Huskers Sharp in Big 12 Rehearsal

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln?Nebraska competed at the Devaney Center Indoor Track for the final time this season Friday at the Prairie Wolf Invitational, as several Huskers attempted to make cases for the few uncertain roster spots for the upcoming Big 12 Indoor Championships. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Sophomore Robert Rands locked down a trip to next week’s conference meet with his finest effort as a Husker in the men’s long jump. Rands led an NU sweep of the top four positions with a wining leap of 24-9, his best mark since arriving at Nebraska. The efforts ranks second in the Big 12 this season and also earned the Omaha native his first career NCAA provisional qualification. Rands moved into a tie for 20th on the NCAA’s performance list for 2007.

 

Joining Rands with a provisional qualification was senior All-American Daniel Roper, who earned silver-medal honors with a top mark of 24-6 ?. Freshman Tim Grier set a personal best of 23-6 ? in his first attempt at the long jump as a Husker to claim third place, while junior LeRon Williams finished fourth (23-4 ?).

 

The Huskers had a welcome sight with the season’s first appearance of senior Keith Lloyd, who competed in both the men’s weight throw and shot put as an unattached athlete. Lloyd had missed the majority of the 2007 indoor season while dealing with both an illness and elbow injury, but he showed incredible resiliency by finishing second in both of his events Friday. His weight throw toss of 63-8 ? and shot put mark of 56-1 ? each would have earned top-eight rankings on the Big 12’s season list if he had officially competed for Nebraska.

 

Junior Brysun Stately surpassed the 13-foot mark in the women’s pole vault for the third straight week while winning Friday’s competition with a height of 13-0 ?, while junior Jenny Green, who reached 12-6 ?, finished third. Freshman Lindsey Maher broke the 12-foot barrier for the first time with a height of 12-0 ? to place fourth.

 

In other field event action, Danielle Smith continued to show progress in her freshman season in the women’s triple jump by earning her first career collegiate victory with a personal-best leap of 39-7 ?, while fellow freshman Epley Bullock claimed her third win of the year in the women’s high jump (5-9 ?). Freshman Seth Burney led a 1-2 finish with senior Gable Baldwin in the men’s pole vault, as both Huskers cleared 16-11.

 

Junior All-American Dusty Jonas rebounded from two consecutive un-Jonas-like performances by winning the men’s high jump with a height of 7-3. The La Vernia, Texas, native nearly tied the Nebraska indoor record of 7-6, just nudging the bar off the standards with his heels on his first of three opportunities.

 

On the track, senior Sheryl Morgan put together a breakthrough performance while winning the women’s 400-meter dash in a season-best 54.24. The time marks Morgan’s fastest effort since 2005, and it moved her into third place among conference performers for the season. The race also earned her an NCAA provisional mark.

 

Nebraska athletes added four other event crowns Friday, including freshmen Nikita Eades (8.64) and Tyrell Ross (8.09), who notched respective wins in the women’s and men’s 60-meter hurdles. Additionally, sophomore Jennifer Pancoast (2:53.86) and freshman Ethan Luebbe (2:27.34) swept the women’s and men’s 1,000-meter run titles.

 

 

Nebraska will attempt to add more conference hardware to its crowded trophy case next week, as the Huskers travel to compete in the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Ames, Iowa. NU will attempt to win its 98th and 99th all-time conference team titles Friday and Saturday at IowaState’s LiedRecreationCenter.