Huskers Claim 13 All-America Honors at NCAA Championship

Fayetteville, Ark. -- Led by senior sprinter Stella Klassen, who claimed two All-America certificates on Saturday, the Nebraska track & field team posted a total of eight top-10 finishes at the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The Husker women finished 12th with 14.5 points, while the NU men tied for 24th with six points.

Klassen bettered the personal-best mark she recorded in the preliminaries on Friday, taking third in the 400 meters on Saturday in 52.61. Manhattan senior Aliann Pompey won the event in 52.21, followed by South Carolina sophomore Mikele Barber, who finished in 52.50.

"I thought it would go out fast, but not that fast," said Klassen, who also anchored NU's 4x400-meter relay team which took sixth. "I think I could have - and should have - taken it out a little faster."

Also posting a top-five finish for the Husker women was junior Jessica Thompson, who earned her first All-America certificate with a personal-best mark of 6-0 1/2 in the high jump. Thompson finished fourth, while teammate Carrie Braness, a senior, tied for eighth at 5-11 1/4, also earning All-America honors.

"I had a great day," Thompson said. "I didn't let anything affect me. I knew I had to jump my best and it all worked out. My main goal was to be an All-American."

On the men's side, the Huskers were led by freshman Eric Eshbach, who tied for fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 18-0 1/2. Eshbach, who used a 16-foot pole for the first time through an entire competition, also cleared that height on Jan. 29, against Oklahoma.

"I'm happy," Eshbach said. "I'm a freshman. Why shouldn't I be happy? I could have jumped higher, but I'll save it for another day, I guess."

NU sophomore Sheldon Hutchinson scored the only other points for the Husker men with a sixth-place finish in the long jump. Hutchinson earned the first All-America honors of his career with a mark of 53-6 1/4.

"The jumps felt easy, real relaxed," Hutchinson said. "I tried to get it turned up in the finals, but the crowd support just wasn't there. I just tried to put it out of my mind. I'm pleased with the turnout."

The Husker 4x400-meter relay team, anchored by Klassen, finished sixth in a time of 3:35.07. Sophomore Cheryl Harmon, sophomore Jelena Stanisavljevic and junior Lesley Owusu also earned All-America honors in the event. Klassen has now earned six All-America certificates in her career.

Nebraska senior Dalhia Ingram placed 10th in the triple jump, but was among the top-eight Americans, as she earned the seventh All-America honor of her career. Ingram posted a mark of 41-11 1/2.

Also competing for Nebraska on Saturday was senior Jeff Armitage, who placed 12th in the 35-pound weight throw with a mark of 62-8 3/4.

Nebraska's 2000 Indoor All-Americans:
Athlete	Event	Mark	Place
Stella Klassen, Sr.	400 meters	52.61	3rd
	4x400 meters	3:35.07	6th
Jessica Thompson, Jr.	High Jump	6-0 1/2	4th
Eric Eshbach, Fr.	Pole Vault	18-0 1/2	t5th
Sheldon Hutchinson, So.	Triple Jump	53-6 1/4	6th
Cheryl Harmon, So.	4x400 meters	3:35.07	6th
Jelena Stanisavljevic, So.	4x400 meters	3:35.07	6th
Lesley Owusu, Jr.	4x400 meters	3:35.07	6th
Carrie Braness, Sr.	High Jump	5-11 1/4	t8th
Chris Chandler, Jr.	200 meters	21.01	9th
Dalhia Ingram, Sr.	Triple Jump	41-11 1/2	10th
Shaun Kologinczak, So.	High Jump	7-1 1/2	10th
Jeff Armitage, Sr.	35-lb Weight Throw	62-8 3/4	12th