NU's Chandler Named Top Male Performer by Big 12 Coaches

Lincoln -- Nebraska junior sprinter Chris Chandler was named the Big 12 Conference's top male performer on Tuesday, following two first-place finishes at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Ames, Iowa, last weekend. Chandler posted victories in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes in meet-record time as the Nebraska men and women claimed conference titles.

A transfer from Wallace State Community College, Chandler's 60-meter dash time of 6.62 bettered the previous meet record of 6.64, set by Tre Gardner of Baylor in 1994. Chandler, the 1999 junior college indoor 55-meter champion, first broke the meet record on Friday with a time of 6.63 in the semi-finals.

In the 200 meters, Chandler's winning time of 20.73 broke the meet's oversize-track record of 20.92, set by Texas A&M's Billy Fobbs in 1998. Chandler finished well ahead of Baylor's Brandon Couts, who placed second with a time of 21.14.

"I don't know where that time came from," Chandler said after winning his second title at his first Big 12 Conference meet. "I just want to win a championship. I knew if I could put those points on the board, we'd have a good chance of winning."

Both of Chandler's efforts were NCAA automatic qualifying marks. The Starke, Fla., native also ran a leg of NU's 4x400-meter relay team, which posted a provisional qualifying mark (3:09.88) for the first time this season.

Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin was also honored on Tuesday, after winning both conference titles. Pepin was named the Big 12 Indoor Women's Coach of the Year.

In his 20th season at the helm of the Huskers, Pepin has led the NU women to 18 indoor conference titles, while helping the men to 11 indoor titles. In all, Pepin has now won 50 conference indoor and outdoor titles. Pepin was also named the league's indoor men's and women's coach of the year in both 1996 and 1997.

Texas' Liz Diaz was named the top female performer after breaking meet records in the 800 meters (2:05.33) and mile run (4:40.12). Missouri's Rick McGuire was named the Big 12 Indoor Men's Coach of the Year after helping the Tigers to a third-place finish.

Freshman-of-the-Year honors went to Colorado's Jorge Torres and Missouri's Christian Cantwell on the men's side, and Kansas State's Amy Mortimer on the women's side.

All honors were voted upon by conference coaches following the indoor championships.