Graduates Lead Huskers at Nebraska Invite

Lincoln?Nebraska stayed dry during its final dress rehearsal for next week’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships Saturday, as the squad played host to the Nebraska Invitational at Ed Weir Stadium. While severe thunderstorms moved through the area during the early morning, skies cleared off in time for the meet to be held as scheduled.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Headlining the meet for NU were individuals who won 16 event titles. Three wins were recorded by a pair of Husker women who earned their degrees earlier Saturday.

Senior Jeni Steiner celebrated graduation with her finest meet as a Husker, as she set personal-best marks while winning both the women’s shot put and discus events. One week after reaching 52 feet in the shot for the first time in her career, Steiner extended the mark by more than 1 ? feet with a winning distance of 53-8 ? on her final attempt. Making her shot put effort even sweeter was the fact that she reached the “A” standard for this summer’s USA Championships to automatically qualify her for the national championship meet.

Shortly following the shot put, the <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Columbus, Neb., native registered a personal-best of 170-10 in the discus on her second trials throw to break the mark of 169-1 she set earlier this season. The afternoon marked the first time in 2007 that Steiner had won multiple events.

In addition to Steiner, senior Casie Witte claimed an event title in the women’s long jump (18-5 ?) after receiving a diploma earlier in the day.

While Steiner had already earned qualifications to this month’s NCAA Regional Championships in both here events, six Huskers set brand-new regional marks on Saturday, including senior Nate Probasco, who placed second in the men’s 200-meter dash with a wind-aided time of 20.67. Probasco’s time was only .08 shy of the school record he tied as a sophomore in 2005.

Freshman Lukas Hulett also reached the regional level by placing third in a career-best 20.82, but an illegal 4.4 wind reading negated his mark for qualifying purposes.

Sophomore Joslyn Dalton became NU’s third regional qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase this season, as she clocked a career-low time of 10.48.18 despite running as the lone competitor in the race. Dalton joined early steeplechase qualifiers Rachel Carrizales and Brian Parr on Nebraska’s regional roster.

Senior Kim Pancoast, who also graduated Saturday, posted her first regional mark of the season with a runner-up time of 4:26.28 in the women’s 1,500-meter run.

Another Husker senior, Daniel Roper, claimed his first regional qualification in the men’s long jump after winning the event with an outdoor lifetime-best leap of 24-8 ?. Roper also won the triple jump at 51-2 ?, but he had already reached the regional standard for that event earlier this season.

Junior Dusy Jonas placed second in the triple jump (49-5 1/2) with his first career regional mark in the event. Jonas now owns three regional marks in different events after already posting such efforts in the high jump and long jump.

Senior Sheryl Morgan added NU’s final new qualifying mark with a winning time of 53.24 in the women’s 400-meter dash. Morgan also owns the regional distinction in her specialty event, the 400-meter hurdles.

Other Husker event winners Saturday included: senior Ashley Selig in the women’s 100-meter hurdles (14.10); freshman Epley Bullock in the women’s high jump (personal best 5-10 ?); sophomore Brysun Stately in the women’s pole vault (12-5 ?); freshman Kyle Custer in the men’s 1,500 meters (3:56.37); freshman Tyrell Ross in the men’s 110-meter hurdles (personal best wind-aided 13.90); freshman Tim Grier in the men’s 400-meter hurdles (51.36); freshman Mackenzie Jeffrey in the men’s steeplechase (10:12.73); the men’s 4x100-meter relay (40.33); and senior Gable Baldwin in the men’s pole vault (16-6 ?).

Nebraska next takes aim at its 99th and 100th all-time conference team titles next weekend during the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Lincoln. The Huskers will host the outdoor meet for the first time since the inception of the Big 12 beginning Friday at 1 p.m.

Nebraska Invitational ? Results
Ed Weir Stadium
Lincoln, Neb.

Women’s 100-Meter Dash
3. Chi Kalu, 12.06w (+5.0)

Women’s 200-Meter Dash
4. Chi Kalu, 24.70w (+4.8)
10. Justine Roach, 25.94

Women’s 400-Meter Dash
1. Sheryl Morgan, 53.24 RQ

Women’s 800-Meter Run
8. Betsy Miller, 2:17.99 PR

Women’s 1,500-Meter Run
2. Kim Pancoast, 4:26.28 RQ, PR
5. Rachel Carrizales, 4:34.85 PR
10. Elizabeth Marsh, 4:59.11 PR

Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles
1. Ashley Selig, 14.10
8. Casie Witte, 15.13

Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles
3. Bridget Meduna, 1:06.19

Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
1. Joslyn Dalton, 10:48.18 RQ, PR

Women’s 4x100-Meter Relay
2. Nebraska, 47.20

Women’s High Jump
1. Epley Bullock, 5-10 ? RQ
2. Kim Shubert, 5-10 ? RQ, PR
T-4. Erin Hannon, 5-7
T-4. Ashlee Dickinson, 5-7

Women’s Pole Vault
1. Brysun Stately, 12-5 ? RQ
2. Jenny Green, 11-11 ?
3. Lindsey Maher, 10-11 ?

Women’s Long Jump
1. Casie Witte, 18-5 ?
4. Erin Hannon, 17-7 ?
7. Kim Shubert, 16-9 ?

Women’s Shot Put
1. Jeni Steiner, 53-8 ? RQ, PR
6. Kacie Sharp, 44-2 ?
8. Gyorgyi Farkas, 42-3 ? PR
10. Ashley Selig, 38-7 ?
12. Kim Shubert, 34-0
13. Erin Hannon, 33-9 ?
14. Casie Witte, 33-8

Women’s Discus
1. Jeni Steiner, 170-10 RQ, PR
2. Dace Ruskule, 170-5 RQ
8. Kacie Sharp, 142-10

Women’s Hammer Throw
6. Tamara Solari, 165-4
7. Lisa Minnick, 146-0 PR

Women’s Javelin
4. Gyorgyi Farkas, 133-6
7. Ashley Selig, 119-0
8. Kim Shubert, 105-9 PR

Men’s 100-Meter Dash
3 (tie). Arturs Abolins, 10.84
3 (tie). Dax Danns, 10.84

Men’s 200-Meter Dash
2. Nate Probasco, 20.67 RQ
3. Lukas Hulett, 20.82w (+4.4) PR
7. Arturs Abolins, 21.44w (+4.4)
15. Pat Burke, 22.86w (+3.9)

Men’s 400-Meter Dash
3. Erwin Schmidt, 48.90

Men’s 800-Meter Run
3. Andrew Lind, 1:54.49 PR
4. Andras Licsak, 1:54.76

Men’s 1,500-Meter Run
1. Kyle Custer, 3:56.37 PR
2. Vince Sickler, 3:59.26

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles
1. Tyrell Ross, 13.90w (+5.3) PR
2. Aaron Ross, 14.02 (+5.3)
10. Lee Martin, 15.32w (+3.5) PR

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles
1. Tim Grier, 51.36 RQ
5. Jared Gillmore, 54.82

Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
1. Mackenzie Jeffrey, 10:12.73 PR

Men’s 4x100-Meter Relay
1. Nebraska, 40.33 RQ

Men’s High Jump
2. Skyler Reising, 6-6 ?
6. Lee Martin, 6-6 ?

Men’s Pole Vault
1. Gable Baldwin, 16-6 ? RQ
3. Pat Burke, 15-7 PR
T-4. Zac Holoch, 15-7

Men’s Long Jump
1. Daniel Roper, 24-8 ? RQ,
3. Robert Rands, 22-5 ?

Men’s Triple Jump
1. Daniel Roper, 51-2 ? RQ
2. Dusty Jonas, 49-5 ? PR
4. Chris Nuttelman, 45-11 ?
5. Igor Somda, 45-10

Men’s Shot Put
4. Skyler Reising, 44-11 ? PR
5. Lee Martin, 42-4 PR

Men’s Discus
4. Bryan Bell, 152-2
8. Skyler Reising, 139-6 PR
11. Pat Burke, 111-5 PR

Men’s Javelin
8. Ryan Petrocchi, 167-1
9. Thorin Meyer, 161-10

RQ- NCAA regional qualification

PR- Personal-best mark