NU Track and Field Presents Annual Awards

Lincoln - The Relay Club, the official booster club of Nebraska track and field, held its annual awards banquet Sunday, Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Lincoln. The organization honored track and field student-athletes for their performances during the 2003-04 academic year.

Following a welcome from NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson and a video featuring the past season’s highlights, the Huskers presented their annual performance awards. Seven-time All-American Carl Myerscough was named the Sam Waugh Men’s Outstanding Track and Field Athlete, and he also earned the men’s Most Valuable Team Performer Award. Eleven-time All-American Ineta Radevica and eight-time All-American Becky Breisch shared both the Henderson State Bank Women’s Outstanding Track and Field Athlete Award and the women’s Most Valuable Team Performer Award. The three athletes concluded their Husker careers with a combined nine individual national championships.

Dusty Stamer and Ann Gaffigan were awarded the men’s and women’s Most Improved Track Athlete Awards, while Brad Teeple and Sara Jane Baker were named men’s and women’s Most Improved Field Athletes, respectively. Outstanding Newcomer honors went to Dmitrijs Milkevics for the men and Priscilla Lopes for the women. Na’Tassia Vice earned the Russ White Spirit Award for her passion and devotion to the Nebraska track and field team.

Other acknowledgements for athletic excellence included recognition of the four Huskers who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece-Lopes, Radevica, Milkevics and Nenad Loncar-as well as all 2004 indoor and outdoor All-Americans. Twenty-nine NU athletes earned All-America honors during the past year.

The Relay Club also recognized the team’s academic excellence. Forty-one student-athletes recorded grade-point averages of 3.5 or better last semester, with 12 registering a perfect 4.0.