Huskers Search for Big 12 Hardware

Nebraska begins the championship stretch of the 2006 season this weekend in Waco, Texas, as Baylor hosts the 10th annual Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Fifty Husker athletes (24 women, 26 men) will travel this weekend with hopes of helping NU gain its 98th and 99th all-time conference team titles.

Action begins at Baylor’s Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex Friday with the women’s hammer throw and combined events competitions at 3 p.m. The conclusion of the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon kick off Saturday’s events at 11:30 am., while the meet winds down on Sunday starting at 11 a.m. with the men’s javelin and women’s triple jump.

With the exceptions of the men’s and women’s hammer throw and 10,000-meter run events, Friday’s competition will consist mainly of combined events. All track events on Saturday will be preliminary action, while most finals will be held Sunday.

Men’s and women’s roster limits are set at 32 competitors each for the meet, with the top eight finishers counting toward team scores. A 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system will be used. Individuals may be entered in any number of events. For a complete schedule and listing of NU’s entries, see pages 2-3 of the attached release.

Live results from the Big 12 Outdoor Championships will be available at www.deltatiming.com. A complete recap of Nebraska’s progress will be posted on Huskers.com following competition each evening.

Selig to Redshirt Outdoor Season
Five-time NCAA All-American Ashley Selig has chosen to redshirt during the 2006 outdoor season because of back and hip pain. The senior Husker multi-eventer, who won the 2005 NCAA indoor pentathlon championship, has dealt with sporadic pain since fall training. Although she pushed through the indoor season, she has decided to save her final season of eligibilty in hopes of returning at 100 percent next year.

While she received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science last weekend, the three-time Big 12 champion looks forward to returning healthy during the 2007 outdoor season and concluding her accomplished career.

"It’s something I’ve contemplated all during the outdoor season," Selig said. "I just want to give myself the best opportunity to be successful and be the most help for my team. I have no doubt that Sara Jane (Baker) will be able to take care of business at Big 12’s."

Selig’s absence this weekend will open the door for senior teammate Sara Jane Baker, who appears primed to win her first career Big 12 combined events title in her eighth and final opportunity.

Huskers Set For Title Defense
Six Nebraska event champions from last year’s Big 12 outdoor meet return this season with hopes of earning additional conference honors.

Leading the way is the two-time defending Husker men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Arturs Abolins, Oliver Williams Jr., Nate Probasco and Daniel Roper. Three of the squad’s legs return, as only Roper is new to this year’s team. Also mounting title defenses for the NU men are Aaron Plas in the high jump and Gable Baldwin in the pole vault. While former Husker Shane Lavy managed to win back-to-back high jump crowns in 1996 and 1997, no men’s athlete has managed to defend a pole vault conference title since Harold Hunt in 1942.

Dace Ruskule, who won the women’s discus crown in her first season last year, will try to fend off teammate Becky Breisch, a two-time Big 12 champ, this year on the women’s side. Kayla Wilkinson also returns for NU in the throws, as she attempts to become Nebraska’s first repeat javelin winner since Nora Rockenbauer won back-to-back Big Eight titles in 1989 and 1990. Meanwhile, Priscilla Lopes will try to match NU’s last duplicate 100-meter hurdles titles won by Kwani Stewart in 1992 and 1993.

Husker Big 12 Tidbits
- The NU women will be in search of their third Big 12 outdoor title, and eighth overall. Texas leads with five outdoor, and 10 overall, titles.

- The Husker men own a league-leading four Big 12 outdoor titles, and 12 overall. Texas ranks second with three outdoor and five overall.

- Head Coach Gary Pepin’s 20 Big 12 team crowns are far and away the most in conference history. Texas’ Beverly Kearney (women) and Bubba Thornton (men) rank Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

- The NU women’s and men’s teams combine to own 97 all-time conference team titles, including 20 of the 38 Big 12 championships.

- The Husker women will attempt to become the first Big 12 team to win repeat outdoor titles since Texas in 2003 and 2004.

- NU’s men’s 4x100-meter relay will have a chance to extend its record-setting title streak to three consecutive years. No Husker men’s 400-meter relay had ever won back-to-back titles before last year.

Nebraska at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships
Women
Year - Place - NU Finish (Points) - Champion (Points) - NU Individual Titles
2005 - Manhattan, Kan. - First (126.67) - Nebraska (126.67) Five
2004 - Norman, Okla. - Second (139.5) - Texas (151) Six
2003 - Austin, Texas - Second (130.67) - Texas (188) Five
2002 - Columbia, Mo. - Third (117.5) - Kansas State (121) Three
2001 - College Station, Texas - Second (117.5) - Kansas State (128.25) Two
2000 - Columbia, Mo. - First (169) - Nebraska (169) Four
1999 - Waco, Texas - Fourth (97) - Texas (168) Two
1998 - Columbia, Mo. - Second (113) - Texas (151) Three
1997 - Waco, Texas - Second (110) - Texas (137) One

Men
Year - Place - NU Finish (Points) - Champion (Points) - NU All-Americans
2005 - Manhattan, Kan. - Second (136) - Texas Tech (149.50) - Three
2004 - Norman, Okla. - First (172) - Nebraska (172) - Five
2003 - Austin, Texas - Third (113) - Texas (132) - Three
2002 - Columbia, Mo. - First (143) - Nebraska (143) - Three
2001 - College Station, Texas - Seventh (59) - Texas A&M (159) - None
2000 - Columbia, Mo. - First (134) - Nebraska (134) - One
1999 - Waco, Texas - Second (128) - Texas (151) - One
1998 - Columbia, Mo. - First (155) - Nebraska (155) - Five
1997 - Waco, Texas - Second (112.5) - Texas (130) - Three

Six Huskers Lead Big 12 Events
Six NU athletes enter the Big 12 Outdoor Championships as conference leaders for seven events. Texas owns the most No. 1 rankings with nine leaders.

Becky Breisch leads a group of four Husker women who own this season’s top Big 12 performances for five events. Breisch, NU’s lone two-event leader, paces the conference in both the shot put and discus. Priscilla Lopes (100-meter hurdles), Kayla Wilkinson (javelin) and Sara Jane Baker (heptathlon) also own top marks entering the outdoor conference meet.

While NU has only two athletes marked as Big 12 leaders in Arturs Abolins (long jump) and Ray Scotten (pole vault), several Huskers rank within striking distance of earning Big 12 championships.

Husker Big 12 Event Rankings
Women
Name - Event (Big 12 Rank) - Mark
Sheryl Morgan - 400m (6th) - 53.60
Ari Goldstein - 3,000m (7th) - 10:07.61
Kayte Tranel - 10,000m (3rd) - 34:10.94
Priscilla Lopes - 100m Hurdles (1st) - 12.98
Nebraska - 4x100m Relay (8th) - 46.03
Nebraska - 4x400m Relay (8th) - 3:46.01
Jenny Green - Pole Vault (2nd) - 13-3 1/2
Jenna Blubaugh - Pole Vault (3rd) - 13-1 1/2
Jessie Graff - Pole Vault (t-6th) - 12-5 1/2
Becky Breisch - Shot Put (1st) - 60-6 3/4
Becky Breisch - Discus (1st) - 205-2
Jeni Steiner - Shot Put (7th) - 49-9 3/4
Dace Ruskule - Discus (2nd) - 191-11
Jamie Senkbile - Hammer Throw (4th) - 186-8
Tamara Solari - Hammer Throw (7th) - 177-11
Kayla Wilkinson - Javelin (1st) - 181-2
Sara Jane Baker - Heptathlon (1st) - 5,485
Kim Shubert - Heptathlon (6th) - 4,723

Men
Name - Event (Rank) - Mark
Nate Probasco - 200m Dash (t-3rd) - 20.88
Courtney Jones - 110m Hurdles (6th) - 13.85
Mark Harrison - 400m Hurdles (5th) - 51.29
Gatis Spunde - 400m Hurdles (7th) - 51.54
Nebraska - 4x100m Relay (2nd) - 39.70
Nebraska - 4x400m Relay (4th) - 3:07.37
Dusty Jonas - High Jump (1st) - 7-5 3/4
Aaron Plas - High Jump (5th) - 7-1 3/4
Ray Scotten - Pole Vault (1st) - 18-0 1/2
Gable Baldwin - Pole Vault (t-6th) - 17-0 3/4
Arturs Abolins - Long Jump (2nd) - 25-11
Demea Carter - Long Jump (7th) - 24-7 3/4
Daniel Roper - Triple Jump (3rd) - 50-9 1/4
Keith Lloyd - Hammer Throw (5th) - 200-8 3/4

Breisch Approaches Milestones
A pair of wins this weekend in the shot put and discus will further cement Becky Breisch’s place among the Big 12 Conference’s track and field elite.

Breisch currently sits one behind Paulette Mitchell (nine) for the all-time record for individual conference titles among Nebraska women’s throwers. With only one win, the senior All-American also will become the first NU women’s three-time conference champion in multiple throwing events, as she already owns three Big 12 indoor shot put titles. Dual victories also will make her the first female in the conference’s 10-year history with three titles in either the shot or discus.

Three More Qualify for Regionals
Nebraska concluded its regular season by adding three more NCAA regional qualifiers during last weekend’s Ward Haylett Invitational, hosted by Kansas State at its R.V. Christian Track. Overall, eight Huskers grabbed event titles in Manhattan, Kan.

Justine Roach broke through the regional standard for the first time in her fifth attempt at the women’s 400-meter hurdles this season. She clocked a time of 1:00.73 to win the event and qualify for the second consecutive year.

Demea Carter earned his first career qualification in the men’s long jump after popping off a big-time career-long leap of 24-7 3/4 to take first-place honors. His previous best outdoor jump of 23-9 (wind aided) was recorded at the same facility during last year’s Big 12 outdoor meet.

Also a first-time qualifier, Zarinah Suluki became the only Husker freshman to reach the feat this season, as she finished second in the women’s long jump with a mark of 19-8 1/4. Suluki also set a personal best in the triple jump, finishing runner-up with a leap of 39-11 1/4 (wind aided) that fell less than six inches shy of her second regional mark.

Other Husker winners at Kansas State included Gable Baldwin (men’s pole vault), Keith Lloyd (men’s hammer), Nate Probasco (men’s 200-meter dash), Kayla Wilkinson (women’s javelin), Aaron Ross (men’s 110-meter hurdles) and Daniel Roper (men’s triple jump).

Nebraska Midwest Region Event Rankings
Athletes must finish fifth or higher, and relays third or higher. at regionals to qualify for NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Women
Name - Event (Rank) - Mark
*Sara Jane Baker - Heptathlon (2nd) - 5,485
Jenna Blubaugh - Pole Vault (4th) - 13-1 1/2
Becky Breisch - Shot Put (1st) - 60-6 3/4
Becky Breisch - Discus (1st) - 205-2
Amber Curtis - Discus (19th) - 159-0
Jessie Graff - Pole Vault (t12th) - 12-5 1/2
Jenny Green - Pole Vault (3rd) - 13-3 1/2
Priscilla Lopes - 100m Hurdles (1st) - 12.98
Sheryl Morgan - 400 Meters (12th) - 53.60
Justine Roach - 400m Hurdles (14th) - 1:00.73
Dace Ruskule - Discus (2nd) - 191-11
Jamie Senkbile - Hammer Throw (11th) - 186-8
Tamara Solari - Hammer Throw (19th) - 177-11
Jeni Steiner - Shot Put (10th) - 49-9 3/4
Zarinah Suluki - Long Jump (t14th) - 19-8 1/4
*Kayte Tranel - 10,000 Meters (4th) - 34:10.94
Kayla Wilkinson - Javelin (2nd) - 181-2

Men
Name - Event (Rank) - Mark
Arturs Abolins - Long Jump (2nd) - 25-11
Gable Baldwin - Pole Vault (t10th) - 17-0 3/4
Demea Carter - Long Jump (10th) - 24-7 3/4
Mark Harrison - 400m Hurdles (6th) - 51.29
Dusty Jonas - High Jump (1st) - 7-5 3/4
Courtney Jones - 110m Hurdles (6th) - 13.85
Keith Lloyd - Shot Put (15th) - 57-9
Keith Lloyd - Hammer Throw (4th) - 200-9
Andy Nelson - 400m Hurdles (17th) - 52.49
Nic Petersen - Pole Vault (t18th) - 16-6 3/4
Aaron Plas - High Jump (6th) - 7-1 3/4
Nate Probasco - 200 Meters (t9th) - 20.88
Daniel Roper - Triple Jump (7th) - 50-9 1/4
Ray Scotten - Pole Vault (1st) - 18-0 1/2
Patrick Southern - Pole Vault (17th) - 16-7 1/4
Gatis Spunde - 400m Hurdles (8th) - 51.54
LeRon Williams - Long Jump (t16th) - 24-3 1/2
Oliver Williams Jr. - 100 Meters (t16th) - 10.49w
Relays - 4x100m Relay (5th) - 39.70; 4x400m Relay (12th) - 3:07.37
* - Heptathlon and 10,000-meter events utilize NCAA provisional and automatic qualification standards.

Huskers Fare Well vs. Pros
Becky Breisch and Dace Ruskule travelled to Modesto, Calif., over the weekend to compete in the Modesto Relays. Both Huskers held their own against some of the country’s top women’s collegiate and professional throwers.

Breisch finished runner-up in the discus with a throw of 201-2 behind only 2003 U.S. Champion Aretha Thurmond, while Breisch added third-place honors in the shot put (56-1 1/4). She was the top collegiate athlete in each event. Ruskule also competed in the discus with a sixth-place mark of 183-4.

Undefeated Huskers Aim to Keep Streaks Intact
Several Nebraska athletes enter this week’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships sporting undefeated streaks against collegiate competition for their respective specialty events. Among those Huskers unbeaten by collegiates this season include:
- Becky Breisch?women’s discus (five meets)
- Priscilla Lopes?110-meter hurdles (four races)
- Arturs Abolins?long jump (two meets)
- Nate Probasco?200-meter dash (two races)
Abolins is undefeated against all athletes outdoors this year, while he also owns an eight-meet winning streak that stretches to the start of the 2006 indoor season.

Plas, Selig Sweep Academic Honors
Husker All-Americans Aaron Plas and Ashley Selig were honored with the University of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete-of-the-Year awards at the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet on April 24. Plas became the first NU men’s track and field athlete to be honored, while Selig added the fifth award for the women’s team. This year marked only the second time that athletes from the same sport have won in the same year, matching the honors won by gymnasts Ted Harris and Shelley Bartlett in 1997.

A native of McCook, Neb., Plas is scheduled to graduate in May of 2007 with a degree in business education and a minor in curriculum development. He carries a 3.631 cumulative grade-point average and is a two-time selection to the National Track Coaches Association All-Academic team and a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection.

Selig is a nutrition, health and exercise science major, who carries a 3.63 cumulative grade-point average. A native of Lincoln, Selig graduated in May. She is a two-time member of the National Track Coaches Association All-Academic team and has twice been named first-team academic All-Big 12.

Huskers Honored By Big 12
Dusty Jonas became the third Husker, and first men’s athlete, to be honored as Big 12 Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week on April 26, bringing NU’s 2006 indoor-outdoor award total to six.

Jonas continued his phenomenal sophomore campaign with a victory in the Invitational section of the men’s high jump at the Kansas Relays. The La Vernia, Texas, native became the first Husker to win a Kansas Relays men’s high jump title since Steve Krebs in 1968, after recording a winning leap of 7-5 ? on his final attempt at the height. The jump marked the third consecutive meet with a personal best for Jonas, who entered the outdoor season with a career best of 7-4 ?. He moved from fourth place on NU’s all-time outdoor high jump chart into a tie for second with fellow Texan Shaun Kologinczak (2003).

Becky Breisch claimed her fifth career conference honor on April 4 after a spectacular outing at the Stanford Invitational featuring a pair of wins in the shot put and discus events. The Husker senior took a dominant national lead in the discus with her throw of 201-7, which she has since increased to 205-2. She also won the shot put with a mark of 55-8 1/2. Her current season-best put of 60-6 3/4, which set a career best at the Nebraska Invitational, ranks second nationally.

Sara Jane Baker was honored by the Big 12 for the first time in her career on March 28 after recording a career-best score of 5,485 for the heptathlon at the Jim Click Combined Events. She currently leads the Big 12 with the performance, while ranking seventh in the NCAA.

The Husker trio joins Egle Uljas (twice) and Dmitrijs Milkevics, who earned awards during the indoor season.

Southern Breaks Own World Record
Patrick Southern recorded a pair of milestones at the Nebraska Invitational. Along with earning the first bid of his career to next month’s NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, he also set a new world record for the second time in as many years.

The fifth-year senior cleared 16-7 1/4 in the men’s pole vault to break his own world record for a deaf athlete. Southern became the first deaf athlete to surpass the 16-foot barrier last spring at the Emporia State Relays with a fifth-place vault of 16-0 3/4. What was most impressive about his recent performance was that the event featured a nearly two-hour delay in the middle of competition due to a thunderstorm.

Wilkinson Sets School Record
Kayla Wilkinson finally got her record. The Husker junior notched a throw of 181-2 on her first attempt in the women’s javelin at the Nebraska Invitational to break the school record by two inches.

The junior had been eyeing the former Nebraska women’s standard of 181-0 set by Cassi Morelock in 2000 since the middle of 2005, when she set a major personal best to climb within five feet of the mark. Wilkinson said that while she hoped to eventually reach the record, she did not expect to break it so early, especially while throwing into a stiff wind at Ed Weir Stadium. The reigning Big 12 champ also said she now owns a new goal of reaching 185-0 during this season.

Men’s 4x100 on the Right Track
Last year’s Husker men’s 4x100-meter relay team set a school record on its way to repeating as Big 12 champion for the first time in school history. The squad appears to be on its way to landing a third title in three years despite replacing former anchor Dusty Stamer.

With three of the four members from last season’s lineup returning, the team is off to a fast start with Daniel Roper serving as the fresh anchor leg. Arturs Abolins, Oliver Williams Jr., Nate Probasco and Roper combined for a winning time of 39.70 at the Nebraska Invitational one week after clocking 40.06 at the Texas Relays. The new mark ranks second in the conference and ninth nationally this season.

The squad also appears to be on a record-breaking pace. Last year’s team ran only 40.16 in its second meet of the year, and it failed to break 39.7 until the Big 12 Championships in mid-May (its sixth meet).

Vault Leads Deep NU Event Groups
While Nebraska has historically proven to be a well-rounded track and field program, this season seven events feature multiple Husker regional qualifiers.

The pole vault, which has been far and away NU’s deepest event in 2006, leads the way with seven individuals. The group alone accounts for nearly one-fifth of the Huskers’ NCAA regional roster makeup this season. In comparison to other NCAA squads, only BYU (10) owns more pole vault regional qualifiers than NU.

The men’s vault claims bragging rights with a team-high four individual qualifiers: Ray Scotten, Gable Baldwin, Patrick Southern and Nic Petersen. Jenny Green, Jenna Blubaugh and Jessie Graff have qualified for the women’s squad, tying the discus group of Becky Breisch, Dace Ruskule and Amber Curtis for the women’s team lead.

Last year’s deepest event groupings were the 110-meter hurdles for the men (four qualifiers), while there was a three-way tie on the women’s squad between the discus, 800 meters and 400-meter hurdles with three qualifiers each.

The men’s pole vault group has recorded the biggest jump in qualifiers with an increase of two from NU’s 2006 roster.

Hot Race in the Cool Northwest
Kayte Tranel overcame cool and windy conditions to earn her first career NCAA provisional qualification at the Oregon Invitational. The temperature at the start of the race was a blustery 39 degrees.

The Husker senior broke out a huge personal-best time of 34:10.94 to finish fifth among a competitive field in the women’s 10,000-meter run. Tranel, who was only 15 seconds shy of earning an NCAA automatic bid, became the first NU woman to reach the provisional standard in the event since 1998, when former Husker Christina Blackmer last accomplished the feat.

An All-American during the cross country season, Tranel trimmed more than one minute off her previous best time of 35:23.18. The second half of the race was especially impressive with a split of 16:52.94, which was faster than her lifetime-best 5k time of 16:53.85.

NU Ranks 4th/15th in Trackwire 25
The Nebraska women’s team ranking stayed steady in the Trackwire 25 rankings this week, while the men’s squad fell two spots after a big gain two weeks ago.

The Husker women remained in fourth place, as Georgia jumped up from fifth into a tie with NU. Nebraska’s team total of 44 points trails No. 1-ranked Texas by 20 team points. No. 3 USC’s total is only four points more than NU’s projected score, while Miami (No. 2) also ranks in front of the Huskers.

The women’s team is bidding for its highest NCAA outdoor finish this season. While it owns three indoor national titles, the squad has never finished higher than third place at the national outdoor meet. The last time the Huskers finished third, which has happened six times, was in 2004, when they fell only nine team points shy of champion UCLA.

The Husker men lost two spots this week to rank in a tie for 17th with USC one week after earning their highest placing (15th) of the season. They started the season at No. 17. Florida State ranks as the early NCAA favorite with 50 points, while No. 4 Texas and No. 15 Texas Tech are the lone Big 12 foes ahead of NU in the projections. Texas A&M (19th) and Kansas and Kansas State (tie-21st) also appear in the rankings.

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.

Two Huskers are picked this week as favorites to win individual national titles?Becky Breisch (women’s discus) and Arturs Abolins (men’s long jump).
Husker athletes among this week’s "Dandy Dozen":
Women
Becky Breisch, Discus?1st; Shot Put?3rd
Priscilla Lopes, 100m Hurdles?2nd
Dace Ruskule, Discus?2nd
Ashley Selig, Heptathlon?4td
Kayla Wilkinson, Javelin?3rd
Sara Jane Baker, Heptathlon?9th

Men
Arturs Abolins, Long Jump?1st
Dusty Jonas, High Jump?3rd
Ray Scotten, Pole Vault?9th
Aaron Plas, High Jump?11th

Coaches Move Men Up One Spot
In conjunction with the launch of its new web site, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has begun organizing a Division I USTFCCCA Poll. Nebraska is one of nine programs to have both men’s and women’s squads included in the poll this week.

The Husker women are ranked fourth for the third straight week behind No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Miami and No. 3 USC. In addition to NU and the Longhorns, fellow Big 12 Conference squads Texas A&M (17th) and Colorado (19th) also appears in this week’s rankings.

The NU men moved up one slot to No. 15 after spending three consecutive weeks in 14th place. The coaches rate Florida State as this year’s NCAA outdoor favorite. The men’s poll is more heavily represented by conference schools than the women’s, as five of the top-20 squads are from the Big 12. Texas (third), Texas Tech (16th), Texas A&M (18th) and Kansas (19th) also are included this week.

11 Huskers Graduate
A collection of 11 current and former University of Nebraska track and field athletes received degrees during spring commencement ceremonies May 6 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Included among the group were athletes who owned three individual NCAA championships, nine Big 12 titles and nine NCAA All-America honors.

Six current members of the NU track and field program, Jenna Blubaugh (psychology), Ashlee Dickinson (anthropology), Tom Donlin (mechanical engineering), Nicole Kadyszewski (construction management), Kelsi Murman (business administration) and Ashley Selig (exercise science), were honored with bachelor’s degrees, while former Huskers Richard Davidson (sociology), Marcus Sedberry (marketing), Anne Shadle (exercise science), Dusty Stamer (sociology) and Danny Tylka (biological sciences) also received letters.

The 2006 class of graduating NU track and field athletes amassed an impressive list of accolades. Those Huskers receiving degrees collected totals of nine NCAA All-America honors, nine individual Big 12 Conference championships and three national titles.

The spring graduating class of 54 is added to the December class of 30 graduates to bring the total number of Husker student-athletes graduating during the 2005-06 academic year to 84 before summer commencement exercises in August. Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation with an exhausted eligibility graduation rate of 93 percent.

Eight Huskers Named All-Americans
Eight members of the Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field teams officially were named NCAA Indoor All-Americans by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on March 22. Each athlete competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.

Arturs Abolins, who won his first NCAA title in the men’s long jump, and Sara Jane Baker, who tied for 11th place in the women’s high jump, were the only Huskers to be honored for the first time in their careers. Becky Breisch, the fourth-place finisher in the women’s shot put, claimed the ninth honor of her career, while Priscilla Lopes won her seventh award after finishing second in the women’s 60-meter hurdles.

Other Husker award winners included Ashley Selig (fifth career honor), who earned fifth place in the women’s pentathlon; Dusty Jonas (third career honor) and Aaron Plas (third career honor), the fifth- and seventh-place finishers in the men’s high jump; and Ray Scotten (fourth career honor), who finished 11th in the men’s pole vault.

In Division I track and field, the top eight finishers in each event at the NCAA Indoor Championships, including relays, earn All-America status. In the individual (non-relay) events, if one or more of the top eight finishers are of another nationality, eight American-born athletes are selected in addition to any foreign-born All-Americans.

Abolins Wins First NCAA Title
Arturs Abolins polished off one of the most successful indoor seasons in school history with his first national title in the long jump earlier this month.

The Riga, Latvia, native won the first NCAA long jump crown in Nebraska history at the NCAA Indoor Championships after breaking the school record with a leap of 26-7 1/4 on his final attempt to overtake Texas A&M’s Fabrice Lapierre for first place.

Prior to the attempt, Abolins trailed Lapierre by 3 3/4 inches with his mark of 26-0 3/4, which he recorded on his final attempt of three preliminary jumps. Abolins barely reached the finals of the event after jumping only 20-0 1/4 and fouling on his first two attempts.

The Husker had never broken the 26-foot mark in his career before the meet. His previous career best of 25-9 1/2 was recorded on the same Tyson track one month earlier at the Tyson Invitational. He jumped 25-8 1/4 in late February to earn his second career Big 12 indoor title. Abolins concluded a tremendous indoor season as he went undefeated against collegiate competitors.