Huskers Compete at ISU Last Chance Qualifier

Twenty six Nebraska track and field athletes traveled to Ames, Iowa, Saturday for the Iowa State NCAA Qualifier. The Huskers aimed to add a few last minute qualifiers for next week’s NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

 

While no new qualifying performances were set by NU athletes, a few Huskers improved upon marks that had previously reached provisional status.

 

The NU women’s 4x400-meter relay cut nearly 2.5 seconds off last week’s season-best time by finishing sixth in 3:35.59. The mark would have ranked eighth on the national performance list prior to this weekend’s action.

 

Courtney Jones ran a season-best 7.83 to win his preliminary heat of the men’s 60-meter hurdles, .01 quicker than the provisional-qualifying 7.84 he recorded nearly a month ago at the Iowa State Classic. Jones went on to finish fourth in the final heat in 7.86, while teammates Richard Davidson Jr. (7.82) and Nenad Loncar (7.84) earned respective places of second and third.

 

Dusty Jonas claimed NU’s lone event title on the day, winning the men’s high jump with a height of 7-2 1/2, while Vanessa Maher tied for second in the women’s competition by clearing 5-7 1/4. Teammates Casie Witte and Nicole Kadyszewski notched respective placings of fifth and seventh with the same mark.

 

Gable Baldwin prepared for next week’s NCAA meet by earning second place in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 17-2 3/4. While Baldwin has not automatically qualified for nationals, he currently ranks No. 7 in the country with his season-best height of 17-8 1/2.

 

Yesterday, Nebraska sent men’s and women’s distance medley relay squads to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational NCAA qualifying meet.

 

The NU men’s team recorded a provisional-qualifying time of 9:36.76 to finish ninth among the 22-team field. The lineup of Tim Williams, Mark Harrison, Aaron Nasers and Peter van der Westhuizen ran respective legs of 1,200, 400, 800 and 1,600 meters. The mark currently ranks ninth in the NCAA, while it is the second-fastest time in NU men’s history.

 

The Nebraska women’s relay of Danute Ceika, Sara Jane Baker, Elizabeth Lange and Kim Pancoast compiled a time of 11:31.59 to finish seventh in the 10-team field. The mark ranks third all-time in Husker women’s history, and it also surpassed the provisional-qualifying standard of 11:32.20.

 

The Huskers will wait until Monday to learn if their efforts were enough to make next week’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Those athletes selected to participate will compete Friday and Saturday at the Tyson Randal Indoor Track and Field Center in Fayetteville, Ark.