Huskers Host Holiday Inn Invitational

Lincoln - The Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field team will kickoff the 2008 season at home on Friday, Jan. 18, and Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track, when they play host to 15 schools at the Holiday Inn Invitational. Field events will start at 4 p.m. on Friday with running events beginning at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday events will start again at noon with both field and running events.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Sophomores Epley Bullock and Leandra McGruder along with senior Kim Shubert will look to carry the women this indoor season as Bullock is coming off an All-American season in the high jump where she finished ninth at the national meet with a jump of 6-0 as a freshman. Shubert will look to improve on her runner-up finish last season in the pentathlon at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and make a trip to the 2008 NCAA Championships. McGruder, who is a team-captain along with Shubert, is another young competitor for the Husker squad who was the fifth best long jump in the Big 12 Conference last year with a leap of 19-5 1/2 at the conference meet.

The men will once again be led by five-time All-American Dusty Jonas. The senior from La Vernia, <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Texas will be looking to win his first indoor national championship after he has finished runner-up in about 2005 and 2007. The men's team will be very strong as it also returns All-Americans Dan Christensen (4x400m), Lukas Hulett (400m and 4x400m), Nate Probasco (200m and 4x100m) and Scott Wims (4x400m). Along with these veterans and the influx of new talent the Husker men's team should be poised to make another strong run at the Big 12 indoor crown.

Reserved tickets for Saturday’s meet may be purchased from the Husker Athletic Ticket Office for $7, while general admission tickets for adults are $5 and children are $3. NU students with a valid ID and children under age six are admitted for free.

Eight other in-state schools will be competing along with the Huskers; including ConcordiaUniversity, DoaneCollege, HastingCollege, Midland Lutheran, Nebraska-Kearney, Nebraska-Omaha (women), Nebraska Wesleyan and Wayne State College.

Live results will be offered throughout the weekend on Huskers.com. Final results and a recap will also be posted on the web site following the completion of each day’s events, while a complete list of competitors will be available on-line early Thursday afternoon.