Husker 4x200 Relay Re-Sets School Record at Drake

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Des Moines, Iowa?Nebraska broke a one-week-old school record Friday in the 4x200-meter relay, as the Huskers began their weekend of competition with the Drake Relays at DrakeUniversity’s Drake Stadium. NU also had two athletes in action at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

The grouping of senior Nate Probasco and true freshmen Dax Danns, Lukas Hulett and Scott Wims had a busy day Friday, as each athlete ran for both NU’s men’s 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays. Three of the four Huskers also ran on the 4x400-meter relay, as each group earned second-place honors while posting season-best times.

The order of Wims, Danns, Hulett and Probasco made short history of the school record it set in the 4x200 while winning last weekend’s Kansas Relays title in 1:23.12, as the relay posted a mark of 1:22.62 to finish runner-up to meet champion Baylor (1:21.65). Nebraska still was unable to run error-free on its exchanges during the race, but it was much better than a week ago. The group’s Friday time was 0.65 faster than the old school record set in 1988 (1:23.27).

“We were happy with (the performance),” Probasco said. “We just wanted to lower the school record again, and we did that. Still, I know we could improve that time. Our handoffs?all four?were pretty shaky, but that’s kind of expected with a race like this that you don’t run very often.

“I think (the handoffs were better), but not only that, I think we all ran a little faster this weekend. Even though we were all a little tight from running the (4x400-meter relay), I think we did the best we could with what we had left.”

In addition to Nebraska’s efforts in the 4x200 relay, both the 4x100 and 4x400 groups easily advanced through preliminary races to reach Saturday finals.

The same foursome that ran on the 4x200 timed in at 40.21?a season-best clocking?during the 4x100 prelims to begin the day’s events. The group, which will compete in the finals at 4:32 p.m. Saturday, ran in a slightly different order from the 4x200 set with Danns, Hulett, Probasco and Wims.

In between the 400- and 800-meter relays, the 4x400 group of Probasco, Wims, junior Andrew Pearson and Hulett clocked in at 3:06.67, the nation’s seventh-fastest time this season, to finish behind Baylor (3:05.95). Hulett snagged the baton on the final leg trailing Baylor’s Quentin Summers by at least 15 meters and caught the Bear midway through the final curve, but Summers was able to pull away for the prelim victory. NU will have another shot at Baylor on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Wims will have a busy day Saturday, as he also qualified for the finals of the men’s 100-meter dash with a time of 10.53 to place seventh during the prelims. The Huskers added a finals qualifier in senior Aaron Ross, who ran the day’s No. 5 time in the men’s 110-meter hurdles (14.22).

In the field, senior Arturs Abolins continued his comeback from a calf muscle injury that cost him nearly the entire indoor season with a third-place finish in the men’s long jump, as he posted a season-best leap of 24-11 ? on his first trials attempt. While Abolins’ mark was still far short of the personal best of 26-7 ? he set during his NCAA championship junior season in 2006, he did manage to improve his season mark for the second consecutive competition.

“Overall, I think it was fine,” Abolins said. “I am still fighting my injury, but ever day I am getting faster and feeling stronger. I only had one good jump. My main goal is to get back to the way I was last year. I will get better jumps as I get stronger and faster.”

Junior Kim Shubert put together a lifetime-best effort in the women’s high jump to place second in the women’s University/College division with a height of 5-10 ?. Shubert, who already owned an NCAA regional-qualifying mark in the event, eclipsed her previous best of 5-8 ? set during the Texas Relays on her final attempt at the bar. Teammates Epley Bullock and Ashley Selig tied for fifth place after each cleared 5-7.

Senior Dace Ruskule was unable to put together her best effort of the season in the women’s discus, but she still managed to finish runner-up for the second straight year at Drake after unleashing a best throw of 170-6. Ruskule has now surpassed the 170-foot mark during each of her five meets in 2007, with her best throw of 180-10 coming during the season-opening Stanford Invitational.

Also in competition this weekend were senior Sheryl Morgan and freshman Tim Grier, who ran the 400-meter hurdles at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. Senior Sheryl Morgan finished fifth in a very tough field with a season-best time of 58.52. The mark ranked as Morgan's fastest in her three seasons at Nebraska, while it als moved her within .04 shy of the top time in the Big 12 this season, held by Kansas' Ashley Brown.

Freshman Tim Grier placed 47th in the men’s 400-meter hurdles at Penn in 57.02.

The Drake Relays and Penn Relays conclude Saturday, as Huskers are expected to compete in 18 different events in Iowa. Following the relays meets, NU will return to Lincoln in time to play host to its first home meet of the outdoor season, the Nebraska Open, Sunday beginning 11 a.m. at Ed Weir Stadium.

Drake Relays ? Results
Drake Stadium
Des Moines, Iowa

Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles - Prelims
T-11. Nikita Eades, 13.97p

Women’s 4x100-Meter Relay - Prelims
17. Nebraska (McGruder, Eades, Suluki-Drakes, Kalu), 47.51p

Women’s High Jump ? Univ./College Final
2. Kim Shubert, 5-10 ? RQ, PR
T-5. Epley Bullock, 5-10 ? RQ
T-5. Casie Witte, 5-8 ? RQ

Women’s Pole Vault ? Univ./College Final
T-8. Jenny Green, 12-5 ? RQ

Women’s Discus ? Univ./College Final
2. Dace Ruskule, 170-6 RQ

Men’s 100-Meter Dash ? Prelims
7. Scott Wims, 10.53 FQ
11. Dax Danns, 10.59

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles- Prelims
5. Aaron Ross, 14.13p FQ
17. Tyrell Ross, 14.42p

Men’s 4x100-Meter Relay ? Prelims
2. Nebraska (Danns, Hulett, Probasco, Wims), 40.21p FQ

Men’s 4x200-Meter Relay ? Finals
2. Nebraska (Wims, Danns, Hulett, Probasco), 1:22.62

Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay ? Prelims
2. Nebraska (Probasco, Wims, Pearson, Hulett), 3:06.76 RQ, FQ

Men’s 4x800-Meter Relay ? Final
5. Nebraska (van der Westhuizen, Schmidt, Licsak, Luebbe), 7:29.51

Men’s 4x1,600-Meter Relay ? Final
7. Nebraska (Parr, Sickler, Custer, Luebbe), 16:56.19

Men’s Pole Vault ? Univ./College Final
-- Gable Baldwin, No Height

Men’s Long Jump ? Univ./College Final
3. Arturs Abolins, 24-11 ? RQ
16. Robert Rands, 23-2 ?

Penn Relays ? Results
Franklin Field
Philadelphia, Pa.

Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
5. Sheryl Morgan, 58.52

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles
49. Tim Grier, 57.02

RQ- NCAA regional qualification
FQ- Finals qualifier

PR- Personal-best mark