Huskers Begin Season with Graduate Classic

The Nebraska track and field team begins a new era under interim head coach Justin St. Clair this weekend with the Graduate Classic at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track. Competition gets underway on Friday at 4 p.m. and on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. 

Graduate Classic Meet Information
Host: Nebraska
Date: Friday-Saturday, Jan. 13-14
Participating Teams: Nebraska, Arkansas Tech, Barton County CC, Central Methodist, Cloud County CC, Colby CC, Concordia, Cowley College, Creighton, Doane, Drake, Fort Hays State, Friends, Hawkeye CC, Iowa State, Iowa Western CC, Kansas City, MidAmerica Nazarene, Nebraska Wesleyan, Nebraska-Kearney, Northwestern Oklahoma, Northwest Missouri State, Omaha, Pratt CC, Universite Laval 
Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track
Start Times: Friday – Field Events: 4 p.m. / Running Events: 4:15 p.m.; Saturday – Field Events: 11:30 a.m. / Running Events: 11:30 a.m.
Meet Schedule
Live Video
Live Results

2023 Season Preview
The Graduate Classic will be the Huskers' first meet as a full team under interim head coach Justin St. Clair, who took over after legendary coach Gary Pepin retired in August after 42 years leading the Husker program. St. Clair came to Nebraska in 2021-22 as an associate head coach and coached 10 NCAA qualifiers, including a pair of NCAA medalists, in his debut season on the Husker coaching staff to earn his 10th USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor since 2016.

Overall, the Huskers claimed eight first-team All-Americans and eight second-team All-Americans in 2022. The Huskers also crowned 12 Big Ten champions, and nine of the 12 are back to defend titles this year. Maddie Harris brought home the NCAA silver medal in the javelin last year, while Axelina Johansson was the NCAA bronze medalist in the outdoor shot put and was the Big Ten Women's Outdoor Freshman of the Year. 

The Nebraska men were third at last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships and fourth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. They tied for 24th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, their best finish since 2015, and 59th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

The Husker women tied for seventh at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and were fifth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. They tied for 47th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and were 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, their best finish since 2006. 

Nebraska's Returning 2022 All-Americans and Big Ten Champions
Mayson Conner won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor high jump titles in 2022, giving him four career Big Ten gold medals. Conner, a senior, is a five-time All-American in the high jump, including second-team honors both indoors and outdoors last year. The McCool Junction, Neb., native enters the season at No. 9 on Nebraska's all-time indoor chart (7-3 3/4, 2.23m) and No. 5 outdoors (7-3 3/4, 2.23m). 

Maddie Harris was the silver medalist in the javelin at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships and won her second straight Big Ten javelin title with a school-record throw of 189-11 (57.90m). The first-team All-American from Lee's Summit, Mo., is the first Husker woman to repeat as a conference javelin champion since Kayla Wilkinson in the Big 12 in 2005 and 2006. 

Axelina Johansson took home the bronze medal in the shot put at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships as a true freshman, and she was named the Big Ten Women's Outdoor Freshman of the Year. She was the Big Ten outdoor runner-up and indoor bronze medalist and collected All-America honors at both NCAA meets. Following the outdoor season, the Hok, Sweden native finished 12th in the shot put at the World Athletics Championships with a new personal best of 60-11 1/4 (18.57m), the No. 2 throw in Nebraska outdoor history. Johansson was the only collegiate student-athlete to reach the final 12 in the shot put at the World Championships. She also enters the season ranked No. 2 in school history in the indoor shot put (59-9 3/4, 18.23m).

Mirta Kulisic finished 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the javelin to earn second-team All-America honors. The junior from Split, Croatia was the runner-up in the javelin at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and ranks No. 8 in school history with a PR of 175-1 (53.37m).  

Darius Luff earned first-team All-America honors in the 60m hurdles by finishing seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year. Luff's PR of 7.67 ranks No. 3 in school history. The junior Lincoln High grad also finished 17th in the 110m hurdles at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and ranks No. 7 all-time at NU (13.59). 

Maxwell Otterdahl won both the shot put and discus gold medals at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships and was named the Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Championships. The junior from Rosemount, Minn., became the first Husker male to win both the shot put and discus titles at the same conference meet since 2004. Otterdahl went on to finish 18th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put and earn USTFCCCA Honorable Mention. He enters the season ranked fifth in school history in the outdoor shot put (65-6 3/4, 19.98m) and seventh in the indoor weight throw (68-5 1/4, 20.86m). 

Jenna Rogers won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor high jump titles as a true freshman last year, becoming the first Husker woman to sweep the conference indoor and outdoor high jump titles since 2004. She was also a two-time first-team All-American by finishing seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships and tying for sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Rutherford, N.J., native enters the season tied for eighth in NU indoor history (6-0 3/4, 1.85m) and fourth in outdoor history (6-1 1/4, 1.86m). 

LaQwasia Stepney placed 13th in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year to earn second-team All-America honors. The junior from Belleville, Ill., was the runner-up in the long jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. 

Darby Thomas won the Big Ten indoor long jump crown last year and earned second-team All-America honors after a 12th place finish at nationals. Thomas' breakout season included a PR of 21-5 1/2 (6.54m), the No. 3 indoor mark in school history. 

Jacob Hyde, Cory Berg and Nick Bryant were part of the Nebraska men's 4x400m relay team that pulled off an upset win at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Racing in the first of two sections with the ninth-fastest seed time entering the meet, the Huskers got a strong anchor leg from Bryant to win section one in 3:09.51. That time held up against section two, despite Iowa and Ohio State possessing two of the fastest 4x400-meter squads in the country. It was the Huskers' first 4x400-meter relay conference title since 2016. 

New Transfers to Watch in 2023
Kavian Kerr (Kansas State) finished fourth in the long jump and 200m at the 2022 Big 12 Indoor Championships. His 200m PR of 20.99 would be the fourth-fastest time in Nebraska school history. 

Tanessa Morris (Montana) was a two-time Big Sky champion in the hammer throw and her PR of 210-4 (64.14m) at Montana would rank as the second-best throw in Husker history. 

Rhema Otabor (Florida International) placed fourth in the javelin at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn first-team All-America honors. Her personal best of 184-6 (56.25m) would rank second in Nebraska school history. 

Arthur Petersen (UT Arlington) was a two-time All-American and Sun Belt champion in the javelin. Petersen was sixth at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 11th in 2021. His personal best of 262-2 (79.90m) would be a Nebraska school record. 

Rhianna Phipps (Kansas State) finished 12th in the triple jump at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 17th at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her PR of 44-4 1/4 (13.52m) would rank fifth on the all-time top-10 chart at NU. 

Omar Rodgers (Southern Illinois) was the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles champion at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. 

Brithton Senior (South Dakota) was an All-American in the 60m hurdles in 2021 after finishing 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. His personal best of 7.74 would be tied for sixth in school history. 

Velecia Williams (Kansas State) finished 17th in the long jump at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman. Her outdoor long jump personal best of 21-0 3/4 (6.42m) would put her on Nebraska's all-time top-10 chart at No. 10. 

Jonah Wilson (Washington) was a three-time All-American in the shot put for the Huskies. Wilson was eighth at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, ninth at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 16th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. His indoor (64-2 1/4, 19.56m) and outdoor (64-7 1/4, 19.69m) personal bests would both rank No. 7 all-time at Nebraska. 

2023 Nebraska Track & Field Captains
Mayson Conner, Senior, High Jump
Michael Hoffer, Senior, Jumps
Lishanna Ilves, Junior, Jumps
Johanna Ilves, Junior, Sprints/Hurdles
Micaylon Moore, Junior, Jumps
Jenna Rogers, Sophomore, High Jump
Bailey Timmons, Senior, Distance
Madison Yerigan, Senior, High Jump