STANFORD, Calif. / OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss senior Kidus Misgina dismantled the school record in the 10K to lead a busy night of distance running at the Stanford Invite, while the remainder of the Rebel squad claimed six event titles at home to kick off the Joe Walker Invite on Friday.
Misgina, a mid-year transfer from Florida State, put together a splendid 10K race late Friday night out on the west coast, winning the second section at a blazing 28:20.19.
That time resets the Ole Miss 10K record by a massive 24-second margin over Dereck Elkins’ 28:44.87 from the 2024 edition of the Stanford Invite.
In fact, the men’s 10K record has been reset out at Stanford in each of the last three seasons.
If not for Misgina, Ole Miss senior Aiden Britt would have thoroughly reset the record himself by 18 seconds following his 11th-place performance of 28:26.41, a 26-second improvement over Britt’s previous PR of 28:52.35 run at Stanford last spring.
In the invitational section of the men’s 5K, All-American senior Toby Gillen took fifth at a career-best 13:26.92, just narrowly missing out on a school record of his own at a half-second shy of Anthony Camerieri’s 13:26.58 from the 2023 Stanford Invite.
Other notable performances out west late tonight included junior Evan Thornton-Sherman in the 5K (13:38.09; No. 4 Ole Miss history) and senior Ainhoa Brea in the women’s 5K (16:18.03; No. 10 Ole Miss history).
Earlier in Oxford in the men’s hammer, the Rebel men swept the competition with all five Ole Miss men making it to the final and going 1-2-3 at the top.
Junior Bryson Smith led the way with a three-foot career-best heave of 69.12m/226-9, his third consecutive week of improvement in the hammer that moves him to third in program history and eighth on the current NCAA season lists.
Senior Jake Dalton followed in second with a season-best of 68.37m/224-3, ranking him No. 11 in the collegiate standings currently.
Junior Mason Hickel took third with a PR of 63.92m/209-8, improving on his ninth-ranked position in the Ole Miss record book.
Sophomore Lizzie Hatton made her mark in Ole Miss history with an all-conditions career-best leap of 6.34m/20-09.75 (+2.9) in her outdoor season debut in the long jump.
That jump ties her for fourth in Ole Miss history outdoors (which includes up to the NCAA-allowable 4.0 meters/second wind reading), and it currently ranks her seventh in the NCAA this season.
In the men’s pole vault, the Rebels took the top two spots courtesy of Drew O’Connor and junior Logan Kelley.
O’Connor sailed clean over his first four bars, topping out at a victorious 5.28m/17-03.75. Kelley, meanwhile, was the runner-up at that same height on total misses, which stands as an outdoor PR for him that moves him to eighth in Ole Miss history outdoors.
Meanwhile, in the women’s pole vault freshman Lily Beattie also cleared an outdoor PR, winning the event at 4.08m/13-04.50 to move her to sixth in program history outdoors and ninth on the current SEC lists for 2025.
On the track, senior Jo-Lauren Keane took the crown in the invitational section of the women’s 800-meter on a season-best time of 2:07.88.
Fellow senior Cassie Williamson followed closely behind in third place on a season-best 2:08.24, which ties her for No. 13 in Ole Miss history outdoors.
Junior Carson Turner was nearly the victor in the men’s invitational 800-meter as well, narrowly finishing runner-up at an overall career-best 1:47.85.
That time moves him to No. 14 on Ole Miss’ superb outdoor 800-meter list, and it currently ranks him third in the NCAA.
Freshman Max Armstrong took third with a PR of his own at 1:48.06, placing him sixth in the 2025 NCAA standings outdoors.
In the men’s 1500-meter invite, junior Gabe Scales clocked a season-best 3:43.62 to earn the event victory, while fellow junior Landen McNair took fourth with a career-best 3:44.66.
Earlier in the day in a stacked women’s hammer competition, sophomore Akaoma Odeluga finished fifth overall and first among collegiate athletes at 61.30m/201-1.
There were some familiar faces competing in the women’s hammer on alumni weekend. Ole Miss alums and NCAA Champions Jalani Davis and Janeah Stewart showed out, with Davis winning the competition with a career-best 70.41m/231-0, and Stewart taking third at 67.03m/219-11.
Due to forecasted inclement weather for Saturday, Day Two of the Joe Walker Invitational will now start at 9 a.m. CT and move to a rolling schedule.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION (JOE WALKER INVITE)
Women’s 200-Meter Dash
14. Hannah Foxx – 24.74 (+1.0)
Men’s 200-Meter Dash
14. Tarique Wright – 21.63 (+1.3)
29. Alec Reed – 22.10 (-0.1) – First Collegiate 200
Women’s 800-Meter (Invite)
1. Jo-Lauren Keane – 2:07.88 – SB
3. Cassie Williamson – 2:08.24 – SB, T-No. 13 Ole Miss History Outdoors
Men’s 800-Meter (Invite)
2. Carson Turner – 1:47.85 – Overall PR, No. 14 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 3
3. Max Armstrong –1:48.06 – Overall PR, 2025 NCAA No. 6
12. Cole Piotrowski – 1:52.41 – SB
17. Jonathan Stock – 1:57.13
Women’s 1500-Meter (Invite)
4. Ella Johnson – 4:32.01 – PR
Men’s 1500-Meter (Invite)
1. Gabe Scales – 3:43.62 – SB
4. Landen McNair – 3:44.66 – PR
12. Zack Gilbertson – 3:49.90 – PR
15. Aidan Hodge – 3:50.65
17. Stone Smith – 3:53.40 – First Collegiate 1500
21. Samuel Ferguson – 3:56.90
Women’s 5K (Invite)
14. Samantha Ouellette – 18:27.53
Men’s 5K (Invite)
DNF Samuel Ferguson
Women’s Pole Vault
1. Lily Beattie – 4.08m/13-04.50 – Outdoor PR, T-No. 6 Ole Miss History Outdoors
T13. Katelyn Hulsey – 3.78m/12-04.75 – PR
17. Aly Francolini – 3.63m/11-10.75
NH Kathryn Hosp
NH Teagan Johnson
Men’s Pole Vault
1. Drew O’Connor – 5.28m/17-03.75
2. Logan Kelley – 5.28m/17-03.75 – Outdoor PR, No. 8 Ole Miss History Outdoors
9. Ford Maberry – 4.78m/15-08.25
NH John Kendricks
Women’s Long Jump
1. Lizzie Hatton – 6.34m/20-09.75 (+2.9) – All-Conditions PR, Outdoor Debut, T-No. 4 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 7
Men’s Long Jump
3. Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley – 7.37m/24-02.25 (+2.7) – All-Conditions SB
Women’s Hammer
5. Akaoma Odeluga – 61.30m/201-1
Men’s Hammer
1. Bryson Smith – 69.12m/226-9 – PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History, 2025 NCAA No. 8
2. Jake Dalton – 68.37m/224-3 – SB, 2025 NCAA No. 11
3. Mason Hickel – 63.92m/209-8 – PR, No. 9 Ole Miss History
6. Costen Campion – 58.31m/191-3 – SB
9. Keegan Wilfawn – 52.07m/170-10
Women’s Javelin
8. Abigail Green – 37.85m/124-2
Women’s Heptathlon (Through Four Events)
Nyajah Gordon – 2,743 points, 12th Place – Outdoor Debut
100-Meter Hurdles: 4th, 14.62 (+0.3) – 892 points
High Jump: 22nd, 1.37m/4-6 – 481 points
Shot Put: 11th, 9.90m/32-05.75 – 523 points – Overall PR
200-Meter Dash: 2nd, 25.44 (+1.7) – 847 points – PR
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION (STANFORD INVITE)
Women’s 5K (Section 2)
21. Sophie Baumann – 16:15.29
Women’s 5K (Section 3)
9. Beth Arentz – 16:16.87
Women’s 5K (Section 4)
2. Ainhoa Brea – 16.18.03 – PR, No. 10 Ole Miss History
5. Sarah Schiffmann – 16:38.08
12. Hannah Ielfield – 17:00.30
Men’s 5K (Section 1)
5. Toby Gillen – 13:26.92 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History
Men’s 5K (Section 2)
6. Evan Thornton-Sherman – 13:38.09 – PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History
20. Elyas Ayyoub – 13:59.68
Men’s 5K (Section 3)
18. Ky Hehir – 14:10.61 – First Collegiate 5K
Men’s 10K (Section 2)
1. Kidus Misgina – 28:20.19 – School Record
11. Aiden Britt – 28:26.41 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History
29. Benjamin Bayless – 29:29.94 – No. 11 Ole Miss History
