Distance Group Fuels NU?s Final Efforts at Drake

Des Moines, Iowa?The Drake Relays concluded Saturday at Drake Stadium, as three <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska distance runners turned in career-best performances to pace the squad during the final day of competition. Sophomore Natalja Zarcenko earned the Huskers’ first Drake Relays title of the weekend, while freshmen Brian Parr and Rachel Carrizales added standout efforts in the steeplechase.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Zarcenko became the first Husker woman ever to win a 1,500-meter race at the Drake Relays, as she broke the personal-best time she set two weeks ago at the Mt. SAC Relays with a clocking of 4:21.57 to outlast Minnesota’s Heather Dornidan, one of the nation’s premier 800-meter athletes. Leading for much of the University/College section race, Zarcenko found herself trailing Dornidan midway through the back stretch of the final lap before employing a late kick down the final 100 meters to claim victory.

“It was a great race,” Zarcenko said. “I’m actually pretty shocked. I didn’t expect to run a PR with the wind the way it was. I knew my teammates were there cheering for me in the stands, and I just worked my way back to the front (down the home stretch).

Zarcenko’s win atoned for an eighth-place finish in 4:32.82 that she registered as a freshman during last year’s meet.

“Last year I was a completely different runner. I’ve worked really hard this year, and I’m ready to be one of the top runners in the Big 12 this year.”

Assistant coach Jay Dirksen, who tutors the Nebraska distance runners, was excited about Zarcenko’s performance, which moved her into fifth place on the Huskers’ all-time event chart.

“It was awfully exciting to watch her run as well as she did and win,” Dirksen said. “She beat some terrific athletes, including one of the top 800-meter runners in the nation. To out-kick someone like that down the home stretch was pretty amazing. Natalja’s development has been good this spring, and it is good to see all of that hard work starting to pay off.”

Parr finished runner-up in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best time of 8:58.30, shaving more than seven seconds off the previous regional-qualifying time of 9:05.95 that he clocked at the season-opening Stanford Invitational.

The Fremont, Neb., native nearly cracked the Huskers’ all-time top-10 list for the event, as he was less than a second shy of Harold Graham’s (1990) 10th-place time of 8:58.01. Parr did manage to move up from seventh on the Big 12’s season list to fifth with the race.

In the women’s steeple, freshman Rachel Carrizales qualified for her first NCAA regional meet after placing 11th in a career-best 10:49.81, which improved her standing as the third-fastest women’s athlete for the event in school history. The mark ranks just outside the top-eight performers on this season’s Big 12 descending order list.

“Rachel ran a fabulous race, and she was technically sound, which is important in a race like the steeplechase,” Dirksen said. “She has made some giant improvements during the outdoor season, and it really makes coaching fun when someone is able to make such strides in a short period of time.”

The day concluded with Nebraska once again setting a season-best time in the men’s 4x400-meter relay to place second overall to Baylor. The group of senior Nate Probasco and freshmen Scott Wims, Dax Danns and Lukas Hulett, which earlier set a season best during the prelims on Friday, clocked in at 3:06.09, the nation’s No. 5 time this season.

The same foursome also ran in the 4x100-meter relay final and placed third in 40.35 while running an order of Danns, Hulett, Probasco and Wims. The relay posted its season best of 40.21 during Friday’s prelims.

Individually, Wims competed in the men’s University/College 100-meter dash final and finished fifth in 10.58. Senior Aaron Ross earned fourth place in the University/College men’s 110-meter hurdles with a wind-aided time of 14.04.

Another Husker freshman, Erwin Schmidt, nearly reached the NCAA regional standard in the men’s 800-meter run after running a season-best time of 1:50.92 that fell only about a half second shy of the requirement.

Freshman Chaunte McMillan led Nebraska’s efforts in the field, as she registered a career-best leap of 20-1 for fourth place in the University/College section of the women’s long jump. McMillan previously owned a best of 19-11, which she set as a prep athlete at Missouri’s RollaHigh School. She currently ranks fourth among Big 12 competitors this season, but less than a full inch shy of the league’s top position.

Other Huskers who put together decent field event performances were sophomore Zarniah Suluki-Drakes, who reached 41-8 and 19-0 in the women’s University/College triple jump (fifth place) and long jump competitions; and senior Jeni Steiner, who placed seventh in the women’s University/College shot put (49-9).

Nebraska returns to Lincoln, where it will play host to the Nebraska Open, its first home outdoor meet of the season, Sunday. Events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at Ed Weir Stadium. Senior Peter van der Westhuizen also will run the 1,500 meters Sunday evening at Stanford’s Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.

Drake Relays ? Results
Drake Stadium
Des Moines, Iowa

Women’s 1,500-Meter Run ? Univ./College Final
1. Natalja Zarcenko, 4:21.57 RQ, PR
8. Kim Pancoast, 4:30.88

Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles ? Univ./College Final
16. Justine Roach, 1:01.49

Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase ? Univ/College Final
11. Rachel Carrizales, 10:49.81 RQ, PR

Women’s Pole Vault ? Special Invitational Final
-- Brysun Stately, No Height

Women’s Long Jump ? Univ./College
4. Chaunte McMillan, 20-1 RQ, PR
12. Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, 19-0
18. Leandra McGruder, 18-7
23. Ashley Selig, 17-9

Women’s Triple Jump ? Univ./College
5. Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, 41-8 RQ

Women’s Shot Put ? Univ./College
7. Jeni Steiner, 49-9 RQ

Women’s Hammer Throw ? Univ./College Final
16. Tamara Solari, 171-3

Men’s 100-Meter Dash ? Univ./College Final
5. Scott Wims, 10.58

Men’s 800-Meter Run ? Univ./College Final
10. Erwin Schmidt, 1:50.92

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles ? Univ./College Final
4. Aaron Ross, 14.04w RQ

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles ? Univ./College Final
22. Andrew Pearson, 53.30

Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase ? Univ./College Final
2. Brian Parr, 8:58.30 RQ, PR

Men’s 4x100-Meter Relay ? Univ./College Final
3. Nebraska (Danns, Hulett, Probasco, Wims), 40.35 RQ

Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay ? University Final
2. Nebraska (Probasco, Wims, Danns, Hulett), 3:06.09 RQ

Men’s High Jump ? Special Invitational
T-8. Dusty Jonas, 7-0 ? RQ

Men’s Triple Jump ? Univ./College
16. Daniel Roper,  47-10
17. Chris Nuttelman, 47-0 ?

Men’s Hammer Throw ? Univ./College Final
11. Issar Yazhbin, 197-7 RQ

RQ- NCAA regional qualification
PR- Personal-best mark