NU Freshman Fifth at USA Junior Track and Field Championships

Palo Alto, Calif. - Aaron Plas and Courtney Jones represented the Nebraska track and field team with top-10 finishes Saturday at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships in Palo Alto, Calif.

 

Plas tied for fifth-place in the men's high jump competition, clearing 6-8 1/4 to tie Denior Flax of Mt. San Antonio College.  The freshman from McCook, Neb., easily cleared the opening height of 6-6 1/4 on his first attempt.  He cleared 6-8 1/4 on his second try and missed all three attempts at 6-10 1/4.

 

Plas cleared a season-best 6-11 3/4 at the Big 12 Championships earlier in the outdoor season to take a fourth-place finish along with senior teammate Shaun Kologinczak.  The NU freshman qualified for the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships, clearing a season-best 7-1 1/2 to make the national meet.  He finished 15th in his first appearance at the NCAA Championships with a height of 6-11 3/4.

 

Jones finished one spot shy of making the finals in the 110-meter hurdles, running a time of 14.74 with a -1.7 wind reading.  The Lancaster, Texas, native finished fifth in his heat and 10th overall.

 

Jones ran a lifetime-best time of 14.24 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, where he finished seventh.  He also ran a wind-aided time of 14.17 at the Ward Haylett Invitational during the outdoor season.

 

Junior Eric Eshbach will compete in the pole vault at the USA Track and Field Championships Sunday afternoon.  Eshbach is coming off a national championship run at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he claimed the title by clearing 17-10 1/2.