From the Wire: Ole Miss' Davis scores, Vissa advances at day two of NCAA Outdoor Championships

This Ole Miss track & field story provided by Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations

EUGENE, Ore. — Ole Miss track & field junior Jalani Davis scored her first career NCAA points, while fellow All-American Sintayehu Vissa advanced to the 1500-meter final at a busy Day Two of the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday.

Davis – a native of Hampton, Virginia – put together a mammoth career-best performance for the Rebels in the women’s hammer, earning her first career First-Team All-America nod with a sixth-place finish. On her second attempt, Davis unleashed a huge four-meter PR of 69.53m/228-1, which stood up to scrutiny after the second flight and then the final in order to get the Rebels on the board.

That mark makes Davis the third-best in Ole Miss history, with all three of the top throws ever by the Rebel women coming in Eugene: the school record by Janeah Stewart on her 2018 NCAA title-winning 72.92m/239-3 (No. 6 NCAA history), Shey Taiwo’s 2021 NCAA runner-up 71.27m/233-10 (No. 10 NCAA History) and Davis’ heave today.

Reigning NCAA Indoor mile runner-up Sintayehu Vissa put herself in great position to add to that point total, running the top qualifying time in the women’s 1500-meter semifinal on Thursday at 4:13.13 to qualify for Saturday’s final. Vissa – the first Rebel to ever qualify in the event – was narrowly the NCAA runner-up in the mile indoors, but has been resplendent all season long, scoring 9.75 NCAA points indoors, winning three total SEC titles and having her hand in seven different school records across both seasons. That includes a blazing SEC meet record 4:08.72 that won her the SEC title and pushed her to No. 15 in NCAA history.

The Rebel women’s 4×100-meter relay of Olivia Womack, Ariyonna Augustine, Jayda Eckford and Kelly Rowe wrapped up a strong season of work with a Second-Team All-American finish in 12th place on Thursday. The quartet passed the stick in 43.75, the third-best time in school history to round out an excellent 2022 campaign that saw them chart three of the top-five times ever run in Ole Miss history. This was the seventh consecutive appearance for Ole Miss in the women’s 4×100-meter relay.

Also competing on Day Two was All-American junior Jasmine Mitchell, who doubled for the Rebels in the hammer and the shot put in her first career trip to the outdoor national meet. Mitchell earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in both, taking 18th place in the hammer at 64.38m/211-03 and 22nd in the shot put at 16.25m/53-03.75.

Men’s competition concludes on Friday, with Mario Garcia Romo looking to make the NCAA sweep of the middle distance events in the 1500-meter final at 8:12 p.m. CT, followed by Cole Bullock running in the men’s 5K final at 9:55 p.m. CT – both airing live on ESPN2.

Day Two Finals Qualifiers

Sintayehu Vissa – Women’s 1500-Meter

Day Two First-Team All-Americans

Jalani Davis – Women’s Hammer, 6th Place

Day Two Second-Team All-Americans

Ariyonna Augustine – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 12th Place

Jayda Eckford – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 12th Place

Kelly Rowe – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 12th Place

Olivia Womack – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay, 12th Place

Day Two Honorable Mention All-Americans

Jasmine Mitchell – Women’s Hammer, 18th Place

Jasmine Mitchell – Women’s Shot Put, 22nd Place

REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION

Women’s 1500-Meter – Semifinal

1. Sintayehu Vissa – 4:13.13 – AQ

Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay – Semifinal

12. Womack, Augustine, Eckford, Rowe – 43.75 – Second-Team All-American

Women’s Shot Put – Final

22. Jasmine Mitchell – 16.25m/53-03.75 – Honorable Mention All-American

Women’s Hammer – Final

6. Jalani Davis – 69.53m/228-1 – First-Team All-American – 4-meter PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History

18. Jasmine Mitchell – 64.38m/211-03 – Honorable Mention All-American

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Day One Finals Qualifiers

Mario Garcia Romo – Men’s 1500-Meter

Day One Second-Team All-Americans

Baylor Franklin – Men’s 800-Meter, 13th Place

Day One Honorable Mention All-Americans

Daniel Viveros – Men’s Shot Put, 17th Place

REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION

Men’s 800-Meter – Semifinal

13. Baylor Franklin – 1:47.81 – Second-Team All-American

Men’s 1500-Meter – Semifinal

7. Mario Garcia Romo – 3:39.32 AQ

Men’s Shot Put – Final

17. Daniel Viveros – 18.82m/61-9 – Honorable Mention All-American