Huskers Gear Up for Championship Schedule

Nebraska concludes the regular-season portion of its 2006 outdoor track and field schedule this Saturday, as several Huskers travel to Manhattan, Kan., for the Ward Haylett Invitational at Kansas State's R.V. Christian Track. Additionally, a pair of talented NU women's throwers, Becky Breisch and Dace Ruskule, also will compete in the Modesto Relays in Modesto, Calif.

While many of NU's top-tier athletes will be off this weekend for training purposes, athletes who combine for 23 NCAA regional qualifications and two provisional marks are scheduled to compete.

Ward Haylett Invitational Information
Nebraska will send a group of 49 athletes (30 men, 19 women) to Kansas State for the Ward Haylett Invitational with intentions of preparing for next week's Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Waco, Texas.

Huskers are entered to compete in 29 events Saturday, as the travel squad features seven combined events athletes slated to see action in multiple events. Other teams scheduled to attend include fellow Big 12 schools Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri and Oklahoma State.

Live results from the Ward Haylett Invitational will be offered Saturday at www.kstatesports.com. A complete recap and full results will be available on Huskers.com following competition Saturday evening. A schedule and list of NU entries may be found on page 2 of this week's Husker track and field notes.

Modesto Relays Information
Becky Breisch and Dace Ruskule also will be in action on Saturday, as the pair travels west to Modesto, Calif., to compete against some of the country's top professional and collegiate throwers in the Modesto Relays.

Breisch is entered in both the women's shot put (11:30 a.m. CDT) and discus (11:45 a.m.) events, while Ruskule will join her in the discus. Former Husker and current volunteer assistant coach Leeann Boerma also will compete in the shot.

Live results from the Modesto Relays will be offered on-line at the meet's website, www.modestorelays.org.

Nebraska's NCAA Outdoor Qualifiers
Women
NCAA Championships Provisional Qualifiers
Name - Event (NCAA rank) - Mark
Sara Jane Baker - Heptathlon (7th) - 5,485w
Kayte Tranel - 10,000m (21st) - 34:10.94

NCAA Midwest Regional Qualifiers
Name - Event (NCAA rank) - Mark
Jenna Blubaugh - Pole Vault (t22nd) - 13-1 1/2
Becky Breisch - Shot Put (2nd) - 60-6 3/4
Becky Breisch - Discus (1st) - 205-2
Amber Curtis - Discus (63rd) - 159-0
Jessie Graff - Pole Vault (t57th) - 12-5 1/2
Jenny Green - Pole Vault (t18th) - 13-3 1/2
Priscilla Lopes - 100m Hurdles (2nd) - 12.98
Sheryl Morgan - 400m (t32nd) - 53.60
Dace Ruskule - Discus (3rd) - 191-11
Jamie Senkbile - Hammer (48th) - 186-8
Tamara Solari - Hammer (81st) - 177-11
Jeni Steiner - Shot Put (36th) - 49-9 3/4
Kayla Wilkinson - Javelin (3rd) - 181-2

Men
NCAA Midwest Regional Qualifiers
Name Event - (NCAA rank) - Mark
Arturs Abolins - Long Jump (2nd) - 25-11
Gable Baldwin - Pole Vault (t46th) - 16-8 3/4
Mark Harrison - 400m Hurdles (19th) - 51.29
Dusty Jonas - High Jump (2nd) - 7-5 3/4
Courtney Jones - 110m Hurdles (18th) - 13.85
Keith Lloyd - Shot Put (t45th) - 57-9
Keith Lloyd - Hammer (42nd) - 195-9
Andy Nelson - 400m Hurdles (t78th) - 52.49
Nic Petersen - Pole Vault (t50th) - 16-6 3/4
Aaron Plas - High Jump (10th) - 7-1 3/4
Nate Probasco - 200m (t23rd) - 20.88
Daniel Roper - Triple Jump (32nd) - 50-9 1/4
Ray Scotten - Pole Vault (t4th) - 18-0 1/2
Patrick Southern - Pole Vault (t48th) - 16-7 1/4
Gatis Spunde - 400m Hurdles (28th) - 51.54
LeRon Williams - Long Jump (t55th) - 24-3 1/2
Oliver Williams Jr. - 100m (t59th) - 10.49w
Nebraska - 4x100m Relay (t10th) - 39.70
Nebraska - 4x400m Relay (25th) - 3:07.37

Breisch Wins Drake Relays Title
Becky Breisch and Dace Ruskule led a group of nearly 20 Huskers competing last weekend at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa., by going 1-2 in the women's discus. While Friday and Saturday featured less than ideal conditions, rain during the final day forced many Huskers out of competition. Priscilla Lopes, Dusty Jonas and Aaron Plas were among those Huskers who decided against risking injury by competing on the meet's final day.

Breisch earned her third consecutive Drake Relays discus title with a throw of 202-5 on her next-to-last attempt to out-distance Ruskule, who recorded a spin of 190-11. While her fifth of six throws was the longest, Breisch also notched another mark in excess of 201 feet during the qualifying round. NU also exhibited its depth of national talent in the event, as both Huskers defeated Beth Mallory (Alabama), the reigning NCAA discus champion, by more than 11 feet.

Kayla Wilkinson added runner-up honors in the women's javelin for the second straight year on Friday despite dealing with a rainy runway. She delivered on her final preliminary throw to make the final group, then moved up from seventh to second on her last attempt with a mark of 165-11.

Other Huskers boasting successful weekends at Drake included LeRon Williams, who earned his first regional mark of the season in the men's long jump (24-3 1/2); Justine Roach, who registered a season-best time in the women's 400-meter hurdles (1:01.20); and Natalja Zarcenko, who added a season best of her own in the women's 1,500 meters.

Abolins Leads NU at Penn Relays
Arturs Abolins made NU's long trek to Philadelphia a success on Friday by claiming his first Penn Relays men's long jump crown. Abolins was one of nine Huskers who competed at Penn.

The 2006 NCAA indoor long jump champ leaped an outdoor personal-best 25-11 to take top honors by eight inches over Herbert McGregor (unattached). Abolins kept his season-long unbeaten streak against collegiate athletes alive, extending it to eight straight meets. He also moved up to No. 3 on the Huskers' all-time outdoor performance list.

Mark Harrison recorded a season-best and team-leading time of 51.29 to place seventh out of more than 70 competitors in the men's 400-meter hurdles, while teammate Andy Nelson met his first regional qualification of the season with an 18th-place time of 52.49. Courtney Jones added seventh-place honors in the Championship section of the men's 110-meter hurdles.

Huskers Set for Commencement
Eleven current or former members of the Nebraska track and field program will earn their college degrees on Saturday during commencement ceremonies at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Six Huskers currently on the squad will be awarded diplomas, including Jenna Blubaugh, Ashlee Dickinson, Tom Donlin, Nicole Kadyszewski, Kelsi Murman and Ashley Selig. Among those athletes graduating who have already exhausted their athletic eligibility are Richard Davidson, Anne Shadle, Dusty Stamer and Danny Tylka.

Marcus Sedberry, a former Husker and current student assistant coach who had to give up competition due to injury, also is set to graduate.

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 currently 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 will graduate 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.

Big 12 Outdoor 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 (6th) - 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
Arturs Abolins - Long Jump (2nd) - 25-11
Daniel Roper - Triple Jump (3rd) - 50-9 1/4
Keith Lloyd - Hammer Throw (6th) - 195-9 1/4

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.

Athletes must finish fifth or higher and relays third or higher at regionals to qualify for NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Husker NCAA Midwest Region Event Rankings 
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 (t11th) 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
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
*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 (16th) - 16-8 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 (6th) - 195-9
Andy Nelson - 400m Hurdles (16th) - 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 (15th) - 24-3 1/2
Oliver Williams Jr. - 100 Meters (t16th) - 10.49w
Nebraska - 4x100m Relay (5th) - 39.70
Nebraska - 4x400m Relay (12th) - 3:07.37
* - Heptathlon and 10,000-meter events utilize NCAA provisional and automatic qualification standards.

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 auto 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 gained three spots.

The Husker women remained in fourth place, as USC leaped in front into third while Georgia fell to fifth. Nebraska's team total of 45 points trails co-No. 1-ranked Texas and Miami (61) by only 16. USC's total is only one point more than NU's projected score.

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 gained three spots this week to rank in a tie for 15th with Texas Tech despite earning the same score (17) as last week. They started the season at No. 17. Florida State ranks as the early NCAA favorite with 61 points, while No. 4 Texas is the lone Big 12 foe ahead of NU in the projection. Texas A&M (19th), Kansas and Kansas State (tie-20th) 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?2nd
Priscilla Lopes, 100m Hurdles?2nd
Dace Ruskule, Discus?2nd
Ashley Selig, Heptathlon?4td
Kayla Wilkinson, Javelin?3rd

Men
Arturs Abolins, Long Jump?1st
Dusty Jonas, High Jump?3rd
Ray Scotten, Pole Vault?8th
Aaron Plas, High Jump?11th

Coaches Also Rate NU 4th/15th
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 second straight week behind No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Miami and No. 3 USC. In addition to NU and the Longhorns, fellow Big 12 Conference squad Texas A&M (17th) also appears in this week's rankings.

The NU men rank 15th for the third consecutive week. 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 (14th), Texas A&M (17th) and Kansas (20th) are all included this week.

Added Outdoor Events Provide Boost
Both the NU men's and women's teams will receive a boost from additional events held during the outdoor season. The Husker women will greatly benefit from the added throwing disciplines, chiefly the discus and javelin, while the men return NCAA qualifiers in the 400-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay.

The discus will be one of the women's squad's deepest events, as 2004 NCAA champion Becky Breisch, who also won the USATF title last summer, returns after redshirting during the 2005 outdoor campaign. Breisch should be considered the overwhelming favorite to claim her second NCAA title, as her career best would have won last year's national meet by more than 13 feet.

Another Husker talent in the discus is Dace Ruskule, a 2004 Olympian who won the Big 12 title last spring. While Ruskule struggled at the 2005 NCAA outdoor meet, she ranked among the nation's top five athletes for the entire season. Amber Curtis, who qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional as a freshman last year, also returns.

Kayla Wilkinson opens her junior season in the javelin already as one of Nebraska's best in the event. After winning her first Big 12 title as a sophomore in 2005, Wilkinson, the current school record holder, looks to take the next step to All-American status this season.

On the men's side, Mark Harrison returns after sitting out the indoor season due to exhausted eligibility. Harrison made huge gains in the 400-meter hurdles near the end of the 2005 outdoor campaign and finished 17th in the prelims at the NCAA Championships. He should also give NU another talented pair of legs in the 4x400-meter relay. Others who will compete in the intermediate hurdles include Andrew Pearson, Andy Nelson and Gatis Spunde.

Three members of Nebraska's 4x100-meter relay returns for the second straight season with hopes of another Big 12 championship. Last season's team of Arturs Abolins, Oliver Williams Jr., Nate Probasco and Dusty Stamer broke the school record with a time of 39.19 at the NCAA Midwest Regional after claiming a second straight conference title. With only Stamer to replace this year, the Huskers once again hold the potential to be dangerous in the event.

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.