Milkevics Wins 800 Meters at Drake Relays

DES MOINES, <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Iowa ? Nebraska’s Dmitrijs Milkevics claimed the men’s special Invitational section of the men’s 800-meter run Saturday during the conclusion of the 96th annual Drake Relays. His time of 1:47.68 was a season best and the third-fastest this season in the Big 12 Conference.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

                                                           

The NU school-record holder in the indoor 800 meters, Milkevics was one of only two collegiate athletes in the race (along with Oklahoma’s Aldwyn Sappleton) composed mostly of professional runners. Milkevics stayed close behind the leader, Jebreh Harris (Reebok), for nearly the entire race before overtaking the lead down the final straightaway.

 

Despite his season-best time, the Riga, Latvia, native was merely happy to get the victory.

 

“When I woke up this morning and saw how cold and windy it was, I knew it was going to be a day just for running, not for (a good) time,” Milkevics said. “There was a lot of good competition out there. I just love running on this track. The fans are great and it makes it that much more wonderful.”

 

Peter van der Westhuizen began the Huskers’ day at Drake by earning the silver award in the men’s 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:47.77. While van der Westhuizen trailed the leader, South DakotaState’s Brad Lowery, by as much as five meters entering the final lap, he made up most of the deficit and nearly won. He was edged by just 0.29 at the finish.

 

Sara Jane Baker notched her first NCAA regional-qualifying performance of the season with a third-place finish in the women’s high jump. Baker tied the leaders for the best height by clearing 5-8 3/4, but she placed third due to earlier misses. Casie Witte’s mark of 5-7 was good for sixth place.

 

The NU women’s 4x800-meter relay team of Ashley Selig, Anne Shadle, Kim Pancoast and Danute Ceika placed fifth among an extremely difficult field with a time of 8:43.55. The top two team finishers, Michigan and Missouri, notched the two fastest times in the world this season, while Nebraska’s mark was the fourth-best in school history.

 

Kyle Doperalski added an eighth-place finish for the Huskers in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Doperalski’s time of 9:11.14 was a personal best, about three seconds short of the regional-qualifying standard.

 

Meanwhile, at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., Nebraska had several athletes participating in event finals on a wet and cold Saturday.

 

Priscilla Lopes was one of two NU winners during the day with a 12.97 clocking in the college women’s 100-meter hurdles Championship heat. The time was not a season best for Lopes, but she still was 0.10 quicker than second-place Tiffany Ross-Williams of South Carolina.

 

“Well, it’s wet and cold out, but I tried to stay focused despite the weather,” Lopes said. “I got out pretty good, but felt some of the girls nearby and just tried to push ahead. I didn’t necessarily expect to win, even though I had the fastest time in the preliminaries. The way I look at it, it’s anybody’s day.”

 

The Husker men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Oliver Williams Jr., Arturs Abolins, Nate Probasco and Dusty Stamer also picked up a win in the college men’s relay heat after being just edged out of the last spot for the Championship heat during Friday’s prelims. The squad recorded a time of 40.23 to earn first place.

 

Dusty Jonas and Aaron Plas posted an exceptional day for Nebraska’s high jumpers by claiming respective finishes of second and third in the college men’s Championship section. Jonas’ clearance of 7-0 ? equaled that of event winner Tom Smialek (Akron), but finshed runner-up due to earlier misses. Plas reached a final height of 6-11.

 

One day after breaking the school record in the men’s 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay, three of the squad’s members were back in action during the college men’s 110-meter hurdles Championship. Nenad Loncar, Courtney Jones and Richard Davidson Jr. went 5-6-7 in respective times of 13.89, 14.04 and 14.06. Loncar’s mark was his season-best time.

 

The Huskers will polish off their 2005 outdoor regular season next Saturday, May 7, when they host their only home meet of the year, the Nebraska Invitational. The meet will be NU’s last competition before the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 13-15 in Manhattan, Kan.