Pepin names newest batch of track signees

Lincoln, Neb. -- Nebraska track coach Gary Pepin announced Friday morning that six female and five male athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Nebraska and compete in track and field for the Huskers next season.

Michelle Mann a transfer middle distance runner from Lancaster University in Preston, U.K., headlines the talented class. Mann is a former member of the Great Britain Junior World Championship team and was the top-ranked British junior in 1996 in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter races. She will join the Huskers with one year of eligibility remaining. Her personal bests are 2:10 in the 800m, 4:24 in the 1,500m and 9:30.5 in the 3,000m. She has the potential to compete for a Big 12 championship in a couple events and should also lead the way as NU's top cross country runner. She will also compete in the 5,000-meter race and will be a contender at the national level in as many as three events, according to Nebraska's coaching staff.

Kathryn Handrup joins the Huskers after winning three Nebraska state cross country championships at Aurora High School. She is also gunning for her third track state title after winning the 1,600-meter event as a sophomore and junior. She holds a personal best of 5:07 in the mile run and has managed to recover from injuries during her senior season.

Misty Scott is a 400-meter runner from Ramapo, N.Y., and, according to the coaching staff has the ability to continue Nebraska's success in the 400-meter events. She will also be counted on to serve as a solid addition to the Huskers' 4x400-meter relay team. Her personal best in the 400m is 56.57. Scott, a student at Suffern High School, finished as the national runnerup in the 1999 National Scholastic Indoor Championships this season.

Emily Wolken of Garnett, Kan., will join Nebraska's top-notch javelin program after finishing third at the Kansas State Class 4A Meet as a junior for Anderson County High School. According to the coaching staff, she has the potential to develop into a solid competitor at the conference level. Her personal best stands at 141-10 in the javelin.

Emily Waibel will be competing for the Cornhuskers after winning the Oklahoma state title in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles as a junior for Jenks High School in Tulsa. Two weeks ago she finished third in the 100-meter hurdles at the Texas Relays in Austin. She has clocked personal bests of 14.02 (100m hurdles) and 43.34 (300m hurdles) in her top events.

Alissa Koerner has also signed with the Husker track and field program after a standout career at Heelan High School in Sioux City, Iowa. Koerner is a tremendous all-around athlete and will be converted into a multi-eventer for the Huskers. She has clocked a 14.56 in the 100-meter hurdles and also sports a 29 inch vertical jump. She will likely redshirt for Nebraska during her freshman season.

On the men's side, Zach Josephson leads a talented group of new recruits. Josephson, has had an outstanding career at North High School in Olathe, Kan., and finished the 1998 track season as the nation's No. 1-ranked javelin thrower. He has thrown a personal-best 214 feet in the event and was the state champion as a junior.

The addition of Jed Barta of Idaho Falls, Idaho, will bolster Nebraska's cross country team and distance teams. Barta was the Idaho Class A cross country champion in 1998 as well as the USATF Junior Olympic champion in the 5,000-meter run. Barta also finished second in the Footlocker Western Region Cross Country Championships and finished 17th in the Footlocker National Championships. The coaching staff is excited about Barta's potential as he is one of the top high school runners in the country. He has notched personal bests of 4:19 in the mile, 9:17 in the two-mile and 14:58.61 in the 5,000-meter run.

Joining Barta in the distance events is Mike Kamm of Bellevue, Washington's Interlake High School. Kamm finished fourth in the Washington Class 4A state cross country championships. He was also the state leader in the 800-meter run as a junior. The coaching staff says he has great tools and will also be a great addition to the cross country team as well.

The Huskers also added two in-state products in Nate Gustin of Rosalie and Mike Settles of North Bend. Gustin finished second in the Class D discus and landed a fourth place finish in the shot as a junior. His personal bests stand at 173-4 in the discus and 52-7 in the shot put. Gustin will probably compete in the hammer as well in college, most likely after a redshirt season. Settles was Nebraska's state high jump champion as a junior and is closing in on the seven-foot mark. His personal best is 6-11 1/4 and the coaching staff is thrilled about his future as a Cornhusker. He should push current freshman Shaun Kologinczak after the departure of All-American Shane Lavy.

The newest signees join four athletes that signed earlier this fall. Those were pole vaulters Jonathon Henley and Eric Eshbach of Orangefield, Texas, Broc Howard of Kearney, Neb., and Lucas Baumann of Beatrice. Henley and Eschback have both cleared 17-feet in the pole vault, including a mark of 17-9 3/4 set by Eschback. Howard is the reigning 100 and 200-meter state champion, while Baumann is the fifth-ranked U.S. senior in the 800-meter run.