MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Mississippi College's Track and Field team dazzled spectators at the Rhodes 7-Way Meet, racking up an impressive number of wins and lifetime bests, and further cementing the Choctaws as a formidable athletic force.
The Lady Choctaws distance runners set the tone early on, with Emily Berry clinching the Women's 5,000-meter run in 18:11.8 and leading five Lady Choctaws dominating the top five spots.
Their male counterparts were no less impressive. Brock Kelly triumphed in the Men's 5,000-meter run, recording a lifetime best of 14:54.1, becoming the only sub-15 finisher, and securing the No. 8 All-time spot in school history. Hollis Johnson's 4:03.1 victory in the Men's 1500-meter run was nothing short of exhilarating, as he showcased a spectacular 61-second closing kick in the last 400m.
The victories kept rolling in: Timothy Young soared to a Men's Long Jump win at 6.56 meters, Fabio Palmieri scorched the track with a 47.8-second Men's 400m win, and Kelechi Christian sped to a Women's 100m victory in 11.95 seconds. Palmieri's time, which met the NCAA Division II provisional standard, now ranks second in the Gulf South Conference, just behind Mississippi College's own Niklas Klei.
Al Ferrill's exceptional day saw him set the school record with a 16.18-meter throw in the Men's Shot Put and secure a Men's Discus win with a 48.54-meter toss. Ferrill now ranks No. 4 All-time in the latter event. Haley Hall's 2:16.6 lifetime best in the Women's 800m placed her at No. 4 All-time in school history.
Mississippi College's Women's Hammer team turned heads, with Sakari Faulkner and Rashanna Thorne seizing the top two spots. Faulkner's lifetime best of 43.19 meters was closely followed by Thorne's 42.94-meter lifetime best, placing the duo at No. 3 and 4 in school history.
Thorne doubled her efforts to claim victory in the Women's Shot, claiming a massive lifetime best of 12.49 meters in the process.
The grand finale was the Men's 4x400m relay, where Dorian Hurd, Brandon Williams, Todd McInnis, and Connor Stewart captured the gold, sealing an extraordinary day for Mississippi College Track and Field.
Mississippi College's exceptional performance at the Rhodes 7-Way Meet brings the school's record count to 13 for the year, as they continue to build on the momentum generated with each and every competition.
The Choctaws now set their sights on the 2023 George Tech Track and Field Invitational, slated for April 21-22.
