From the Wire: Mario Garcia Romo helps Ole Miss track & field secure three more national berths at NCAA East Regional

OLE MISS MEDIA RELATIONS | Ole Miss men’s track & field, led by Mario Garcia Romo, secured three more tickets to the outdoor national meet in a drama-filled night of action on Day Three of the NCAA East Regional in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday.

However, the day started off drama-free.

Garcia Romo, the reigning NCAA Indoor mile champion, took care of business in the men’s 1500-meter quarterfinal.

He punched his second consecutive NCAA Outdoor ticket in the 1500-meter following a win in Heat Two at 3:41.17 for an automatic qualifier spot to Eugene.

This is the seventh straight season Ole Miss has qualified at least one runner in the men’s 1500-meter.

It’s also a return trip for Garcia Romo.

Garcia Romo finished fifth in 2021 alongside former teammate and third-place finisher, Waleed Suliman. He entered the weekend with the NCAA’s fifth-best 1500-meter time of the season at his SEC title-winning 3:36.91.

He’s also looking to make it two years in a row where the indoor mile winner swept the outdoor 1500 after Olympian Cole Hocker did so as a freshman at Oregon last year.

The heart palpitations would come later in the evening for the Rebels following two close time qualifier performances in the 800-meter by Baylor Franklin and the 5K by Cole Bullock.

Franklin was in the first heat of the 800-meter quarterfinal, which ended up proving beneficial as it was the fastest of the three sections.

Franklin finished fifth in that heat at 1:48.58, outside of the top-three automatic qualifying spots and with an uneasy wait ahead through the final two heats. However, the other two heats ended up as more tactical races for the top-three spots, leaving Franklin with a ticket to Eugene in eighth overall.

This is Franklin’s second straight NCAA Outdoor appearance after finishing 13th in 2021 for Second-Team All-American honors, as well as the fifth appearance overall by the Rebel men in the event outdoors in the last seven opportunities since 2015.

The evening was capped with even more drama from Bullock in the 5K.

Bullock finished seventh in the first of two heats at 13:42.86 – two spots outside the top-five automatic qualifier spots but with the final time qualifier slot entering the second and final heat. Bullock’s time stood up to scrutiny, though.

He held on by three seconds after the completion of Heat Two to punch his first career NCAA ticket – indoor or outdoor.

Bullock is the first Rebel to qualify in the men’s 5K outdoors since Ryan Walling in 2016. He’s one of just four ever alongside Walling (2016), Pablo Sierra (1993) and K.C. Nielsen (1984).

In total, Ole Miss will send four total men’s athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The trio qualifying Friday join Daniel Viveros, who qualified in the shot put on Wednesday.

Ole Miss track & field has one day of competition left in Bloomington. The Rebel women still own nine more chances at NCAA tickets to join three already punched on Thursday.

Competition will begin for the Rebel women Saturday at noon CT with the women’s discus.

Day Three National Qualifiers

Cole Bullock – Men’s 5K

Baylor Franklin – Men’s 800-Meter

Mario Garcia Romo – Men’s 1500-Meter

REBELS IN DAY THREE COMPETITION

Men’s 200-Meter Dash – Quarterfinal

18. Elijah Dryer – 20.98 (+4.4)

Men’s 800-Meter – Quarterfinal

8. Baylor Franklin – 1:48.58q – NCAA Qualifier

Men’s 1500-Meter – Quarterfinal

9. Mario Garcia Romo – 3:41.17 AQ – NCAA Qualifier

18. Shane Bracken – 3:42.94

Men’s 5K – Semifinal

9. Cole Bullock – 13:42.86q – NCAA Qualifier

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Day Two National Qualifiers

Jalani Davis – Women’s Hammer

Jasmine Mitchell – Women’s Hammer

Jasmine Mitchell – Women’s Shot Put

Day Two Quarterfinalists

Sintayehu Vissa – Women’s 1500-Meter

Loral Winn – Women’s 1500-Meter

REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION

Women’s 100-Meter Dash – First Round

25. Kelly Rowe – 11.49 (+0.6) – PR, Tied No. 5 Ole Miss History

Women’s 200-Meter Dash – First Round

32. Jayda Eckford – 23.53 (+2.0)

33. Olivia Womack – 23.54 (+2.0)

44. Ariyonna Augustine – 24.09 (+1.5)

Women’s 1500-Meter – First Round

2. Sintayehu Vissa – 4:13.71 AQ

10. Loral Winn – 4:15.25q – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History

Women’s 10K – Semifinal

30. Skylar Boogerd – 35:37.32

Women’s Pole Vault

16. Lyndsey Reed – 4.21m/13-09.75

46. Samara McConnell – 3.81m/12-6

NH Elizabeth Nix

Women’s Shot Put

8. Jasmine Mitchell – 16.95m/55-07.50 – NCAA Qualifier, PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History

15. Jalani Davis – 16.31m/53-06.25

27. Tedreauna Britt – 15.77m/51-9

Women’s Hammer

8. Jalani Davis – 65.97m/216-5 – NCAA Qualifier, PR, No. 4 Ole Miss History

11. Jasmine Mitchell – 65.49m/214-10 – NCAA Qualifier, SB

24. Deborah Bulai – 59.83m/196-3

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Day One National Qualifiers

Daniel Viveros – Men’s Shot Put

Day One Quarterfinalists

Shane Bracken – Men’s 1500-Meter

Elijah Dryer – Men’s 200-Meter Dash

Baylor Franklin – Men’s 800-Meter

Mario Garcia Romo – Men’s 1500-Meter

REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION

Men’s 200-Meter Dash – First Round

21. Elijah Dryer – 20.71 (+0.6) AQ

Men’s 800-Meter – First Round

1. Baylor Franklin – 1:47.78 AQ

26. Marcus Dropik – 1:50.20

Men’s 1500-Meter – First Round

8. Mario Garcia Romo – 3:44.91 AQ

14. Shane Bracken – 3:46.03 AQ

45. Cade Bethmann – 3:57.37

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles – First Round

25. Kenney Broadnax – 13.84 (+1.1) – SB

44. Spencer Brown – 14.44 (+2.0)

Men’s Shot Put

9. Daniel Viveros – 19.10m/62-8 – NCAA Qualifier, School Record