Green Named Big 12 Freshman of the Year; Pepin Coach of the Year

Lincoln ? Jenny Green was named the Big 12 Indoor Freshman of the Year, while Head Coach Gary Pepin garnered the Men’s and Women’s Coach-of-the-Year honors for the Nebraska track and field team the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.

 

Green has been stellar in her first indoor season as a Husker pole vaulter. Green took no time resetting the Big 12 Conference and Nebraska school records, clearing a height of 13-9 1/4 in her first meet of the season on Jan. 10 at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev. Her mark crushed the previous conference and school records by 5 1/2 inches.

 

The Grand Island, Neb., native didn't stop with that record, as she cleared 13-7 1/4 to win the Tiger Classic in the fourth week of the season to set a new Hearnes Field House record at Missouri.

 

“Jenny is a special freshman,” Pepin said. “It’s not very often that a freshman competes at such a high level. She has been very consistent and has lots of potential. She is a fine all-around athlete and we are happy she decided to stay home and compete for us.”

 

Green's biggest accomplishment this season, however, was winning the Big 12 Conference title in the pole vault, once again clearing 13-9 1/4 to set new Bob Devaney Sports Center and Big 12 Conference meet records. Green’s mark is currently tied at fourth place on the NCAA charts for the 2004 season.

 

“I’m just fortunate to have accomplished this much as a freshman and a lot of that has to do with my coaches and teammates helping me and pushing me,” Green said. “I’m very pleased with my success so far, and I can only go higher. I have some technical things to work on, but I would like to go to nationals and score some points for the team.”

 

Along with the records, Green also won the Panther Open on Jan. 17 and the adidas Classic on Feb. 14. She took second place in the Holiday Inn Invitational and the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, clearing 13-4 1/4 in both meets.

 

Pepin, in his 24th season overall and his 21st as the head coach for both the women and men’s track teams, led the Nebraska men to their seventh Big 12 Conference Indoor title (1997-98, 2000-04) and the women’s team to their fourth Big 12 indoor crown last weekend.

 

The Pittsburgh, Kan., native has been selected as the Big 12 Indoor Coach of the Year 11 times (six for the men and five for the women) over the last eight years. His selection as both the men’s and women’s indoor coach of the year this season marks the fourth time he has won both honors in the same year.

 

“It’s really not an honor for me,” Pepin said. “It is really a tribute to our athletes on the team and our staff for their preparations for the Big 12 meet.”

 

Pepin has guided his teams to 59 indoor and outdoor titles in 24 seasons dating back to the Big Eight Conference, which makes him the all-time winningest track and field coach in the history of the Big 12 Conference and the former Big Eight Conference.

 

The Huskers will travel to Iowa State and Notre Dame this weekend for last chance meets, where athletes will try to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 12-13, in Fayetteville, Ark.