NU Track and Field Announces Three Early Signings

Lincoln - Three athletes have signed early National Letters of Intent to compete for the University of Nebraska’s track and field team during the 2005-06 academic year, Head Coach Gary Pepin announced Tuesday. Included in the group is one Nebraska native, Grand Island Northwest prep star Sam Ogden.

Ogden won the 2004 Nebraska Class B state championship in the pole vault as a junior by clearing a height of 15-6 at the state meet last May. The G.I. Northwest Viking also competed at the 2003 state meet as a sophomore, finishing just out of the top-six scoring spots. Ogden owns a career-best height of 16-0.

Also joining the men’s squad will be Randolph Bryant, a long/triple jumper from Quincy, Fla. Currently enrolled at Wallace State College in Hanceville, Ala., Bryant placed fourth in the long jump at the 2004 NJCAA Championships. He has recorded personal-best marks of 24-7 ? in the long jump and 47-4 in the triple jump.

The Huskers also signed Ari Goldstein from Soldotna, Alaska, to join the NU women’s team. Goldstein, fresh off of winning her second-straight Alaska state cross country championship, has compiled an outstanding track and field resume at Soldotna High School. She is the defending state champion in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter run events, while she also claimed a state championship in the 4x400-meter relay as a junior. Goldstein owns personal-best times of 2:16.87 in the 800, 5:01.6 in the 1,600 and 10:59.5 in the 3,200.