Probasco Improves NCAA Qualifying Chances

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.?Senior Nate Probasco laid his claim for a spot at next week’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a season-best performance in the men’s 200-meter dash during the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier at the University of Arkansas’ Randal Tyson Indoor Track Complex, site of the upcoming national meet.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Probasco clocked in with a time of 21.05 to win his heat and place third overall in the men’s 200-meter dash Friday. The effort, which would have ranked 12th nationally entering the weekend, moved the two-time NCAA All-American up on the national indoor performance list. The mark would have made the cut-off mark during each of the last three seasons, as 21.08 was the slowest time to make the field from 2004 through 2006. Probasco owns a personal best of 20.93, set to earn his second All-America honor at the 2004 indoor national meet in Fayetteville.

 

Freshman teammate Scott Wims also competed in the 200 meters and placed sixth in 21.31. His season best of 21.06, recorded last weekend during the finals at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, ranked 12th nationally entering the day.

 

Probasco and Wims also ran on Nebraska’s 4x400-meter relay that earned third place in 3:11.82. The squad, which also featured redshirt freshman Daniel Christensen and freshman Lukas Hulett, was unable to improve on the season-best mark of 3:07.90 it registered to place third at the Big 12 indoor meet. The team still looks to have a solid chance at reaching the NCAA field, as it entered the weekend with the nation’s No. 6 time.

 

Hulett also competed in the men’s 400-meter dash, placing ninth in 47.80. The freshman’s season best of 46.71 ranked 15th-best nationally entering the day.

 

Senior Casie Witte and sophomore Robert Rands also competed in field event action Friday. Witte, who ranks tied for 28th among all NCAA women in the high jump, shared the event title Friday with Texas Tech’s Lacy Wilson with a winning height of 5-10, while Rands placed seventh in the men’s long jump with a distance of 23-2 ?. Both Rands and Witte appear long shots to reach the NCAA Championships with their final indoor marks.

 

Seven Husker athletes have their final opportunities to step up their NCAA qualifying efforts on Saturday during Last Chance meets in Seattle, Wash., and Ames, Iowa. Four NU pole vaulters?senior Gable Baldwin, junior Jenny Green, sophomore Brysun Stately and freshman Seth Burney, will compete at the Washington Last Chance Qualifier in Seattle, while seniors Sheryl Morgan (women’s 400 meters) and Jeni Steiner (women’s shot put), as well as junior Keith Lloyd (men’s weight throw), are entered in the Cyclone NCAA Qualifier in Ames.