) … 2017 USA Outdoor champion in the shot put … Finished 10th at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships … 4x NCAA Champion … 7x All-American … One of only four women in NCAA history to break 19 meters indoors and the first to do so outdoors … First woman in NCAA history to break 19 meters twice in the same series … Broke both collegiate records during her career … 2017 USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Co-National Field Athlete of the Year … 2016 Bowerman Award Finalist.

Brian Williams | Discus
Finals: Sun., June 24, 2:20 p.m. CT
Hometown / High School: Warren Mich. / Fraser HS
Personal Best: 65.13m/213-08 (2017)
Season Best: 61.54m/201-11
U.S. Rank: 10th
Quick Facts: Finished fourth in the discus at the 2017 USA Outdoor Championships … 3x All-American … 2x SEC Champion (first to repeat as the SEC discus champion since 2010-11) … Owns the discus, indoor shot and outdoor shot school records … Was a national champion and 4x All-American while at Iowa Central Community College.