Huskers Wrap Up Regular Season at Ward Haylett Invitational

The <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska track and field team member will try to earn NCAA Regional Qualifying marks in the last regular-season meet this weekend at the Ward Haylett Invitational in Manhattan, Kan.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The meet will get underway at Noon with the women’s hammer throw, while action on the track begins at 1 p.m. with 3,000-meter steeplechase. The last event on the track is the 4x400-meter relay, which is slated to begin at 4:15 p.m., while the final field event of the meet, the women’s discus, is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.

 

NU will take a large number of athletes this weekend, as the school semester has come to a close and the Huskers have already notched 61 regional or NCAA qualifying marks, giving them reason to stay and compete.

 

A group of multi-event athletes will also face their final opportunity to set NCAA qualifying marks at the Walton Combined Events meet on Thursday and Friday at noon each day. Multi-event athletes qualify directly for the NCAA meet by automatic and provisional qualifying marks and will not compete in the regional championships.

 

The Husker men are fresh off a Big 12 Outdoor championship and the women are coming off a second-place finish at the Big 12 meet two weeks ago. Nebraska’s next chance for a title will be in College Station, Texas, where the Huskers will compete in the Midwest Regional. The NU women are the defending champions, while the men tied for third place in 2003.

 

Walton Combined Meet Valuable for Six Huskers

Six Husker multi-event athletes will travel to Columbia, Mo., for a last chance to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The decathlon will begin at Noon each day, while the heptathlon will get underway at 1 p.m. both days. The event is scheduled to end around 6 p.m. each day.

 

Ashley Selig, Sara Jane Baker and Casie Witte will all compete in the heptathlon. Selig and Witte each have provisional qualifying marks, but will look to strengthen those marks in Missouri. Selig currently ranks 12th in the NCAA, while Baker is 13th.

 

Chris Richardson, Kyle Goerl and Lee Martin will compete in the decathlon for the Huskers. Richardson is coming off a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, while Goerl finished eighth. Neither athlete has an NCAA qualifying mark but will try to post their first of the season this weekend.

 

The meet will be stacked with spectacular competition, including former three-time All-American Jamie Cook, former Husker and 2003 All-American Casey Thom and 2000 Olympic Qualifier Kip Janvrin on the men’s side. In the heptathlon, the Huskers will face former Big 12 champion Fiona Asigbee, two-time U.S. champion Sheila Burrell and former K-State standout Austra Skyute.

 

Next Up for the Huskers

Following the Ward Haylett Invitational, the Huskers will take a week off before traveling to College Station, Texas, to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. College Station is one of four sites across the country to host a regional meet, including Gainesville, Fla. (East), Baton Rouge, La. (Mid-East) and Northridge, Calif. (West).

 

Following the regional championships, the Huskers will have a week off before those who qualified for the national meet will travel to Austin, Texas, for the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 9-12.

 

Weekend Wrapup

Nebraska competed at three meets across the U.S. last weekend, including competitions in Fremont, Neb., Chapel Hill, N.C., and Modesto, Calif.

 

At Midland Lutheran in Fremont, NU claimed 12 event titles and posted some impressive seasonal and personal-best performances.

 

Kayla Wilkinson improved her career-best throw of 150-10 in the javelin. Maggi Escudero led a 1-2-3 sweep of the women’s 400 meters with a personal-best time of 1:01.46. Lindsay Finkner clocked a personal-best time of 11:47.75 in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

 

In North Carolina, Na’Tassia Vice tied for the win in the women’s high jump with a leap of 5-8. Jenny Green also won the women’s pole vault with a height of 13-5 1/4, followed by teammates Christi Lehman and Jessie Graff in second with a mark of 13-1 1/2.

 

Husker Men Sweep Big 12 Titles

The Nebraska men dominated the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, winning the conference title by 65 1/2 points over second-place Texas Tech. The NU women took second place, despite claiming six individual championships.

 

The Husker men won five events and tallied 172 points for the meet. The Nebraska 4x100-meter relay team pulled off the only win of the meet on the track for the men, while Eric Eshbach (pole vault), Carl Myerscough (shot put, discus), and Issar Yazhbin (hammer throw) each contributed victories in the field.

 

On the women’s side, Ann Gaffigan won the 3,000-meter steeplechase to claim the women’s first individual outdoor title on the track since the 1996 season when NU still competed in the Big Eight. In the field, Nebraska claimed gold in five of the eight events, including wins by Na’Tassia Vice (high jump), Jenny Green (pole vault), Ineta Radevica (long jump, triple jump) and Becky Breisch (shot put).

 

Huskers Face Last Chance to Qualify

Nebraska has already claimed 59 NCAA Regional-qualifying marks and two NCAA qualifying standards this season, but those who have not yet claimed a spot on the regional team have one last chance to do so this week at the Ward Haylett Invitational.

 

Nebraska claimed 59 regional-qualifying marks in 2003 and played host to the first-ever NCAA Midwest Regional Championships.

 

The Nebraska women won the inaugural team championship, while the men tied Texas Tech for third place. Minnesota won the first men’s title in the Midwest Region.

 

Huskers Rank Among Top Performers

Nebraska has 59 individual performances (31 men and 28 women) ranked in the top 10 of the Big 12 Conference performance list, including 25 ranked among the top three (12 men, 13 women) in an event. Seven Huskers lead the conference performance list with three NU athletes ? Becky Breisch (discus and shot put), Ineta Radevica (long jump, triple jump) and Carl Myerscough (shot put and discus) ? leading the Big 12 in more than one category.

 

Breisch owns the best discus throw in the country with a mark of 205-5 at the Drake Relays. She is also fourth in the NCAA in the shot put with a toss of 57-4 3/4, more than two feet better than the next mark in the conference.

 

Myerscough has also been dominating but in less time. Returning to outdoor action on April 17, Myerscough tossed the longest mark in the country at his first meet with a throw of 67-10 1/4 in the shot put, the only person in the conference to top 65-0 outdoors this season. His mark of 207-11 in the discus leads the Big 12 field by more than 11 feet.

 

Also in the field events, Eric Eshbach leads the country after going 18-8 1/4 in the pole vault on April 17. The mark was a school and track record and ties for the third-highest jump in the world during this outdoor season. By reaching the mark, Eshbach automatically qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer.

 

Issar Yazhbin leads the league in the hammer throw after tossing it 203-7 at the Big 12 Championships.

 

The women’s field events are strong again behind NU’s jumpers, especially in the pole vault pit. The Nebraska trio of Jenny Green, Jessie Graff and Christi Lehman rank 1-2-3, respectively, on the performance list. All three have topped 13-3 3/4 while only two others in the league have topped 13-0.

 

In her first meet of the outdoor season, Ineta Radevica quickly reclaimed the conference lead in the triple and long jump. She has also take over the national lead in the triple jump and tie for second in the long jump.

 

Ann Gaffigan is the only other Husker to top the performance list for the Huskers on the track. The senior distance runner set the Big 12 meet record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase when she went 10:17.92.

 

Husker Men Reclaim Sixth Spot in Rankings

The Husker men improved from eighth to sixth and the women remained ranked fourth in the most recent TrackWire Rankings released Tuesday, May 11. It was the sixth straight week the Husker women have been fourth in the outdoor rankings.

 

After claiming the 2003 outdoor and the 2004 indoor national titles, Louisiana State has claimed the top spot in the women’s poll. UCLA and Texas are second and third, respectively, ahead of Nebraska. 

 

On the men’s side, Nebraska moved back into a tie for sixth place with Baylor. Arkansas again held the lead in the men’s rankings for the fourth straight poll. Louisiana State is second while Florida is third.

 

The Husker men claimed the lead in the team power rankings, overtaking Wisconsin for the first time this season. Nebraska claimed the top spot with 408.52 points followed by Brigham Young, and Florida.

 

The women remained in second place behind UCLA for the second week. UCLA has an extensive lead on the field with 450.05 points, followed by the Huskers with 418.88. Brigham Young is third with 410.74 points.

 

Radevica Undefeated in Big 12 Meets

Ineta Radevica has gone eight-for-eight in the horizontal jumps over the last two season in Big 12 Conference Championships. Radevica wrapped up her final two titles in dramatic fashion two weeks ago in Norman, Okla.

 

It took two winning marks in the long jump for Radevica to actually claim the title. Radevica and Texas’ Marshevet Hooker both leaped 21-3 ? on their final attempts of the preliminaries to lead the competition. Radevica set the same mark on her final attempt of the competition to take the win over Hooker. Hooker’s second-best mark was a leap of 21-0 to take second place on her second attempt of the preliminaries.

 

Radevica provided more drama the following day as she trailed Chaytan Hill by one centimeter until her next-to-last jump when she set a mark of 45-0 1/4. She finished the competition off with a winning leap of 45-8 ? on her last jump.

 

Gaffigan Cruises to Big 12 Meet Record

Senior Ann Gaffigan made a statement with her performance in the Big 12 Championships with an incredible run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

 

Gaffigan notched a Big 12 meet and Nebraska school record by clocking a time of 10:17.92. The Springfield, Ill., native defeated the field by more than 20 seconds, as she was followed in second place by teammate Anne Shadle.

 

Gaffigan’s time ranks 12th in the NCAA this season and leads the Midwest Region by more than 14 seconds.

 

Myerscough Comes Up with Record

Carl Myerscough established school and Big 12 meet records in the discus with his winning toss of 208-0 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Norman, Okla.

 

Myerscough’s winning throw outdistanced the field by nearly 10 feet. The Hambleton, England, native notched his third consecutive conference title in the discus with the win.

 

He also regained his Big 12 shot put title, winning the meet with a throw of 67-9 1/2, dominating the field by more than four and a half feet.

 

Eshbach Prevails After Series of Miscues

Eric Eshbach came in as a freshman and won his first career Big 12 crown in the pole vault at the 2000 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Despite winning the conference indoor titles in 2002 and 2003, Eshbach was unable to win the outdoor meet over the next three seasons.

 

In back-to-back conference meets in 2002 and 2003, Eshbach did not clear a bar and failed to record a mark at the outdoor event.

 

The Orangefield, Texas, native put that behind him in Norman, when he captured the crown in the final Big 12 meet of his career by clearing 17-9 for the win.

 

The defending NCAA Outdoor champion, Eshbach holds the school records in the pole vault indoors (18-3 3/4) and outdoors (18-8 1/4).

 

Freshman Full of Expectations

Freshman Issar Yazhbin met and exceeded expectations when he collected his first Big 12 title in the hammer throw two weeks ago in Norman.

 

Yazhbin came to Nebraska from Yavne, Israel, after the fall semester. Yazhbin immediately contributed to the Huskers’ title chances with a personal-best throw of 203-8 to win the Big 12 crown.

 

The freshman could make the NCAA Championships with a big day at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet. Yazhbin’s mark ranks eighth in the midwest region and 26th in the NCAA this season.

 

4x100 Full Steam Ahead

The men’s 4x100-meter relay team made a name for itself at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, when it clinched the title and put itself into contention to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor meet.

 

The conference team was made up of Shelldon Simpson, Oliver Williams, Jr., Nate Probasco and Dusty Stamer. Simpson and Williams are the only two returnees from a year ago. Stamer has put this squad over the top, overtaking Texas on the anchor leg to claim the Big 12 title in a time of 39.76, which currently ranks sixth in the Midwest Region and 20th in the NCAA.

 

Gaffigan Named Student-Athlete of the Year

Ann Gaffigan was honored at the 2004 Student-Athlete Banquet on April 19 by being named the NU Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

 

Gaffigan competes for both the cross country and track teams, and carries a 3.88 GPA in computer science as a member of the J.D. Edwards Honors Program.  A three-time academic All-Big 12 selection, she has claimed a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll five times as well as being named to the NCAA Division I Track Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 2003. She has been recognized as a WICCCA Academic All-American in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

 

During the 2004 indoor season, Gaffigan earned her first trip to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She ran the 1,600-meter leg on the Husker distance medley relay squad that broke the Nebraska school record with a time of 11:34.38, and scored in three events for NU at the 2004 Big 12 Indoor Championships.

 

During the cross country season, Gaffigan led the Huskers to an NCAA Midwest Region championship with her second-place finish to garner All-Midwest Region honors. A four-time All-Midwest Region selection, she led Nebraska to a 30th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2003 - the Huskers’ first trip to nationals since 1999. Gaffigan is the fifth track athlete to earn the honor, but only the second in the last eight years. Janet Dutton won the award in 2000.

 

Huskers Have Handle on National Rankings

Nebraska has put up solid times and marks this spring not only on the conference level but on the national scene. Nine Huskers (five women, four men) rank among the top 10 in 12 events following the Big 12 Conference championships.

 

Becky Breisch leads the Huskers in the national rankings with the top spot in the discus throw and the fourth spot on the shot put chart.

 

Breisch’s throw of 205-5 in the discus at the Drake Relays leads the country with the second spot on the list more than 15 feet behind (190-2).  The toss rewrote the school and Big 12 record for the third straight meet. Breisch also ranks fourth nationally in the shot put with a toss of 57-4 3/4 last weekend in Fremont, Neb.

 

Carl Myerscough also ranks among the nation’s best throwers again this year. He currently leads the NCAA in the shot put with a throw of 67-10 3/4 on April 17 and leads the field by nearly two feet. He is also third nationally in the discus with a toss of 208-0 at the Big 12 Championships.

 

Eric Eshbach leads the collegiate ranks with a leap of 18-8 1/4 at the Nebraska Quadrangular in the pole vault.  His jump ranks third in the world this season. Another vaulter, Jenny Green, ranks fifth in the NCAA in the women’s pole vault with a height of 13-11 1/4 on April 3.

 

In just her first week of competition, Ineta Radevica leaped to the front of the national pack in both the long jump and triple jump at the Big 12 Championships. Radevica ranks number one in the triple jump with a mark of 45-8 1/2 and is tied for second with a leap of 21-3 1/4 in the long jump.

 

Also ranking in the national top 10 heading into the weekend are: Dusty Stamer (7th, 100-meters), Artur Wszelaki (9th, javelin); Jessie Graff (8th, pole vault) and Priscilla Lopes (10th, 100-meter hurdles).

 

Olympic Hopefuls Flourish at Nebraska

Nebraska has had 13 women and 20 men qualify for the Olympic Games since 1912, including four in the most recent Summer Games in Sydney in 2000. 

 

Becky Breisch hopes to become the first female Husker to compete for the U.S. since Linetta Wilson in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. Breisch, who ranks fourth in the world in the discus, has continued to reset the Nebraska and Big 12 Conference records throughout the outdoor season and has automatically qualified for the Olympic Trials.  If she makes the U.S. team, Breisch would be just the third field event athlete from Nebraska to compete in the Olympics and only the second thrower behind Denise Thiemard (Switzerland, javelin, 1988).

 

On the men’s side, Eric Eshbach has also automatically qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials with his monumental leap of 18-8 1/4 on April 17. Eshbach leads the collegiate performers list and is tied for third in the world during the outdoor season. If he makes the U.S. team, he would be the first Husker jumper to compete at the Olympics since Lennox Burgher (Jamaica, triple jump) in the 1968 Mexico City Games.

 

Ashley Selig has met the ?B’ standard in the women’s hepthatlon for the U.S. Trials with her score of 5,316 at the Texas Relays in April. Hurdler Courtney Jones still has a slight chance to make the men’s trials as he posted a time of 13.98 at the season-opening meet in the 110-meter high hurdles. His time is just under the ?B’ provisional standard.