OXFORD, Miss. – Seven Ole Miss athletes will compete at meets around the country this weekend in a final attempt to qualify for the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
New this indoor season, the NCAA will accept the top 16 ranked athletes in the country in each individual event to the national meet, which will be held March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Four Rebels are already ranked among the top 16 in their events. This includes senior Ricky Robertson in the men’s high jump (3rd, 7-6), triple jump (8th, 52-8.25) and long jump (15th, 25-2.75), sophomore Sam Kendricks in the men’s pole vault (8th, 18-1.75), senior Morris Kersh in the men’s triple jump (16th, 51-11.75) and freshman Asia Cooper in the women’s 60 meters (9th, 7.31).
The seven who have additional shots at reaching the top 16 include Montez Griffin, Creighton Serrette and Kersh on the men’s side and Jazmin Miller, Allegra Wells, Deonna Walton and Marci Morman on the women’s side.
Griffin and Serrette will run the 400 meters at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on Saturday. Griffin currently ranks 32nd nationally (46.98), while Serrette is 140th (48.06).
Kersh will compete in the long jump at the VT Final Qualifier in Blacksburg, Va., on Saturday.
Miller will take part in the weight throw at the LSU Invitational on Friday. She currently ranks 36th in the country (64-8.75).
Wells, Walton and Morman will compete in the long jump at the VT Qualifier in Blacksburg, Va., on Saturday. Wells ranks 20th nationally (20-4.5), while Walton is 71st (19-7.5) and Morman is 75th (19-7). Morman will also do the triple jump there. She is 55th nationally in that event (40-11).