Nine Huskers Earn First NCAA Appearance

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1"?>Lincoln ? After six Huskers added their name to the NCAA Outdoor Championship’s roster on Friday, eight more Huskers joined the list Saturday in front of 2,823 fans at <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska’s Ed Weir Stadium. Along with the 14 regional qualifiers this weekend, redshirt freshman Megan Wheatley will compete for the Big Red in Des Moines in the women’s heptathlon with her automatic-qualifying score of 5,643 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers may have more athletes added to the field as at-large bids will be announced on Wednesday, June 4. Of the 15 Husker competitors, nine will make their first appearance at the national meet in 544 athlete field.

 

Freshman Adam Dailey continues to turn heads in his first year, ranking No. 5 on the under-20 world list in the 400-meter hurdles. With his fourth-place finish on Saturday, he now ranks No. 3 all time at Nebraska outdoors. His time of 50.33, trails Dale Burrage (49.88-1989) and Mark Jackson (49.18-1992). The Wahoo, Neb., native was not highly recruited until catching the eye of the Nebraska coaching staff at the 2007 Nebraska State Track and Field meet.

 

“I had no idea I’d be where I am now,” Dailey said after the meet. “Coach (Billy) Maxwell has been helped me out a lot. My goal now is to PR again at nationals and hope for a spot in the finals.”

 

“I don’t think anyone can say they thought Adam (Dailey) was going to do what he has done this year,” said Hurdles Coach Billy Maxwell when asked about Dailey’s performance. “The kid is just a competitor. He is something real special that doesn’t come around too often.”

 

With Dusty Jonas securing his spot in the men’s high jump on day one, sophomores Epley Bullock and Erin Hannon will join him on the women’s side. Bullock will make a return trip after finishing tied for the 24th best jump at last year’s national meet. The two-time indoor All-American finished in second place on the day, clearing 5-11 1/4 (1.81). Dess Meek of SamHoustonState won the meet jumping the same height as Bullock, on less attempts. Hannon will make her first trip to the NCAA Championships after her third-place finish with a new personal-best jump of 5-9 1/4 (1.76). Hannon is one of the top all-around athletes on the women’s side as she has competed in the high jump and mutli-events in all four of her Big 12 Championship appearances during her career.

 

“Coach (Kris Grimes) and I have had the goal all year of making nationals,” Hannon said. “I just knew I had to come out and clear bars early.”

 

After locking up his spot in the men’s shot put Friday, Keith Lloyd returned on day two to qualify in the men’s hammer throw. Lloyd was able to get off one clean throw on the day, while fouling on his other five attempts. His one toss was all he needed as it was a new personal-best toss of 207-5 (63.23), placing him fourth in the event. Senior Egor Agafonov of Kansas broke the meet record with a first-place toss of 229-6 (69.95).

 

Kayla Wilkinson will get one final shot at an NCAA championship in the women’s javelin after finishing third at the regional with a throw of 171-1 (52.15). Wilkinson placed runner-up at the national meet in 2006 and then redshirted the 2007 season due to a shoulder injury. On May 16, 2008, in Boulder, Colo., she won her third Big 12 championship in the javelin.

 

Natalja Zarcenko and Peter van der Westhuizen will both compete in the 1,500 meters at nationals. It will be van der Westhuizen’s third appearance at the NCAA outdoor meet and Zarcenko’s first.

 

Zarcenko made a huge leap in the field as she came into the meet ranked No. 17 in the region and finished third with a time of 4:18.63. Zarcenko brought her ?A’ game, knocking more than three seconds off her personal best and nearly eight seconds off her season best. After finishing 20th in 2005 and 15th in 2007, van der Westhuizen will have one last shot at his first All-America honor. The senior from Kempton Park, South Africa, finished fourth on Saturday with a time of 3:43.74.

 

With three indoor All-America honors, sophomore Lukas Hulett will now be in search of his first outdoor honor after qualifying in the 400 meters. Hulett finished in fifth place with a time of 46.03, staying just ahead of Marcus Boyd of Baylor who ran 46.06. Hulett finished 22nd last year at the outdoor championships with a time of 47.66.

 

Sophomore Tyrell Ross was just able to beat out Elliot O’Hare Texas in the 110-meter hurdles. Ross’s time of 14.01 was nine one-hundredths of a second faster than O’Hare, good enough for fifth place. Ross will be making his first trip to the NCAA Championships.

 

“I think our men came out and performed really well this weekend,” said Head Coach Gary Pepin. “We had some young kids come out and really perform at the meet.”

 

The Huskers will now practice hard during the next week in preparation for the national meet. Drake Stadium will be the site for the 87th Annual Division I Outdoor Championships. The meet will get started on Wednesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. with the running of the men’s decathlon 100-meter dash. Live results and a daily recap of the meet will be available at Huskers.com.