Huskers Search for Last-Minute NCAA Qualifiers

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>LINCOLN?With the national indoor meet quickly approaching, Nebraska will look to add some additional qualifiers to the 2007 NCAA Championships this weekend by sending 14 Huskers to different locations throughout the country. NU plans to send athletes to NCAA Qualifier meets in Arkansas, Iowa and Washington with the intentions of improving their chances of making the national fields. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

The NCAA Indoor Championships will be held Friday through Saturday, March 9-10, in Fayetteville, Ark.

Junior All-American Dusty Jonas (men’s high jump) is the lone Husker to have earned an automatic spot at the NCAA indoor meet through the first seven weeks of the season, while junior Brysun Stately (women’s pole vault) and the men’s 4x400-meter relay team comprised of senior Nate Probasco and freshmen Daniel Christensen, Lukas Hulett and Scott Wims each appear to be near locks for acceptance into the meet.

The Huskers also have others who currently sit on the qualification bubble, including a large number of men’s athletes. Freshman Epley Bullock (high jump) appears to be the only NU women’s athlete who still owns a chance of qualifying with her current season-best mark, while the same is true for the following men’s athletes?senior Daniel Roper (long jump); junior Ben Schutter (heptathlon); freshman Lukas Hulett (400-meter dash); and freshman Scott Wims (200-meter dash).

Others who still could qualify with improved performances this weekend include: senior Gable Baldwin and freshman Seth Burney (men’s pole vault); junior Peter van der Westhuizen (men’s mile); sophomore Robert Rands (men’s long jump); senior Sheryl Morgan (women’s 400 meters) senior Jeni Steiner (women’s shot put); senior Casie Witte (women’s high jump); and junior Jenny Green (women’s pole vault).

Sprinters/Jumpers Travel to Arkansas
Six Huskers, each from either the sprints or jumps groups, will compete at the site of next week’s NCAA indoor meet on Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Nate Probasco and Scott Wims each will attempt to lower notch lower times in the 200 meters on one of the nation’s fastest indoor tracks at 7:05 p.m., while the two sprinters will be joined by Daniel Christensen and Lukas Hulett for the 4x400-meter relay at 8:15 p.m. Hulett is scheduled to run the 400 meters to open the day’s track events at 3:15 p.m. Casie Witte (women’s high jump) and Robert Rands (men’s long jump) will compete at Noon and 2 p.m., respectively.

Live results from the Arkansas Last Chance Meet can be found at www.flashresults.com.

Distance/Vaulters Head West
Among the five Huskers traveling to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Last Chance Qualifier are pole vaulters Gable Baldwin, Seth Burney, Brysun Stately and Jenny Green. All events will be held on Saturday, with both pole vault fields beginning at 1 p.m. Central. Peter van der Westhuizen will be the only Husker distance runner in action, as he will make another attempt to break the four-minute barrier in the men’s mile at 1:55 p.m.

Results will be posted on the University of Washington web site, www.gohuskies.cstv.com, following Saturday’s competition.

Three Huskers Return to Ames
Nebraska will send only three athletes back to the LiedRecreationCenter, in Ames, Iowa, site of last week’s Big 12 Indoor Championships, for Saturday’s Cyclone NCAA Qualifier. A pair of Husker throwers, junior Keith Lloyd (men’s weight throw) and Jeni Steiner (women’s shot put), will compete, with their respective events scheduled to begin at 11:20 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sheryl Morgan also will aim to improve her time in the women’s 400-meter dash at 1:35 p.m.

Results from the Cyclone NCAA Qualifier will be posted following the meet at www.cyclones.com.

A Glance at the National Rankings
By taking into account the acceptance lists from each of the last three NCAA Indoor Championships, a minimum mark and number of entries can be projected for each of the events that Nebraska currently has at least one provisional qualification. After examining the list and the marks and rankings for each of NU’s qualifiers, Brysun Stately and the men’s 4x400-meter relay appear to be near-locks to receive bids. At this time, Epley Bullock, Lukas Hulett, Daniel Roper (long jump), Ben Schutter and Scott Wims also figure to have an above average chance of making the field, while Gable Baldwin, Seth Burney, Nate Probasco, Nate Roper (triple jump) and Peter van der Westhuizen, among others, each should expect to be left out unless they post improved marks this weekend.

For the complete NCAA indoor performance list rankings, visit www.trackshark.com/rankings/collegiate_lists.php

NU Women’s 2007 NCAA Indoor Marks: 400?Morgan (54.24; 31st). 
HJ?Bullock (6-0; t13th); Witte (5-10; t28th).  PV?Stately (13-8 ?; t5th); Green (13-1 ?; t25th). 
TJ?Suluki-Drakes (41-10 ?; t29th).  SP?Steiner (51-7 ?; 24th). 

Pen?Shubert (3,859; 28th); Witte (3,791; 40th); Wheatley (3,713; t50th).

 

EVENT             2004 ENTRIES (LAST MARK)           2005 (LAST MARK)           2006 (LAST MARK)

W400m                           18 (53.49)                                   16 (53.51)                           16 (53.55)

 

WHJ                          18 (1.81; 5-11 ?)                        21 (1.79; 5-10 ?)                21 (1.80; 5-10 ?)

 

WPV                          17 (4.10; 13-5 ?)                        17 (4.10; 13-5 ?)                17 (4.05; 13-3 ?)

 

WTJ                         16 (13.12; 43-0 ?)                      17 (13.04; 42-9 ?)             17 (13.06; 42-10 ?)

 

WSP                               17 (53-4 ?)                           17 (15.87; 52-0 ?)              18 (16.20; 53-1 ?)

 

WPen                             18 (3,941)                                   17 (3,938)                           16 (3,868)

 

 

NU Men’s 2007 NCAA Indoor Marks: 200?Wims (21.06; 12th); Probasco (21.12; t19th). 
400?Hulett (46.71; 15th).  Mile?van der Westhuizen (4:01.79; 19th).  4x100m (3:07.90; 6th). 
HJ?Jonas (7-4 ?; 4th).  PV?Baldwin, Burney (17-4 ?; t18th).
LJ?Roper (25-2; 13th); Rands (24-10 ?; t22nd).  TJ?Roper (51-8 ?; 17th). 
WT?Yazhbin (64-8 ?; 30th).  Hep?Schutter (5,474; 15th); Reising (5,333; 24th).

 

EVENT             2004 ENTRIES (LAST MARK)           2005 (LAST MARK)           2006 (LAST MARK)

M200m                           16 (21.08)                                   16 (21.13)                           16 (21.11)

 

M400                              15 (46.51)                                   16 (46.62)                           14 (46.72)

 

MMile                           14 (4:02.18)                                15 (4:01.26)                        20 (4:01.75)

 

M4x100m                     11 (3:07.57)                                11 (3:07.54)                        11 (3:08.14)

 

MHJ                           14 (2.19; 7-2 ?)                          15 (2.19; 7-2 ?)                  15 (2.18; 7-1 ?)

 

MPV                          16 (5.35; 17-6 ?)                        17 (5.35; 17-6 ?)                17 (5.35; 17-6 ?)

 

MLJ                          15 (7.66; 25-1 ?)                       15 (7.60; 24-11 ?)               16 (7.68; 25-2 ?)

 

MTJ                           14 (15.85; 52-0)                      15 (15.83; 51-11 1/4)            17 (15.73; 51-7 ?)

 

MSP                         14 (18.74; 61-5 ?)                      14 (18.71; 61-4 ?)              16 (18.65; 61-2 ?)

 

MWT                        14 (20.48; 67-2 ?)                     15 (20.72; 67-11 ?)             16 (20.97; 68-9 ?)

 

MHep                             14 (5,483)                                   15 (5,373)                           16 (5,412)