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Track and Field

Husker Women Ranked Fourth Nationally

Nebraska track and field moved up seven spots in the USTFCCCA week three women's rankings, coming in at fourth. That marks the highest team ranking for the women's program since being No. 4 in the 2006 final poll.

The NU women have posted eight marks inside the top-20 nationally, while adding nine Nebraska all-time marks.

Rhema Otabor threw an NCAA-leading 191-10 (58.47m) in her javelin season debut last weekend, while Mirta Kulisic is ranked 12th (175-3, 53.41m) and Emanuela Casadei (175-0, 53.35m) is at 13th in the event. Adding to the throws success, reigning national champion Axelina Johansson has the second-best shot put mark of the season 60-11 1/4 (18.57m), Mine De Klerk is 10th in the shot put (57-4 3/4, 17.49m) and Hillevi Carlsson is 18th in the hammer throw (206-3, 62.87m). In the jumps, Ashley McElmurry posted a 43-9 (13.33m) in the triple jump over the weekend to move up to fifth in the NCAA and Lishanna Ilves ranks 18th in the long jump with a 21-0 (6.40m).

In Tuesday's polls, the Husker women were also ranked first in the Big Ten Conference, while being named the top-ranked long jump, shot put and javelin event squads in the country.

The next meets include the Bryan Clay Invitational April 11-13 in Azusa, Calif., and the Michael Johnson Invitational April 19-20 in Waco, Texas.