Ole Miss Standout Wins Eighth Conference Title, Third In A Row In Hammer; Auburn's Makanakaishe Charamba Runs 19.92 In 200 Prelims; Paityn Noe Outlasts Hilda Olemomoi In 10,000

By David Woods for DyeStat

Bobby Goddin photos

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan was once a quarterback in high school. He was a hammer thrower Thursday. He will be a shot putter Friday.

Oh, and he makes rap or country music when he’s not training or studying.

There are versatile throwers, and then there is this guy.

“Working the ball in the shot, working the ball in the hammer,” he said. “For me, it’s the same thing. I’ll never give up either one.”

The Mississippi junior won a third straight title in the hammer at the SEC Track and Field Championships, throwing a PB of 248 feet, 5 inches (75.72m). He's the third SEC thrower to win three conference hammer titles, and first since Walter Henning of LSU (2009-11).

Other news from day one was a collegiate-leading time of 19.92 seconds in trials of the 200 meters by Makanakaishe Charamba of Auburn and an American U20 record by Nick Reynolds of Tennessee.

In the hammer, Robinson-O’Hagan’s first three attempts all exceeded 75 meters in only his second hammer competition of the year. He ranks No. 5 in the NCAA.

Robinson-O’Hagan is known more for the shot put, in which he has won the most recent three NCAA titles and was World U20 champion in 2022. But until 30-somethings like Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs and Roger Steen retire, there isn’t room for a 21-year-old make Team USA in the shot.

At last year’s Olympic Trials, Robinson-O’Hagan was sixth in the hammer and eighth in the shot.

“Where in the hammer, honestly, the way my hammer is progressing over the last couple of years, I’m strong enough, I have good technique to maybe one day throw 80 meters at a young age,” he said. “I’m almost there.

“There’s no telling what I can do in the hammer. A lot of times in the hammer I surprise me and my coaches. I have a good touch for it.”

Robinson-O’Hagan considers himself an authentic shot putter and hammer thrower, not a specialist in one event who dabbles in the other.

“A lot of dudes are just really strong and can throw far. I’m the guy who can do both, build technique in both and really try to perfect each one,” he said. “Doing both keeps me active, keeps me motivated, makes me want to do the sport more.”

Elsewhere in the throws, Mississippi State’s Remi Rougetet, of France, broke the Kentucky facility record with a PB of 264-1 (80.49m) in the javelin.

Reynolds, 19, is a freshman from Concord, N.H. Fourteen months after first picking up a javelin, he was third with a distance of 251-7 (76.69).

He had a previous personal best  of 247-11 (75.58m) from April 4 at Knoxville, Tenn. So he has two marks exceeding the recognized U20 record of 244-10 (76.64m) set by Washington’s Joe Zimmerman in 2010.

Sam Crouser’s national high school record of 255-4 (77.84m), also in 2010, was never ratified.

Reynolds was headed to play Division III soccer, went out for track to improve his speed, and tried all the events. He was also a baseball pitcher and discovered his mechanics in the javelin resembled that. His first throw was 160 feet, and he set a state record of 205-10.

That was about 50 feet ago.

“See where it takes me. I’m so new to it,” Reynolds said. “I just love the sport.”

Georgia’s Stephanie Ratliffe won the women’s hammer at 232-0 (70.72m). Marie Rougetet, sister of Remi, was second at 218-2 (66.50m). Georgia also had the javelin winner, Lianna Davidson at 192-8 (58.74m).

In the women’s 10,000 meters, Arkansas sophomore Paityn Noe led from lap one in an upset victory over Florida’s Hilda Olemomoi. It was a reversal of the SEC finish from last year.

On a humid night with temperature at 80, Noe ran splits of 16:44/16:05 for a time of 32:49.70. She ran the closing 1,600 meters in 5:03.

Olemomoi was second in 33:15.53, falling off the pace in that final mile.

“I didn’t want to go out in front right away. It kind of ended up happening,” Noe said. “ ‘OK, this is how it’s going to be.’ “

Her Arkansas teammate, Sydney Thorvaldson, was third in 33:30.93.

In a slow men’s 10,000, Viktor Kiprop led a 1-3-6-8 finish by Kenyan teammates to give Alabama 20 points. Kiprop ran the closing 800 in 2:03.02 to pull away.

Highlights of the trials were the 200s, in which Chambara broke the Zimbabwean record and climbed to 15th on the all-time collegiate list and 14th on the all-time African list.

In the women’s 200, South Carolina sophomore JaMeesia Ford had a time of 22.33, or .01 off the wind-legal collegiate lead.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.