Talented Field Headlines Frank Sevigne Husker Invite

The Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track will be the site of one of the nation’s top annual indoor track and field meets this weekend, as Nebraska plays host to the 31st annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Reserved tickets for the meet may be purchased from the Husker Athletic Ticket Office for $6, while general admission prices are $4 for adults and $2 for children ages six years and older. Admission is free for NU students with a valid ID and children under the age of six.

Although no team score will be kept, the Husker Invite should provide spectators with ample excitement. The first day of competition will consist primarily of multi-events and track preliminary heats, but four field events (men’s and women’s long jump and weight throw) and the 5,000-meter finals will be held, as well as the entire women’s pentathlon. Multi-event competition begins at Noon, with field and running events commencing at 5 p.m.

The majority of event finals are scheduled for Saturday. The day begins at 10 a.m. with the conclusion of the men’s heptathlon, while the women’s pole vault begins field events directly following the heptathlon pole vault. Action on the track is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. with the women’s 60-meter hurdle semifinals.

Elite Athletes Headed to Devaney
Several of the nation’s elite athletes will compete at this weekend’s Husker Invite, annually one of the top attractions of talent during the indoor track and field season. A combined 43 NCAA qualifying marks have been recorded by scheduled competitors, with 23 of the marks ranking among the nation’s top 10.

While most events will feature top-flight competition, the throws events appear to be the most talent heavy, especially on the men’s side.

Four of the nation’s top-10 ranked college athletes are entered in both the shot put and weight throw events, including the top-ranked individuals in each. Along with Nebraska’s own Tom Donlin, Virginia Tech will send the nation’s top two athletes (Spyridon Jullien and Mohsen Anani) in the weight throw to compete. Kansas and Kansas State each will also send a pair of highly ranked athletes this weekend for the weight throw, which will feature nine NCAA qualifiers.

Kansas’ Sheldon Battle, who owns the nation’s leading throw this season, headlines the men’s shot put field. Minnesota will feature the Nos. 3 (Adam Schnaible) and 6 (Karl Erickson) athletes, as well.

The women’s throws events will feature five NCAA qualifiers, including NU’s Becky Briesch, who ranks second nationally in the shot put. Tamara Burns (Virginia Tech) and her No. 1 national ranking in the weight throw will be challenged this weekend, as competitors April Brooks (Tennessee) and Laci Heller and Lauren Groves of Kansas State also bring NCAA qualifying marks to the Devaney Center.

Another event to keep an eye out for this weekend will be the pole vault, which will feature talented men’s and women’s fields. On the women’s side, five athletes with NCAA qualifying marks will contend, including top-ranked Breanna Eveland (Kansas State) and Huskers Jenna Blubaugh and Jenny Green. New Mexico’s Derek Mackel leads a men’s field of four NCAA provisional qualifiers, including Nebraska’s Gable Baldwin.

Other intriguing battles for the weekend include the women’s 60-meter dash, which will feature No. 8 Janice Davis (Stanford), No. 12 Chauntae Bayne (Stanford) and No. 14 Priscilla Lopes (Nebraska); the men’s high jump, which will pit No. 2 Kyle Lancaster (Kansas State) against No. 5 Dusty Jonas (Nebraska); the men’s 60-meter hurdles with No. 7 Courtney Jones (Nebraska) and No. 13 Derek Johnson (Drake); and the women’s 60-meter hurdles, with No. 5 Lopes set to race Kansas State’s Lisi Maurer (No. 26).

Multi-Events Set to Begin Season
This weekend’s Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational will mark the first time this season that Nebraska’s multi-event athletes will compete in combined events competitions. While these Huskers may have not had the opportunity to compete in the pentathlon (women) or heptathlon (men) so far this year, each athlete has competed in several events during NU’s first three meets.

Nebraska returns a deep and talented group of multi-event athletes for the 2006 season, especially on the women’s side. Leading the way during their senior campaigns are 2005 NCAA pentathlon champion Ashley Selig and four-time NCAA qualifier Sara Jane Baker.

The men’s team has high hopes for returning All-Big 12 decathlete Lee Martin this season in the heptathlon, as well as newcomer Ben Schutter, who his coaches feel holds great potential in the event.

While the Husker Invite is the group’s first contest, great performances could still be posted. Selig broke the Nebraska women’s indoor pentathlon school record at last year’s Husker Invite in her first multi-event competition of the 2005 season.

Huskers Sweep Home Triangular
Both NU’s men’s and women’s teams swept team titles during last weekend’s Triangular featuring Colorado State and Kent State at the Devaney Center Indoor Track. The women earned a decisive victory, 148.50 to 128.50, against CSU, while the men sweated out a narrow win, 120.50 to 120, over the Rams.

Daniel Roper and Dusty Jonas clinched the title for the men’s squad in the day’s final event by finishing 1-2 in the triple jump. Jonas, who also won the high jump (7-3), overtook CSU’s Jarelle Johnson on his final jump by an inch to seal victory for the Huskers with a leap of 47-4 1/2. Roper soared to 49-0 3/4 in his first meet of the season.

Priscilla Lopes earned her third NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of the season with a personal-best time of 23.82 to win the women’s 200 meters. She also claimed victory in the 60-meter hurdles (8.30), while finishing second in the 60 dash (7.39).

NCAA All-American Gable Baldwin met his first provisional qualification this season after clearing 17-4 1/2 to win the men’s pole vault. Tom Donlin also notched his first provisional mark for the Nebraska men this season in the weight throw with a fourth-place spin of 62-5 1/4.

Other winners for the NU men’s team included Arturs Abolins in the long jump (25-3 1/4) and 60 dash (6.80); Courtney Jones in the 60 hurdles (8.05); Aaron Nasers in the 1,000 meters (2:26.73); and Peter van der Westhuizen in the 800 meters (1:50.77).

Those Huskers adding wins for the women’s squad included Sara Jane Baker in the high jump (5-9 1/4); Becky Breisch in the shot put (57-0 1/4); Jenny Green in the pole vault (12-9 1/2); Kim Pancoast in the 1,000 meters (2:50.63); Kayte Tranel in the 5,000 meters (17:04.48); and Natalja Zarcenko in the 800 meters (2:13.67). The Huskers also took first place in the 4x400-meter relay (3:44.34).

Blubaugh Soars to Career Best
Several Huskers also competed in a Triangular hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan at the Devaney Center following NU’s own tri-meet last weekend.

Jenna Blubaugh raised eyebrows by setting a personal best of 12-11 3/4 to claim the women’s pole vault title and earn her first NCAA provisional qualification. The senior entered the competition with a career-high mark of 11-9 3/4 before her breakthrough performance, which ties her with two-time All-American Jenny Green for the squad’s best height this season.

Other personal bests set during the meet included Aaron Ross in the men’s 60 hurdles (7.98); Adam Evans in the men’s weight throw (56-2); and Jeni Steiner in the women’s weight throw (55-5).

Lopes Records Triangular Trifecta
Priscilla Lopes once again wowed Devaney Center spectators during last weekend’s Triangular. After winning the women’s 60-meter hurdles and setting a season-best time of 7.39 to place a close second in the 60-meter dash, the six-time All-American avenged her loss in the 60 dash to Colorado State’s Janay DeLoach in a big way with a personal-best time of 23.82 in the 200-meter dash.

The time also earned Lopes her third NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of the year, as she became the first Big 12 Conference female athlete to achieve the feat this season. One of the nation’s top all-around athletes, she currently ranks among the NCAA’s top 10 in the 60-meter hurdles (fifth) and the 200 (10th), while she currently is undefeated in races of the 60-meter hurdles for 2006.

Breisch Back and Better than Ever
Becky Breisch continued her remarkable comeback from a career-threatening elbow injury with some of her finest performances in the indoor shot put this season.

The eight-time NCAA All-American set an indoor personal best of 57-3 while winning the adidas Classic title by nearly five feet two weeks ago. The mark erased her previous best of 56-10 1/4, which she recorded to finish runner up as a junior at the 2004 NCAA Championships.

The heave also earned Breisch Nebraska’s first automatic qualification to the 2006 NCAA meet, where she will attempt to earn her first indoor national title. She has won an NCAA outdoor title in the event, as she claimed the 2003 NCAA title as a sophomore. Breisch again hit the automatic mark last weekend with a throw of 57-0 1/4 during NU’s home Triangular.

Huskers Ranked 5th, 7th in Track & Field Coaches Poll
In conjunction with the launch of its new web site this season, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has began organizing a Division I USTFCCCA Coaches Poll. Nebraska is one of four programs to have both its men’s and women’s teams appear among the poll’s top 10 this week.

The NU women dropped one spot to fifth this week behind South Carolina (first), Texas (second), defending NCAA indoor champion Tennessee (third) and Stanford (fourth). Texas A&M (13th) is the only other Big 12 school in the rankings.

The Husker men were voted as the No. 7 team by the coaches for the second straight week. Defending NCAA indoor champion Arkansas tops out the men’s poll, while Texas (second) is the highest-rated Big 12 squad. Other ranked conference squads include Texas A&M (ninth), Texas Tech (15th), Kansas (18th) and Baylor (19th).

NU Rankings Hold in Trackwire 25
Both Nebraska men’s and women’s squads were listed among the nation’s top 10 in the weekly Trackwire 25 rankings for the third straight week Monday.

The women’s team stayed at No. 4, the same spot it placed at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. NU is one of two Big 12 Conference schools included among the top 10, along with Texas (No. 2). Texas A&M (No. 12) also is listed in the women’s rankings.

The Husker men dropped three spots into a tie for No. 10 from last week’s season-high of seventh place. The poll predicts a talented Big 12 men’s field in 2006, as six teams appear in the rankings: Texas (No. 4), Baylor (No. 7), Texas A&M (No. 12), Kansas (tie-No. 15) and Kansas State (No. 24).

The Trackwire 25 attempts to predict team scores for the NCAA Championships based on individual athlete rankings for each event?nicknamed the "Dandy Dozen"?that are updated weekly by track and field statistician Gary Verigin.

Nebraska is the hot name in the Dandy Dozen for 2006, as the program leads all NCAA teams with 12 individual athletes this week. The next closest dual-squad program is Texas, which has 11 athletes appear in this week’s rankings.

Both individual Husker teams rank near the national lead in numbers of athletes selected. The seven men’s picks ties Arkansas and Wisconsin for the national lead, while NU’s five women’s selections trail only Stanford (seven), Texas (six) and South Carolina (six).
Husker athletes among this week’s "Dandy Dozen":
Women
Ashley Selig, Pentathlon?1st
Becky Breisch, Shot Put?2nd
Priscilla Lopes, 60m Hurdles, 2nd; 60 Meters?9th
Egle Uljas, 800 Meters?5th
Sara Jane Baker, Heptathlon?11th

Men
Dmitrijs Milkevics, 800 Meters?1st
Arturs Abolins, Long Jump?4th
Courtney Jones, 60m Hurdles?7th
Nate Probasco, 200 Meters?7th
Dusty Jonas, High Jump?8th
Aaron Plas, High Jump?11th
Gable Baldwin, Pole Vault?11th

Huskers Rank Among Nation’s Best
Six NU athletes sit among the top 10 for their respective events on the latest NCAA performance list.

Topping the charts is Becky Breisch, who owns the nation’s No. 2 throw in the women’s shot put this season. Priscilla Lopes is the only Husker with top-10 ratings in two events: the 60-meter hurdles (tie-fifth) and 200-meter dash (10th).

Four Nebraska men find themselves in the national rankings this week. Dusty Jonas garnered the top men’s rating for NU this week with his season-best leap of 7-3 in the high jump during last weekend’s Triangular. Courtney Jones’ stellar time of 7.84 in the men’s 60-meter hurdles ranks him seventh nationally for the event this week, while Arturs Abolins has earned to No. 8 ranking for the long jump for the second consecutive week. Gable Baldwin also entered the list this week at No. 8 in the pole vault.

Eight Huskers Lead Big 12 Events
Several Huskers find themselves leading events on the 2006 Big 12 Conference indoor performance list, despite the season being only a few weeks old. Three men and five women rank No. 1 among all league athletes for events to be held at this season’s indoor conference meet.

Priscilla Lopes tops the women’s 60-meter hurdles field with her NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 8.23, while Kim Pancoast owns a lead in the mile (4:55.86). Kayte Tranel (17:04.48) also owns a No. 1 ranking in the 5,000 over teammate Channing, although Huskers are the only athletes to have competed in the event. Egle Uljas posted an impressive time of 1:18.44 in the 600-yard run that gives her a huge lead of more than four seconds over the conference field. Becky Breisch also owns a substantial lead of more than three feet with her automatic-qualifying mark of 57-3 in the shot put.

Nebraska men with No. 1 event rankings include Dmitrijs Milkevics (1:08.81) in the 600-yard run, Peter van der Westhuizen in the 1,000 meters (2:23.64) and Alec Maduza (15:50.96) in the 5,000 meters. Maduza is the lone athlete on the 5,000-meter list.

Thirteen All-Americans Return in ?06
A combined 13 NCAA All-Americans will suit up for the Husker men’s and women’s squads in 2006. The NU men will feature nine athletes, including 2005 NCAA champion Dmitrijs Milkevics, while four honorees will compete for the NU women. Of the four Husker women’s All-Americans, three own NCAA championships in Becky Breisch (2003 outdoor shot put, 2004 discus), Priscilla Lopes (2004 60m hurdles) and Ashley Selig (2005 pentathlon).

Husker NCAA All-Americans

(former NCAA champions in bold)
Women
Name; Honors; Event(s)
Becky Breisch; Eight; Shot Put (five), Discus (three)
Jenny Green; Two; Pole Vault
Priscilla Lopes; Six; 60m (two); 60m hurdles (two); 100m hurdles (two)
Ashley Selig; Four; Pentathlon, Heptathlon

Men

Name; Honors; Event(s)
Gable Baldwin; One; Pole Vault
Dusty Jonas; Two; High Jump
Dmitrijs Milkevics; Three; 800m
Aaron Nasers; One; 800m
Aaron Plas; Two; High Jump
Nate Probasco; Two; 200m, 4x100m
Daniel Roper; One; Triple Jump
Ray Scotten; Three; Pole Vault
Oliver Williams Jr.; One; 4x100m

Three Huskers Win USATF Titles
The 2005 season proved to be a banner year for Nebraska athletes competing on the national stage. While Huskers brought home four individual NCAA titles, that success carried into the summer months with three athletes claiming titles at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Carson, Calif.

Becky Breisch became the first Husker to win a USATF title in the women’s discus with her final throw of 206-5, securing victory over four-time U.S. champion Seilala Sua (202-10). The win also clinched a spot for Breisch on the U.S. World Championships team, while she fell just short of qualifying in the shot put with a fifth-place finish.

Dusty Jonas and Robert Rands earned respective U.S. junior titles in the high jump and long jump events. Jonas cleared 7-4 1/2, more than five inches higher than the runner-up, to win the high jump, while Rands, who joined the Nebraska men’s squad this fall, soared to 24-7 while taking the long jump. Jonas and Rands each qualified for the Pan American Junior Games, where they also claimed titles during the summer.

Huskers Take on the World
Four Nebraska athletes saw their 2005 seasons extend into the late summer to the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, during late August. The elite competition served as the second consecutive world championship competition for Becky Breisch, Priscilla Lopes, Dmitrijs Milkevics and Egle Uljas.

Priscilla Lopes experienced the most successful stay among Huskers with her semifinals appearance in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Competing for Canada, Lopes notched the 10th-fastest semifinal time to fall only two spots shy of her first career final at a world competition.

Becky Breisch finished 18th overall during women’s discus qualifying with a throw of 57.16 meters (187-6) on her second of three attempts. Breisch recorded fouls on her first and third attempts to finish 10th in her flight.

Dmitrijs Milkevics, competing for Latvia, ran in the men’s 800-meter race, but did not advance out of the qualifying stages. Milkevics finished fifth in the third of six heats with a time of 1:50.44, just .30 seconds off the heat’s winning time.

Egle Uljas competing for Estonia, ran a season-best time of 52.94 during women’s 400-meter qualifying to finish seventh in the first of six heats and 32nd overall out of 46 athletes. Uljas competed primarily in the 800 meters as a Husker last spring, but also competed at the 2004 Olympics in the 400.