Track And Field Competes At Ole Miss Saturday

Saturday, May 6

Oxford, Miss.

University of Memphis

Ole Miss Classic

DeeNia McMiller, 2016-17 Women's Track and Field

Photo by: Nikki Boertman

May 05, 2017 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Meet is final one of the regular season.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After a successful Memphis Invitational last weekend, the Tigers track and field men's and women's teams plan to dial it back a little this weekend as they focus on next week's American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in Houston, Texas.

Most of both squads are off from competition this weekend and training for the May 12-14 conference meet. However, a few University of Memphis track and field performers are heading to Oxford, Miss., Saturday, May 6 to compete in the Ole Miss Classic. All those competing are field event athletes.

The field events start at 10 a.m. (CT) with the men's and women's hammer. The men's pole vault and men's and women's javelin begin at 10:30 a.m. (CT), with the men's and women's discus and shot put to follow at 2:30 p.m. (CT).

Robinson on Ole Miss Classic:
"We're only taking six-to-eight of our throws group Saturday. As the throws coach, my feeling is that our performers would be training Saturday if they weren't competing. By going to Ole Miss, it gives the throwers a competitive training session rather than just a regular practice.

"We've got some young performers in our throws group, so we'll use Saturday's meet as another opportunity for them to practice their composure in a competitive setting. We've seen their abilities to put up good marks, but they are young and they need as many opportunities to perform under pressure. Saturday's meet gives us a chance to prepare not only for next week's conference championships, but also to hit standards to qualify for the U.S. Junior Nationals."

Team Scoring:
The 2017 Ole Miss Classic is a non-scoring team meet.

Competing Schools:
Alabama, Alabama-Huntsville, Arkansas State, Hendrix, Hinds CC, Lipscomb, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Millsaps, Ole Miss, Rhodes College, South Alabama, Southeast Missouri, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Southern Miss, Toldeo, UAB, William Carey

Tigers Tidbits/Five "What To Watch For":

Who's In: Head coach Kevin Robinson said he would take a small group to Saturday's meet. Those traveling to Oxford are: Michael Criticos (men's javelin), Nina de Poorter (women's discus/women's shot put), DeeNia McMiller (women's hammer/women's discus/women's shot put), Adam Neelly (men's hammer/men's discus/men's shot put), Ashley Pryke (women's javelin), Zachary Shasteen (men's pole vault), Rafael Vallery (men's discus/men's shot put) and Wade Wells (men's discus/men's shot put).
Season sweep: The Tigers are looking for a regular-season sweep of the men's and women's javelin titles this weekend. Michael Criticos and Ashley Pryke have won the men's and women's javelin titles, respectively, at all six meets so far this outdoor campaign, including at last weekend's Memphis Invitational. Criticos' 226-7 (69.06m) throw at the Apr. 1 Joey Haines Invitational was a season-best and is second in The American. Pryke won the Apr. 21 Red Wolves Open javelin crown with a school-record 177-5 (54.09m) throw. Pryke, a two-time American Athletic Conference Female Field Athlete of the Week honoree, has the nation's fifth-best mark in the event.
Juniors qualifiers: Freshmen DeeNia McMiller and Adam Neelly are using Saturday's Ole Miss Classic as another opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Junior National Championships in Sacramento, Calif., June 22-25. Neelly already is qualified in the men's shot put and still needs to reach the mark in the men's discus. According to Robinson, McMiller is just centimeters shy of qualifying in the women's shot put.
Fourth but the first: Freshman Cera Chavez took home an American Athletic Conference weekly honor May 2, marking the fourth time a Tigers performer has earned a weekly accolade from the league. However, Chavez is the first to win a conference Track Athlete of the Week distinction. She received the American Athletic Conference Female Track Athlete of the Week award after three first-place finishes and a school record-setting performance in the women's 200 meters at last week's Memphis Invitational. Memphis' other conference Athlete of the Week honorees were all field performers. Ashley Pryke was a two-time winner (Mar. 21, Apr. 26) in the women's javelin, and Jordan Wesner earned the honor in the men's high jump Mar. 28.
Records review: If setting records in the regular season is any indication of what the postseason is going to be like, then the Tigers track and field squads' success is continuing through May and into June. Here's a review of the school records set this outdoor season to date: Cera Chavez in the women's 200 meters, Chelsea Ladd in the women's 10,000 meters, Ashley Pryke in the women's javelin, Davon DeMoss in the men's 100 meters and Jordan Wesner in the men's high jump.

Up Next:
The Tigers travel to Houston, Texas, for the 2017 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships May 12-14. The University of Houston is serving as the host school for the league meet.