Huskers Claim Trio of Golds on Final Day of Competition

To complete the 2026 Outdoor Big Ten Track and Field Championships, the Nebraska Cornhuskers compiled five conference titles and three runner-up performances. 

The men finished as runners-up, tied with Minnesota at 81 points, with event titles from Dyson Wicker, James Ledbetter and Keyshawn Strachan. With an identical 81 points, the women’s team finished in fifth place, with gold medal performances from Axelina Johansson and Kelsie Belquist. 

With the Huskers’ first of three titles of the day, Wicker became the men’s pole vault Big Ten Champion with a meet record mark. His outdoor school record mark of 5.72m (18-9 ¼) gave the sophomore his second Big Ten title after he cleared 5.79m (19-0) at the Indoor Championships in February. 

In just her fourth time running the 400m hurdles, Belquist claimed the Big Ten Title with an effort of 56.11. With a personal best time, Abrielle Artley came in a close third, claiming six points for the women’s side. She ran a personal-best time of 57.76 to earn her first medal in Big Ten competition. 

Immediately following on the men’s side, Ledbetter recorded a personal best time of 50.82 to win the Big Ten Title. Last year at the outdoor championships, the sophomore claimed a sixth-place finish with a time of 51.83. 

Mason Kooi claimed his first Big Ten medal this championship with his silver medal placing in the men’s high jump. His 2.18m (7-1 ¾) was enough for eight points to the men’s efforts. Fellow junior, Aleksandr Gerasimov, notched a season best, clearing 2.12m (6-11 ½) for fifth place. 

Berlyn Schutz used a 4:17.46 in the women’s 1500m to capture a silver medal. Last season, she finished eighth at the conference championships with a time of 4:16.54.

In the men’s shot put, Hencu Lamberts hit a personal best mark of 20.29m (66-7) to earn a silver medal, eight points for the Big Red men and move into fourth in school history. Following just behind with a mark of 19.68m (64-6 ¾) was Cade Moran with his third medal in a Big Ten Conference Championship. 

Closing competition for the day in the 4x400m, the women’s team of Sakena Massiah, Artley, Victoria Aransiola and Belquist ran a new best time of 3:31.59. This time is a further improvement on their 3:32.46, fifth-place mark in school history. The men’s side of Ledbetter, Jacorric Allen, Logan Lebo and Richard Simpson harnessed four points with a 3:09.10, fifth-place finish to hold onto second place overall for the men’s team. 

Louis Martinez moved into a tie for sixth-place in the Nebraska record book with a seventh-place personal-best mark of 5.42m (17-9 ¼) in pole vault. 

In the triple jump, Rhianna Phipps used a 13.29m (43-7 ¼) for a fifth-place finish and four points for the women. On the men’s side, Ashmika Korala used a mark of 15.50m (50-10 ¼) for an eighth-place podium finish. 

Capturing a point for the women’s team, Elo Blessing Okpah, Rajer Gurode, Aransiola and Timeke-Jade Coetzee took eighth in the 4x100m relay with a time of 44.66. 

The Nebraska track and field team will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAA West First Round Regional May 27-30 at John McDonnell Field.