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Earlier today, New Generation Track & Field published a story highlighting the life and athletic journey of Sintayehu Vissa, a superstar distance talent from Ole Miss. In the story, which can be found here, writer Matt Wisner details that Vissa has opted to turn pro, signing with On and joining the On Athletics Club, the brand's professional training group based in Boulder.
Athlete agency Flynn Sports has also verified the signing.
Rumors had begun to swirl that Vissa was going to be leaving Ole Miss earlier this week after making a post on Instagram which hinted at a departure. Now, she'll be joining a group of recent superstars who have also signed with On such as Yared Nuguse, Courtney Wayment, Ole Miss teammate Mario Garcia Romo and Hannah Steelman.
Vissa has evolved into a collegiate megastar over the past year.
The Rebel-turned-OAC member began her breakout year during the 2021 fall cross country season where she earned All-American honors at the NCAA XC Championships. She was eventually ranked at TSR #19 in our 2022 preseason individual cross country rankings.
However, the track is where Vissa's reputation has truly grown.
During the winter months, Vissa posted times of 4:32 (mile) and 9:04 (3k). She would enter the indoor national meet as a legitimate contender for the mile title and would ultimately end her winter campaign with a runner-up finish in the event. Vissa also earned 6th place All-American honors in the DMR with her teammates at the same meet.
The spring season continued to see Vissa rise at an incredible rate. The Ole Miss star posted jaw-dropping times of 2:01 (800) and 4:08 (1500) prior to the national meet and even ran 15:56 for 5000 meters. Once she reached the national stage, Vissa would take home NCAA gold in the 1500 meters.
However, Vissa's outdoor track season was far from over. The Ole Miss star would go on to run a jaw-dropping time of 4:04 for 1500 meters a week after the NCAA Outdoor Championships and ultimately qualify for World Championships a month later.
With Vissa now departing the Oxford, Mississippi-based program, Ole Miss women's cross country team looks very different. The Rebels will now be without three of their top-five women from the cross country national meet where the team finished a stunning 10th place overall.
Luckily, with numerous young talents joining this team in 2022, the Rebels will likely find ways to stay competitive even with their star low-stick on the move.