Husker Relay Sets First School Record of 2007

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lawrence, Kan.?Nebraska saw its finest overall day thus far during the 2007 outdoor track and field season Friday, as several Huskers posted season- and career-best marks during the third day of the Kansas Relays. The first NU school record of the year also fell at KU’s Memorial Stadium during the men’s 4x200-meter relay.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Warm weather and a slight breeze provided the best conditions of the year for the Huskers, who had battled less than ideal weather through the previous two weeks. NU’s sprinters benefited in particular, as Friday’s results certainly exhibited.

Highlighting the day was the efforts of the 4x200-meter relay team of freshmen Scott Wims, Dax Danns and Lukas Hulett and senior Nate Probasco, which posted a time of 1:23.12 to win the meet title and edge the nearly 20-year old school standard by .15 seconds. The race marked the Huskers’ first attempt at the event this season, as the squad was forced to pull out of the event two weeks ago at the Texas Relays because of inclement weather. The squad managed to overcome more than one bad exchange during the race.

The previous school record of 1:23.27 was registered in 1988 by a team comprised of former Huskers Bill Trott, Dave Burrage, Mark Perry and Bob Jelks. Most impressive about Friday’s performance was that three freshmen helped to make up the relay.

“All of them ran well and they should, because it should be a good event for us with the type of sprinters that we have,” said assistant coach Matt Martin, who coaches the Husker sprinters. “Our goal was to have Scott get us to the front by the end of the lead leg, and he did. Nate ran awesome on the final leg. We just need to tighten up a few things and we should be able to run a little faster next week at the Drake Relays.”

The four members returned later in the afternoon during the 4x100-meter relay, but a bad first exchange caused the squad to not finish. The women’s 4x100 relay placed 10th in 47.40

Nebraska’s three freshmen relay legs also notched impressive individual efforts on the track during qualifying rounds. Wims and Danns reached Saturday’s men’s 100-meter dash final with respective personal-best times (wind-aided) of 10.40 and 10.50. Danns won his heat, while Wims was edged by only .01 seconds in his section. Meanwhile, Hulett cruised to a spot in Saturday’s 400-meter dash final by winning his preliminary heat in 47.02, the third-fastest time of the day.

In addition to NU’s record-setting 4x200 relay, Huskers earned two other event crowns Friday.

Senior Gable Baldwin broke the 17-foot barrier in the men’s pole vault for the first time outdoors this season while headlining a group of three NU regional qualications in the event. Baldwin reached 17-2 ? to win the event and take over the top position on the Big 12’s season performance list.

“I’ve been waiting to jump something decent, and that was my hope going into today,” Baldwin said. “(17-2) is not bad for this time of year. I just need to keep training and try to peak at Big 12’s, regionals and the NCAA meet.”

Senior Nic Petersen and Zach Holoch each added clearances of 16-8 ? to place fifth (tie) and seventh, respectively. The height marked a career best for Holoch, who earned his first career bid to the NCAA regional meet with the bar.

Nebraska added a victory in the men’s 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay for the fourth time in eight years, as the team of sophomore Pat Burke, freshmen Tyrell Ross and Tim Grier and senior Aaron Ross clocked in at 59.14. The women’s squad, which fielded senior Ashley Selig, junior Kim Shubert, senior Casie Witte and freshman Nikita Eades, placed third (58.80) in the 4x100-meter shuttle hurdle relay.

Two Huskers added silver medal-finishes in the field Friday: freshman Epley Bullock, who grabbed silver in the high jump (5-8 ?), and sophomore Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, who broke the 42-foot barrier for the first time in the triple jump (42-0 ?). Other top finishers for Nebraska in field events were: senior Daniel Roper, the third-place finisher in the men’s triple jump (50-6 ?w) and senior Jeni Steiner, who placed third in the women’s shot put.

In hurdles competition, four Huskers advanced through preliminary rounds of the 400-meter hurdles, including three men: junior Andrew Pearson (fourth-52.76), freshman Tim Grier (sixth-52.80) and Tyrell Ross (seventh-53.01). Senior Sheryl Morgan qualified in the women’s 400 hurdles with the day’s No. 4 time of 1:00.08, which won her heat.

The men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Probasco, Wims, Grier and Hulett concluded the day’s competition by advancing through the preliminary round with a heat-winning time of 3:10.22.

The 80th edition of the Kansas Relays concludes Saturday, as nearly 30 Huskers are expected to compete. Nebraska’s events begin with the men’s 110-meter hurdles prelims at 9:15 a.m.

Kansas Relays ? Results
Memorial Stadium
Lawrence, Kan.

Women’s 100-Meter Dash Prelims
21. Chi Kalu, 12.29

Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles Prelims
4. Sheryl Morgan, 1:00.08 RQ, FQ
12. Justine Roach, 1:02.20
13. Nikita Eades, 1:02.84

Women’s 4x100-Meter Relay Prelims
10. Nebraska (McGruder, Eades, Suluki-Drakes, Kalu), 47.40

Women’s 4x100-Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay
3. Nebraska (Selig, Shubert, Witte, Eades), 59.14

Women’s High Jump
2. Epley Bullock, 5-8 ? RQ
3. Kim Shubert, 5-7
T-5. Ashley Selig, 5-7
9. Ashlee Dickinson, 5-5

Women’s Triple Jump
2. Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, 42-0 ? RQ, PR
5. Leandra McGruder, 40-6 ? RQ
8. Danielle Smith, 39-11 ?w PR

Women’s Shot Put
3. Jeni Steiner, 49-5 ? RQ
21. Kacie Sharp, 41-8

Men’s 100-Meter Dash Prelims
4. Dax Danns, 10.50w FQ, PR
8. Scott Wims, 10.40w RQ, FQ, PR

Men’s 400-Meter Dash Prelims
3. Lukas Hulett, 47.02 RQ, FQ
17. Daniel Christensen, 48.67

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles Prelims
4. Andrew Pearson, 52.76 FQ
6. Tim Grier, 52.80 FQ
7. Tyrell Ross, 53.01 FQ

Men’s 4x200-Meter Relay
1. Nebraska (Wims, Danns, Hulett, Probasco), 1:23.12 **School Record**

Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay Prelims
2. Nebraska (Probasco, Wims, Grier, Hulett), 3:10.22 FQ

Men’s 4x110-Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay
1. Nebraska (Burke, T. Ross, Grier, A. Ross), 59.14

Men’s Pole Vault
1. Gable Baldwin, 17-2 ? RQ
T-5. Nic Petersen, 16-6 ? RQ
7. Zach Holoch, 16-6 ? RQ, PR

Men’s Triple Jump
3. Daniel Roper, 50-6 ?w RQ

RQ- NCAA regional qualification

PNQ- NCAA provisional qualification

PR- Personal-best mark
FQ- Finals qualifier