Crorken Leads Ole Miss Track & Field at Day One of Texas Relays

Ole Miss track & field received an excellent outdoor open from All-American senior Tiarnan Crorken to highlight a productive first day of the Texas Relays on Thursday.

Crorken – a two-time First-Team All-American in just more than one year as a Rebel – finished third overall in the invitational section of the men’s 800-meter Thursday night at an outdoor PR of 1:46.82. Crorken was in the thick of things all race long, losing only to Angelo State’s Oussama El Bouchayby at his meet record time of 1:45.31, and Olympian Bryce Hoppel at 1:45.59.

Crorken’s time ranks as the fastest among NCAA Division I athletes this year based on descending lists entering this weekend. It also currently stands as the fastest time run by any native of Great Britain this outdoor season, as well as No. 18 worldwide. In the Ole Miss record books, Crorken now ranks No. 5 all-time outdoors, and he is the seventh Rebel to ever break 1:47 in the 800-meter outdoors.

Earlier in the day, freshman Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan climbed higher in the national rankings himself after another solid showing in the men’s hammer. Robinson-O’Hagan finished ninth in a strong field at a four-foot PR of 69.64m/228-06, which improves upon his slot at No. 2 in school history, and it moves him up to No. 6 in the NCAA, No. 2 in the East Region and No. 2 in the SEC this year. In his field series, four of his five legal throws on the day would have bettered his previous PR of 68.53m/224-10 set at home last week at the Ole Miss Classic.

Back on the track, All-American senior Shane Bracken got his first 1500-meter race of the season in and came away as the runner-up in the men’s Section A at 3:43.40 – currently the No. 14 time in the NCAA. Bracken fell just short of the outright win by three tenths of a second at the line to Texas’ Cruz Gomez at 3:43.10.

In Section B, freshman Landen McNair was the victor at a three-second PR time of 3:48.66. Also impressing on the track Thursday was fellow freshman Gabrielle Matthews in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. She finished 15th overall at a two-second PR of 58.88, making her the No. 4 performer in Ole Miss history and the fastest 400-meter hurdler since 2010.

Ole Miss will be back at the track early Friday morning, as competition resumes for the Rebels at the Texas Relays at 9:35 a.m. CT with the women’s 4×100-meter relay. Out west, competition will also begin for Ole Miss at the Stanford Invitational, beginning at 1 p.m. CT and running late into the early Saturday morning hours.

REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION (TEXAS RELAYS)

Men’s 800-Meter (Invitational)

3. Tiarnan Crorken – 1:46.82 – Outdoor PR, No. 1 NCAA Division I, No. 1 Great Britain, No. 18 World, No. 5 Ole Miss History

17. Marcus Dropik – 1:52.39 – SB

Women’s 1500-Meter Section B (University/College)

3. Madison Hulsey – 4:30.94 – First collegiate 1500

6. Frances Luna – 4:32.61

8. Jocelyn Long – 4:35.08 – SB

Men’s 1500-Meter Section A (University/College)

2. Shane Bracken – 3:43.40 – SB, No. 14 NCAA

4. Dalton Hengst – 3:47.65 – SB

6. Gabe Scales – 3:47.87 – PR

Men’s 1500-Meter Section B (University/College)

1. Landen McNair – 3:48.66 – PR

Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles (University/College)

15. Gabrielle Matthews – 58.88 – PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History

Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase (University/College)

10. Chase Rose – 9:15.12 – SB

Women’s Hammer (University/College)

14. Jalani Davis – 61.37m/201-04

FOUL Jasmine Mitchell

FOUL Shey Taiwo

Men’s Hammer (University/College)

9. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 69.64m/228-06 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History, No. 6 NCAA, No. 2 East, No. 2 SEC