Huskers Qualify Well at Texas Relays

Austin, Texas?The Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field teams continued their early-season trend of success Friday during the third day of the Texas Relays at Texas’ Mike A. Meyers Stadium. Husker athletes posted 10 NCAA regional qualifying performances in all, as well as eight new efforts.

 

Nebraska experienced a great day in the men’s relay preliminaries, as it advanced both 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams through to Saturday’s finals.

 

The 4x400 team of senior Nate Probasco, junior Andrew Pearson and freshmen Dax Danns and Lukas Hulett paced the entire men’s University division field with a time of 3:07.67 that also earned the squad’s first regional-qualifying mark of the year. Pearson and Hulett each posted solid splits to lead the Husker relay, with Hulett clocking in at 45.8. The relay finals will conclude the meet’s events on Saturday at 4:25 p.m.

 

Danns, Hulett and Probasco also teamed up with freshman Scott Wims to finish sixth in the men’s 4x100-meter prelims with a season-opening time of 40.48. The Huskers, which registered their second regional-qualifying relay with the performance, finished second in their heat to Texas-Arlington, but will still compete in the event finals on Saturday at 2 p.m.

 

In the individual events, the long awaited season debut of senior Arturs Abolins in the long jump finally took place, as the two-time NCAA champion placed fifth with a regional-qualifying effort (24-7w). Abolins sneaked his way into the finals as the eighth-place athlete during qualifying jumps before recording his best attempt of the day during his fifth leap.

 

Saturday marked Abolins’ first long jump competition since he appeared in the European Championships to conclude his 2006 outdoor season back in August. He missed the entire indoor season while rehabbing an injured calf muscle. Abolins also is expected to be a part of NU’s 4x200-meter relay team on Saturday at the Texas Relays.

 

A pair of Husker women earned regional qualifications in the high jump Friday, bringing the total to three in the event for the weekend. NCAA All-American Epley Bullock, a freshman who also is a Texas native, reached 5-10 ? during Section A of the women’s high jump for sixth place, while junior teammate Kim Shubert just met the provision of 5-8 ? to claim fifth in the B Section. Senior Ashley Selig met the regional standard in the event Friday during the women’s heptathlon competition.

 

Sophomore Zarinah Suluki-Drakes crushed her former previous best in the women’s triple jump to finish ninth while earning a regional qualification. Suluki-Drakes leaped to a distance of 40-6 ? behind an illegal tailwind reading of 4.1 for her finish, and her second-best attempt of 40-6 ? was just under the wind requirement to help her reach NCAA regionals for the second consecutive year.

 

Senior Jeni Seiner added NU’s final new regional performance of the day with a lifetime-best throw of 163-1 during Section B of the women’s discus. Steiner, who earned third place in the event, also is entered in Saturday’s A section of the women’s shot put.

 

In the women’s discus, senior Dace Ruskule entered the finals throws of the event as the competition’s leader, but was unable to improve on her mark of 171-0 while placing fourth. Ruskule did manage to meet the regional standard, but her Friday performance was well shy of the 180-5 throw she recorded to open her season last weekend at the Stanford Invitational.

 

Senior Aaron Ross continued the strong start to his outdoor season by reaching the finals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles with the prelim’s ninth-best time of 14.22 that won his qualifying heat. His younger brother, redshirt freshman Tyrell Ross, just missed reaching the finals with the 11th-best time of 14.23, but still managed to qualify for regionals. Aaron Ross will compete in the finals at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday.

 

The Texas Relays conclude Saturday. Nebraska will feature three men’s relays in action with the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 groups, while Aaron Ross will also run in the 110-meter hurdle finals. Several Husker field event athletes will also compete, including: junior Jenny Green and sophomore Brysun Stately in the women’s pole vault; junior Dusty Jonas in the men’s high jump; senior Jeni Steiner in the women’s shot put; and senior Gable Baldwin and Nic Petersen and freshman Seth Burney in the men’s pole vault.

 

Women’s 100m Dash (Univ/College prelims):

65. Chi Kalu, 12.32p

70. Sarah Lyons, 12.38p

 

Women’s 100m Hurdles (Univ/College prelims):

18. Nikita Eades, 13.99p

56. Kim Shubert, 14.86pw

 

Women’s High Jump (Section A):

6. Epley Bullock, 5-10 ? RQ

 

Women’s High Jump (Section B):

5. Kim Shubert, 5-8 ? RQ

 

Women’s Long Jump (Section B):

3. Chaunte McMillan, 19-1 ?

 

Women’s Triple Jump (Section B):

9. Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, 40-6 ?w RQ

17. Leandra McGruder, 39-3 ?

 

Women’s Discus Throw (Section A):

4. Dace Ruskule, 171-0 RQ

 

Women’s Discus Throw (Section B):

3. Jeni Steiner, 163-1 RQ

 

Men’s 110m Hurdles (Univ prelims)

9. Aaron Ross, 14.22p RQ (qualified for finals)

11. Tyrell Ross, 14.23p RQ

 

Men’s 4x100m Relay (Univ/College prelims)

6. Nebraska (Danns, Hulett, Probasco, Wims), 40.48p RQ (qualified for finals)

 

Men’s 4x400m Relay (Univ. prelims)

1.  Nebraska (Probasco, Pearson, Danns, Hulett), 3:07.67p RQ (qualified for finals)

 

Men’s Long Jump (Section A):

5. Arturs Abolins, 24-7 RQ

 

Men’s Long Jump (Section B):

8. Robert Rands, 23-5 ?