The Husker track and field team will face the best competition it has seen all season this weekend when NU plays host to the 29th annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (LIVE STATS). The meet will feature up to 13 athletes who won national titles in 2003 and schools from the Big 12, Southeastern, <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Pac 10 and Western Athletic conferences.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
The Husker Invitational will include a multi-event competition, beginning on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. The field events are slated to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, while the events on the track are scheduled to get started at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Nebraska had a fantastic start to the 2004 season, and has been looking forward to the Husker Invitational through the first three weeks. After several athletes took last weekend to rest and train for this meet, the Huskers should be in prime condition to record impressive marks this week.
The Husker Invitational begins a stretch of three home meets for the Huskers, reaching through the Big 12 Indoor Championships on Feb. 27-28. NU will not go on the road again until the Last Chance Qualifier in Ames, Iowa, on March 6.
The Husker Invitational will include athletes from the following schools: Alabama (W), Cal State-LA (W), East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oral Roberts, Purdue, Southwest Missouri State, Tennessee (M), Tulsa, UTEP, Washington State and Wyoming.
A Look at the Field
The 2004 Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational will be comprised of one of the most prestigious fields of track and field athletes to ever compete at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track. Up to 13 athletes who won 2003 national titles could be on hand. An impressive list of track and field teams will contend for the national title will travel to Lincoln to compete in the Husker Invitational.
A list of national champions that could travel with their respective schools and compete in the meet includes: Ineta Radevica (Nebraska, triple jump (O)), Becky Breisch (Nebraska, shot put (O)), Carl Myerscough (Nebraska, shot put (I/O)), Alice Schmidt (North Carolina, 800 meters (O)), Shalane Flanagan (North Carolina, 3,000 meters (I)), Lacy Janson (Florida State, pole vault (I)), Hyleas Fountain (Georgia, Triple Jump (I)/Heptathlon (O)), Laura Gerraughty (North Carolina, Shot Put (I)), Candice Scott (Florida, Hammer Throw (O)), Leo Bookman (Kansas, 200 meters (I/O)), Adam Steele (Minnesota, 400 meters (O)), Jabari Greer (Tennessee, 60-meter hurdles (I)) and Lucais Mackay (Georgia, Hammer Throw (O)).
There are several intriguing matchups that could occur on Saturday. One of the greatest head-to-head competitions this side of the NCAA Indoor Championships could take place between Nebraska’s Breisch and North Carolina’s Gerraughty in the shot put. Gerraughty won the 2003 indoor title in the shot put and was the runner-up to Breisch at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Add Florida’s crop of outstanding throwers, and you have a fantastic competition.
At the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships, Florida’s Kim Barrett (5th) and Karen Freberg (6th) both finished ahead of Breisch in the shot and both are scheduled to compete in Saturday’s competiton. The Gators also swept five of the top six spots in the women’s weight throw at the 2003 indoor championships, and three of those five will compete in the Husker Invitational.
The Huskers corps of pole vaulters could see some of the greatest competition of the season as well, when freshman Jenny Green and company face a pole vault field that could feature up to five of the top 16 finishers from the 2003 NCAA Indoor championships, including Fanni Juhasz (Georgia, 5th), Jennifer Bennet (Missouri, 6th), Christi Lehman (Nebraska, 14th) and Nebraska transfer Jessie Graff (Georgia Tech, 16th).
Ashley Selig or Ineta Radevica could see great competition, depending on if Georgia’s Hyleas Fountain makes the trip and depending on what events she enters in the meet. Fountain won the national indoor title in the triple jump, three spots ahead of Radevica. The Husker went on to win the outdoor championship while Fountain was competing in the heptathlon, which she won.
The men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relays could be fantastic races to catch on the track as well. On the women’s side, Washington State was seventh, North Carolina was eighth and UTEP was 11th at the 2003 indoor championships. In the men’s competition, Minnesota was fourth, while East Carolina was 10th indoor and second outdoor in the 4x400.
Overall, there should be several outstanding races in the field and on the track, with up to 40 athletes who claimed All-American honors in 2003 making the trip to Lincoln for the Husker Invite.
Huskers Fare Well at Tiger Classic
Despite taking an abbreviated squad, the Nebraska track and field team had another solid week of competition last Friday evening at the Tiger Classic in Columbia, Mo.
Freshman pole vaulter Jenny Green highlighted the day for the Huskers once again, setting a new Hearnes Fieldhouse record, clearing a height of 13-7 1/4. She led an NU sweep, followed by teammate Jessie Graff in second, while Alissa Koerner and Christi Lehman tied for third.
Senior Na’Tassia Vice notched her first NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of the season in the high jump with a leap of 5-10 1/2 for the win, while junior Becky Breisch improved her NCAA automatic-qualifying performance in the shot put for the third consecutive weekwith a throw of 55-1 1/2.
The Husker men dominated the 60-meter hurdles, finishing 1-2-3-5 in the event, led by sophomore Courtney Jones in 7.98. He was followed by Nenad Loncar (8.01), Richard Davidson Jr. (8.10) and Aaron Ross (8.31).
Sophomore Tommy Donlin won the men’s weight throw, with a personal-best mark of 60-1 3/4 and fellow sophomore Oliver Williams Jr. took silver in the 60-meter dash in 6.89.
Mark Harrison also ran a career-best time of 49.39 in the 400 meters for a second-place finish for the Huskers.
The Best of the Best
The Huskers boast some of the best track and field athletes in the country, and they have the rankings to prove it. Six NU marks rank in the top five among NCAA Division I performances, including freshman Jenny Green’s nation-leading mark in the pole vault.
Showing Nebraska’s depth in the women’s pole vault, three Huskers rank in the top 10 in the nation, including Jenny Green (first), Jessie Graff (tied for sixth), and Christi Lehman (ninth). Green has a better mark than the current nation-leading measurement, but it was set at the Pole Vault Summit and the mark will not be recognized for the NCAA Championships. Therefore, Green’s leap of 13-7 1/4 last Friday in Columbia, Mo., vaulted her to the top of the national descending order list.
Ineta Radevica’s leap of 21-0 1/2 in the long jump is second the nation, after leading the country last week. Radevica’s mark of 43-7 in the triple jump ranks fourth.
In the multi-events, Chris Richardson is eighth in the heptathlon and Ashley Selig ranks fifth in the pentathlon.
Sophomore Priscilla Lopes remained fourth on the women’s 60-meter hurdle list with a time of 8.21, despite a week off from competition.
Dusty Stamer’s time of 6.67 is tied for fifth in the nation.
In the shot put, Becky Breisch is sixth with a throw of 55-1 1/2, while teammate Leann Boerema is 23rd with a mark of 51-0 1/4.
Senior Na’Tassia Vice earned a spot on the national list this week, clearing 5-10 1/2 in the high jump for a No. 14 ranking.
Big 12 Standings
Several Huskers hold the top spot in the Big 12 rankings, and several more rank near the top of their events.
The Husker women pole vaulters have a firm grip on the conference race, taking the top four spots led by Jenny Green and followed by Jessi Graff, Christi Lehman and Alissa Koerner.
Ineta Radevica is on top of the long jump with a mark of 21-0 1/2 and the triple jump with a leap of 43-7.
Eric Rasmussen leads the conference with a time of 14:40.57 in the 5,000-meter run, clocked last weekend. Ann Gaffigan is second in the women’s 3,000 meters with a time of 9:45.03, and Kayte Tranel has the top time in the 5,000 meters (17:30.25).
Dusty Stamer is second behind Oklahoma’s DaBryan Blanton in the 60-meter dash with a personal-best time of 6.67, ran at the Holiday Inn Invitational. Oliver Williams Jr. is ranked fifth in the 200 meters and Shelldon Simpson is sixth.
Going 2-3-4 in the 60-meter hurdles are sophomore Courtney Jones (7.98), Nenad Loncar (8.01) and Richard Davidson Jr. (8.04).
On the women’s side, Priscilla Lopes ranks sixth on the 60-meter dash list (7.46), third in the 200 (24.06) and third in the hurdles (8.21).
Freshman Gable Baldwin is second among conference leaders in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 16-11 3/4 at the Pole Vault Summit. Brad Teeple is tied for third after clearing 16-9 3/4 at the Tiger Classic.
Daniel Roper is ranked third in the long jump (24-8 1/2) and fifth in the triple jump (48-11 3/4), while Jason Thompson is third in the triple jump (49-6).
Becky Breisch is second on the shot put chart with a throw of 55-1 1/2. Teammate Leann Boerema is fourth.
The female pentathletes hold the second, third and fourth spots, with Ashley Selig ranking second followed by Sara Jane Baker and Casie Witte. Chris Richardson ranks second on the men’s heptathlon list, followed by Jesse Colburn and Corlan Vonderschmidt.
Nebraska Women Retain No. 4 Ranking
After just two weeks of work, the Nebraska women remained ranked fourth in the latest TrackWire rankings. The Husker men improved to a tie for 19th with Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Kansas State.
The TrackWire 25 is a power ranking which projects a hypothetical score for the NCAA meet, factoring injury reports and other variables supported by information gathered from coaches and NCAA-qualifying competitions.
The Louisiana State women and the Arkansas men are the heavy favorites to repeat as national champions in 2004. Each team returns two national champions, including one with multiple championships.
The Nebraska women have been projected to score 37 points in the national championship meet, while the men are projected to score 10 points in the team race.
Myerscough Set to Make 2004 Season Debut
Carl Myerscough will throw the shot put for the first time this season at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The three-time NCAA champion has sat out of competition until this point, training for the 2004 season.
The men’s shot put is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Myerscough has some ground to make up, as former Missouri rival Christian Cantwell threw the worlds’ best mark of 69 feet to win the Tiger Classic last Friday.
The Hambleton, England, native set his personal-best indoor mark of 70-6 1/4 at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships. He was also named the 2003 Husker Invitational Most Valuable Performer, for his nation-leading throw of 68-5 to win the shot put competition. The mark also broke the Husker Invitational record in the shot.
Husker Hurdlers Showcase Outstanding Depth
Three of the top four 60-meter hurdlers in the Big 12 Conference compete for Nebraska. Sophomore Courtney Jones has led the Huskers early in the 2004 season, running a season-best time of 7.98 last weekend at the Tiger Classic.
Nenad Loncar and Richard Davidson Jr. rank right behind Jones with times of 8.01 and 8.04, respectively.
The Huskers will try to make up the loss of departed senior All-American David Davis Jr. in the hurdles. Davis won the 2003 Big 12 Indoor championship in the 60-meter hurdles, while Loncar took fourth (8.02) and Jones finished fifth (8.02).
The Huskers have posted outstanding early season times despite Loncar missing a few weeks of training and Richardson returning from a medical redshirt season.
Breisch Improves by the Week
Junior Becky Breisch has improved her mark in the shot put every week this season, winning all three meets she has competed in.
The 2003 NCAA outdoor champion threw the shot 54-5 1/2 in the Panther Open to begin the 2004 season with an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark. The following week at the Holiday Inn Invitational Breisch improved the mark to 54-8 to win that meet as well.
Last weekend at the Tiger Classic Breisch unleashed another fantastic throw of 55-1 1/2 to take her game once again to the next level.
The Edwardsburg, Mich., native was rewarded for that throw, earning Big 12 Conference Athlete-of-the-Week honors on Monday afternoon. She will have to continue her improvements once again this week to have a chance at her fourth consecutive win in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational as she faces some of the toughest competition she will see this indoor season.
Multi-event Athletes Get Last Tune-Up
The Nebraska multi-event athletes, including NCAA provisional qualifiers Ashley Selig and Chris Richardson, will see action in their final full competitions of the season before competing in the Big 12 Conference Championships.
The pentathletes and heptathletes only have four scheduled competitions during the season, including the Panther Classic, the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, the Big 12 Indoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships.
While this will be the first season the multi-events have been included on the NCAA indoor agenda, the Huskers have only a few opportunities to qualify for the national meet, making each opportunity a valuable one.
Grand Island Natives Great Additions for NU
The Nebraska track and field team has three outstanding additions from Grand Island, Neb., for the 2004 season. Phenomenal freshmen pole vaulters Jenny Green and Gable Baldwin have made an immediate impact for the Huskers in the air, while junior Dusty Stamer, who took up his spikes after a brief stint on the Husker football team, burst onto the Big 12 sprint scene.
Green has already set the school record in the pole vault, clearing 13-9 1/4 in the first week of the season. She also broke the Hearnes Fieldhouse record at Missouri last weekend, clearing 13-7 1/4.
Baldwin is second in the league in men’s pole vault, with a leap of 16-11 3/4 at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., in week one.
Stamer has already ran the Huskers’ fourth best time in school history in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.67 at the Holiday Inn Invite two weeks ago.
Former Huskers Back in Action
Former Huskers Casey Thom, Lesley Owusu, Krisztina Kovesi and James Bowler will compete unattached in the Husker Invitational.
Thom, an All-American for NU in 2003 in the decathlon, will compete in the men’s heptathlon. Thom is in his first year as a volunteer assistant coach at UCLA.
Four-time All-American, Lesley Owusu will run in the 400 meters. Owusu claimed her best national finish in the 400 meters at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Championships, where she finished second.
Kovesi was a two-time All-American for NU in the triple jump, winning bronze at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships and finishing seventh at the national outdoor meet.
Bowler was an outstanding distance and cross-country runner for the Huskers and will compete in the 3,000 meters Saturday. Bowler won the Big 12 Outdoor title in the 1,500 meters last season and went on to earn All-America honors in the same event with his sixth-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Lopes, Stamer Begin Record Book Revisions
Sophomore Priscilla Lopes and junior Dusty Stamer have already began etching their names in the Nebraska school record books in their first season on the track for the Huskers.
Lopes’ time of 8.21 in the 60-meter hurdles two weeks ago was the second-best mark in school history. The Whitby, Ontario, native is only one-hundredth of a second off of Shelley-Ann Brown’s record set during the 2002 season. Lopes’ time of 7.46 in the 60-meter dash also ranks as the fourth best mark in NU history, and her time in the 200 meters (24.06) ranks ninth all-time.
If she continues to drop her times in the hurdles like she did the first two weeks, Lopes’ name will likely be the newest on the Nebraska record board in the near future.
Stamer’s time of 6.67 in the 60-meter dash ran at the Holiday Inn Invitational is tied as the fourth-best mark in school history. Chris Chandler holds the current record with a time of 6.61 set during the 2000 season.
NU Returns Four National Champs in 2004
Nebraska is the only Division I university that returns four 2003 NCAA individual national champions to its 2004 squad. The Huskers return Carl Myerscough (indoor and outdoor shot put), Eric Eshbach (outdoor pole vault), Ineta Radevica (outdoor triple jump) and Becky Breisch (outdoor shot put).
North Carolina comes the closest to Nebraska, returning three individual national champs from the 2003 season, including indoor shot put winner Laura Gerraughty.
The Huskers also return the services of seven All-Americans, including Kyle Odvody (high jump), Na’Tassia Vice (high jump) and Artur Wszelaki (javelin) in addition to the four national champions.