Ole Miss Track and Field Face Setback With Construction on Track

Student athletes have dealt with several inconveniences since the recent testing of the Ole Miss track and field stadium.

 The Ole Miss men's track and field team practices at Oxford High as an alternative to their home track.

As the Ole Miss men and women's track team prepared to start their outdoor season they were faced with a major setback. Construction workers discovered a slight dip in the middle of the field and it is currently being investigated. 

The Engineering experts consulted with the track administration and asked that the track remain closed until further notice. They have not released any concrete evidence on what is actually the problem with the track but they have stated that the cause might be Oxford's rain showers. In the Daily Mississippian they describe how the track has cavities under the surface. 

Because of the testing of the track, two meets that the Rebels were scheduled to host, including the Ole Miss Duals that would have been held on the 26th of April, have now cancelled. 

"The track being shut-down caused a major impact on the attitudes of the team, positively and negatively", said Kennadi Bouyer. Bouyer is a freshman here at the University of Mississippi from Seattle, Washington. She is majoring in History. She competes in both the sprints and jumps programs here at Ole MIss. "The track being closed really affects my teammates that compete in the field events", said Bouyer. "There is no where to jump or throw since we have been forced to practice in the IPF (Indoor Practice Facility)". 

After the Enginering experts announced there was still more testing to be done to the track, the coaches talked with the principal of Oxford High School and fortunately they were allowed to practice on their track. Oxford High's track coach met with coach Greg Stringer and they set up a practice time for Ole Miss, which would be 5:00 p.m. Coach Stringer is the assistant coach and the jumps coach here at Ole Miss. He was unhappy with the testing of the home track and did everything in his power to locate another practice facility that would accommodate them. "The closing of our track discouraged some of the athletes and practicing in the IPF became so hectic that I decided to reach out to our community schools and ask them for help", said Stringer. "We are very grateful for Oxford High in letting us use their facility". 

Ole Miss men and women track team normally practiced at 3:00 p.m. every evening, but their academic advisors changed every athletes schedule to accommodate them to be able to practice at 5:00 p.m. at Oxford High School. 

"The changes within our schedule might be the hardest part to get used to", said Phillip Young. Young is a transfer junior here at Ole Miss from Florida State University. "I used to have tutoring at night and now all of my tutoring sessions are in the morning and my schedule is busier". 

The Ole Miss track team has had many success this year, including the mens team being ranked in the top 12 nationally. Also, the Ole Miss pole vaulter, Sam Kendricks, is ranked number one in the country.