Balanced Husker Men Aim for Return to Top of Big 12

The Nebraska men's track and field team enters the 2007 season with high hopes of once again challenging the top teams of the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA. While five Husker All-Americans who helped NU finish among the top 18 at both NCAA indoor and outdoor competitions last year are no longer with the squad, a talented core of returning athletes will mix with one of the nation’s most-heralded recruiting classes to create a team with excellent depth.

"Our men’s team has a chance to be very good," Head Coach Gary Pepin said. "It is a team that in some areas is fairly young, but it should have a lot of balance to it. We have some areas that I think will be very good."

The men’s team once again will showcase balance, with several event groups?most notably the jumps, pole vault and multi-events?featuring some of the nation’s best collections of talent. Five All-Americans return, including two-time NCAA champion Arturs Abolins, but it could be Track & Field News’ No. 8-ranked class of newcomers that will help decide if the Huskers are truly challengers for their 58th and 59th all-time conference titles.

"A few of our freshmen have a chance to make an immediate impact on our team," Pepin said. "There are some in this class who should be able to score fairly high at the Big 12 Championships."

Sprints/Hurdles
Senior Nate Probasco, a two-time All-American and four-time Big 12 champion, will carry the torch for NU’s sprints corps in his final season. Probasco will be asked to compete in as many as four events during conference competition, in addition to providing a veteran presence for an extremely young group.

"The way he’s taken a big workload of training and handled himself during the fall has made him a great leader and influence on our group that has a lot of young talent," Assistant Coach Matt Martin said. "I think he is the right person for the benefit of our team to be able to do a lot different events."

Redshirt freshman Daniel Christensen sat out his first season in Lincoln and concluded the summer by competing at the World Junior Championships for Denmark in the 4x400-meter relay. He will focus primarily on the 200-meter dash, but could also compete in either the 400 meters or on the 4x100-meter relay.

The rest of the group may lack experience, but it certainly is filled with raw talent. Martin is excited about the potential of several newcomers not only in their individual sprinting events, but also to contribute on one of the Huskers two sprint relays.

Freshmen Scott Wims and Lukas Hulett both boast outstanding credentials making them appear ready to provide an instant impact. Wims may be the Huskers’ top threat in the 100-meter dash, with Hulett possibly pacing the team in the 400.

"Wims and Hulett are going to be really helpful to the team this year," Martin said. "They have a ton of talent, and as time goes on, they appear to be the next wave of Husker sprinters who will help us battle for Big 12 titles and All-America honors."

Others who may assist in the 100 and 4x100-meter relay are seniors Daniel Roper and Arturs Abolins, All-American jumpers who each ran as members of the relay in 2006.

On the high hurdles front, Nebraska must replace a Big 12 champion in Courtney Jones, but the group of senior Aaron Ross, redshirt freshman Tyrell Ross and freshman Jamie Ryder should lessen the loss considerably.

"Aaron has done some very good things for us in the past," Assistant Coach Billy Maxwell said. "He has placed twice in the Big 12, and he appears ready to have a good senior season outdoors."

With Aaron Ross having only outdoor eligibility remaining, Nebraska’s other young hurdlers will be tested early. Maxwell expects big things from both Tyrell Ross and Ryder, as he said both possess the tools to become great hurdlers.

The Huskers have several prospects ready to help replace 2006 Big 12 champion Mark Harrison in the 400-meter hurdles, led by freshman Tim Grier, who earned fourth place during the summer at the U.S. Junior Championships.

"Tim has absolutely great credentials," Maxwell said. "He’s one of the best athletes I’ve recruited since I’ve been here. He has the complete package, it’s just a matter of how quickly he progresses and puts everything together."

Junior Andrew Pearson is the lone returning hurdler from last year’s group. He will look to build on a sophomore season that saw him set a personal-best time in addition to making his first appearance at the NCAA regional meet.

"As far as athletic ability, Andrew is one of the more talented athletes we’ve worked with here," Maxwell said. "It’s just a matter of him putting his training together and finding more consistency."

Other hurdlers who will be given a chance to contribute include sophomore Jared Gillmore and freshman Nicholas Makukutu. Maxwell said Makukutu is an impressive trainer who could also be a factor on NU’s 4x400-meter relay, along with a collection of Huskers, including Grier, Pearson and Hulett.

Middle Distance/Distance
The most inexperienced area on this year’s team appears to be the Husker middle distance and distance groups, but both numbers and talent have improved.

Nebraska received a boost in the middle distance area during the offseason with the addition of freshman Andr?s Lics?k, a talented newcomer from Hungary. Lics?k should be the Huskers’ main threat in the 800 meters this season.

"We are expecting some great things from Andr?s," Maxwell said. "He has done some things in fall training that make us think he has a lot of upside not only down the road, but also in the Big 12 this season."

Junior Peter van der Westhuizen is the lone returning All-Big 12 honoree in the distance area, and despite having lingering problems with compartment syndrome during the cross country season, he appears ready to excel on the track as one of several Huskers in the mile and 1,500-meter events.

"Peter is a wonderful talent," Assistant Head Coach Jay Dirksen said. "He will compete with the best in the conference, as he is in really great shape coming out the cross country season."

A pair of redshirt freshmen, Kyle Custer and Brian Parr, will also look to make an impact in the 1,500 after making big strides in cross country. Parr also appears to be the Huskers’ top steeplechase prospect for the outdoor season.

"Custer and Parr are definitely runners who we view as future scoring threats in the conference," Dirksen said. "With Brian, I have no doubt he could be a scorer in the steeplechase this spring if he concentrates his efforts in that direction."

Juniors Andrew Lind and Vince Sickler, a Division III All-American transfer from Nebraska Wesleyan who sat out last season after arriving at NU, also could contribute in the short distance events, along with a host of newcomers in freshmen Mackenzie Jeffrey, James Laville and Ethan Luebbe.

Competition in the long distance races will fall primarily to two individuals, junior Alec Maduza and freshman Bryce Somer. Maduza is the lone returnee with experience in either the 5,000- or 10,000-meter events.

Throws
As has been the case during the last few years, Nebraska’s fortunes in the throws area rests with a deep group of athletes in the weight and hammer throws. Assistant Coach Mark Colligan expects at least three Huskers to compete for league honors in the two events this season.

Headlining the group will be senior Issar Yazhbin, a former Big 12 champion in the hammer who redshirted in 2006 due to a severe groin injury. Yazhbin is fully recovered and is expected to build toward a return to the NCAA Championships, where he first appeared in 2005.

"Issar is moving effectively enough where I don’t think of him as having a past injury, but in terms of his potential," Colligan said. "We won’t be satisfied if he is only as good as he was before the injury."

Junior Keith Lloyd quietly led the group in his first season during Yazhbin’s absence. Already among the top-four athletes all-time in Nebraska for the hammer, Lloyd holds the potential to compete in several throwing events. He was an All-Big 12 performer in the shot put both indoors and outdoors while leading all Huskers in the event.

"Keith is a triple threat in the hammer, weight and shot put," Colligan said. "Since he now doesn’t have to bear as much of the pressure on his weight and hammer, the biggest emphasis with him will now be on his shot. He is our leader there, and we won’t spoil his best effort for that event."

A newcomer with potential to make a move in the weight and hammer is junior Bryan Bell, who transferred to NU after setting a school record at Valparaiso in the weight throw. Additionally, Bell will compete in the shot with Lloyd, while the pair will work to show improvement in the discus this season.

Others who will provide depth in the hammer and weight are junior Aaron Bozarth and redshirt freshman Eric Petersen. Freshmen Chris Brown, Jack Heiman and Max McShane each will attempt to find their own roles in the group in their first seasons.

On the javelin front, junior Thorin Meyer and redshirt freshman Ryan Pettrochi will attempt to make NU’s Big 12 outdoor squad in 2007. Colligan expects both Meyer and Pettrochi to challenge for NCAA regional berths this season.

Jumps
Pepin’s jumps group boasts the largest group of proven talent on this year’s Nebraska team. Three All-Americans who have combined for seven honors and five Big 12 titles return in 2007, led by two-time NCAA champion Arturs Abolins.

Abolins shrugged off previous NCAA meet disappointments as a junior with a pair of clutch performances to become the first national champion men’s long jumper in NU history. While Abolins returns as the NCAA favorite with an eye toward the European Championships next summer, Pepin still sees room for improvement.

"Arturs is an older, more mature guy now," Pepin said. "He is a good competitor and a smart athlete. He doesn’t get rattled in meets. And I still think there are areas where he can get better."

As Abolins leads the Huskers’ efforts in the long jump, junior Dusty Jonas once again will challenge for a national championship in the high jump after scoring during each of his previous four NCAA meet appearances.

"Dusty is one of the better jumpers we’ve ever had," Pepin said. "He certainly has the talent it takes to challenge for a championship."

Daniel Roper, Nebraska’s first-ever three-time conference champion in the triple jump, also returns for his senior season with the potential of a big final year.

"Roper had his first full fall of training for us in a while, and he looked very good," Pepin said. "He will also long jump."

Behind Nebraska’s big three in the jumps are several others who may challenge for conference honors, led by junior LeRon Williams and sophomore Robert Rands.

Williams continued to show progress as a sophomore and earned his second career All-Big 12 honor and NCAA regional bid in the long jump, while Rands also placed in the conference and fell just shy of qualifying for regionals. While a full year of training would seem to help Rands in his second season, and first as exclusively a track athlete, Williams may miss part of the upcoming campaign after ankle problems during the summer.

Others who will provide depth and search for a spot on the Huskers’ Big 12 Championships teams are redshirt freshman Tyrell Ross in the high jump, and sophomore Jordan Bates and redshirt freshman Chris Nuttelman in the triple jump.

Pole Vault
One of the deepest groups on this year’s Nebraska squad is expected to be the pole vault, as the roster features four athletes with 17-foot-plus potential in the event.

Senior All-American Gable Baldwin looks to conclude his career on a high note by reaching the NCAA Championships both indoors and outdoors for the first time since his sophomore season of 2005.

"This fall, Gabe has had some of the best practices of his life," Assistant Coach Kris Grimes said. "He really developed consistency on the runway, which has always been a big factor in his performance."

NU’s other senior, Nic Petersen, will compete only outdoors after exhausting his indoor eligibility. Grimes is hopeful that Petersen will reach his first NCAA meet in his final opportunity, calling the Omaha, Neb., product "bigger, stronger and faster than he’s ever been."

The squad also expects big things from redshirt freshman Sam Ogden after he added nearly a foot to his top high school performance while taking last year off from official competition. In addition to Ogden, freshman Seth Burney brings tremendous potential with him to Lincoln after breaking Baldwin’s former Nebraska high school record last season at Beatrice.

"Seth is an extraordinary talent who is very coachable," Grimes said. "He has picked up challenging technical skills very quickly. The only thing that he lacks is experience."

Multi-Events
In addition to the pole vault, Nebraska will need to receive substantial points out of its combined events athletes to challenge with the Big 12’s elite in 2007. Luckily for NU, a relatively young group of four Huskers could have a positive effect on the squad’s title hopes.

Senior Lee Martin and junior Ben Schutter each earned all-conference honors and fell just shy of reaching the NCAA Championships last season. Health will be a big key for both athletes, but Grimes believes both could be in line for big seasons.

"The long throws are fabulous for Lee, and those events are very important for him," Grimes said. "The elbow problems that hampered him two years ago are now gone, and I expect to see him competing in the decathlon at the NCAA meet."

"Ben worked his tail off in the summer and fall to get stronger. He is stronger and has better endurance, and his throws are extraordinarily good. If his pole vault and high jump come in line, everything seems to be stable for him."

The sleeper in the multi-events may be sophomore Skyler Reising, who exploded for a big day-one total in last season’s Big 12 decathlon only to struggle during the final day of competition.

"He is still such a young guy," Grimes said. "We have really worked hard on his second-day events. He’s looking really good, and he could be a darkhorse candidate of our group."

Junior Pat Burke has shown amazing progress while competing in the multis for only a year. A top-10 finisher during both Big 12 combined events challenges in 2006, Burke has continued to progress and appears to be a candidate for conference honors this season.