Fifteen Huskers Selected for NCAA Championships

LINCOLN?Fifteen Nebraska track and field athletes were selected Tuesday to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, to be held June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. The Huskers’ 2006 NCAA outdoor roster will consist of eight women and seven men.

Five NU women earned automatic NCAA spots for their respective events by placing among the top five finishers during last weekend’s NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Austin, Texas. Leading the Huskers at the regional meet were three event winners?senior Becky Breisch (shot put) and juniors Priscilla Lopes (100-meter hurdles) and Dace Ruskule (discus). Junior Kayla Wilkinson (javelin) and sophomore Jenny Green (pole vault) also claimed automatic qualifying spots, while senior Jenna Blubaugh received an at-large bid in the pole vault after tying for the nation’s No. 12 performance this season.

Two other Husker women?seniors Sara Jane Baker (heptathlon) and Kayte Tranel (10,000-meter run)?received NCAA bids based on provisional qualifying marks set during the outdoor season.

Seven automatic qualifiers will lead the Nebraska men at this year’s NCAA outdoor meet?seniors Mark Harrison (400-meter hurdles), Aaron Plas (high jump) and Ray Scotten (pole vault); juniors Arturs Abolins (long jump), Gable Baldwin (pole vault) and Daniel Roper (triple jump); and sophomore Dusty Jonas (high jump). No Huskers were able to reach the national meet this year via the at-large or provisional qualification process.

Athletes were required to finish among the top 12 entries in all events except the 10,000-meter run and combined events (which employed the same automatic/provisional qualifying process used during the NCAA indoor season) at last weekend’s NCAA regional meets in order to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. All individuals finishing among the top five, and all relays among the top three, at the regional meets received automatic NCAA bids, while the remaining spots between six and 12 were placed in a pool from which at-large selections were made. The total number of competitors for the NCAA Championships was capped at 544.

Both Husker men’s and women’s squads will attempt to finish among the nation’s top 25 teams for the fifth straight outdoor season. NU claimed eighth place in the women’s team race and 18th in the men’s competition during the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, also held in Sacramento. Additionally, Nebraska will attempt to keep intact its streak of seven straight NCAA meets (indoor and outdoor) with at least one individual national champion.

Nebraska Women's NCAA Roster
Sara Jane Baker, Sr. - Heptathlon
Jenna Blubaugh, Sr. - Pole Vault
Becky Breisch, Sr. - Shot Put
Jenny Green, So. - Pole Vault
Priscilla Lopes, Jr. - 100m Hurdles
Dace Ruskule, Jr. - Discus
Kayte Tranel, Sr. - 10,000 Meters
Kayla Wilkinson, Jr. - Javelin

Nebraska Men's NCAA Roster
Arturs Abolin, Jr. - Long Jump
Gable Baldwin, Jr. - Pole Vault
Mark Harrison, Sr. - 400m Hurdles
Dusty Jonas, Jr. - High Jump
Aaron Plas, Sr. - High Jump
Daniel Roper, Jr. - Triple Jump
Ray Scotten, Sr. - Pole Vault