Huskers Claim Three Kansas Relay Titles

LAWRENCE, Kan. ? The University of Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field teams finished off the Kansas Relays Saturday by winning three event titles to go with four new NCAA regional-qualifying performances. The Huskers also earned runner-up honors in five events.

 

Frances Keating began the finals section for NU by winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 13.51. Keating’s previous-best mark as a Husker of 14.01 was recorded at the Texas Relays on April 8, while she had run at time of 13.57 during her high school career in New Liskeard, Ontario. The performance places her at No. 6 on NU’s all-time performance list. Priscilla Lopes earned bronze during the elite Invitational section with a time of 13.21.

 

The NU tandem of Egle Uljas and Danute Ceika swept the top two spots in the women’s 800-meter run event, with Uljas winning in a career-best time of 2:08.87. Her performance gave the Husker women their second regional qualifier in the event to go along with Anne Shadle. Ceika’s runner-up time was 2:12.45.

 

Mark Harrison, Andy Nelson, Dmitrijs Milkevics and Nate Probasco added another win for the Huskers in the 4x400-meter relay by clocking a time of 3:12.12.

 

The highlight event of the day for Nebraska was its men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Oliver Williams Jr., Nate Probasco, Arturs Abolins and Dusty Stamer finishing second in the Invitational section to Team HSI, which featured two-time Olympic champion and former 60-meter dash World Record holder Maurice Green running anchor. The Huskers finished in a time of 40.16, behind HSI’s 39.24.

 

Probasco continued his breakout season by notching a lifetime-best performance to earn silver during the Invitational section of the men’s 200-meter dash. The Scribner, Neb., native’s wind-aided time of 20.74 was a personal low, while he finished a close second to former three-time NCAA champion Leo Bookman (20.52).

 

Nebraska also had a good showing in the men’s 110-meter hurdles by claiming the Nos. 2, 3 and 5 placings. Courtney Jones led the contingent by posting a personal-best time of 13.88, while Richard Davidson Jr. finished just behind in 13.96. Aaron Ross’ fifth-place time of 14.22 was also a career-best, while it also earned him the first NCAA regional-qualifying performance of his career. Teammate Nenad Loncar participated in the Invitational section of the hurdles, finishing in seventh place with a mark of 14.05.

 

Milkevics met the NCAA regional qualification for the men’s 800-meter run in his first outdoor race of the season by finishing runner-up to Kansas’ Jeremy Mims with a time of 1:50.29. Teammate Aaron Nasers (1:52.15) claimed fourth place.

 

Justine Roach earned another silver for Nebraska in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.73, while the women’s 4x100-meter relay team also posted a second-place finish with a clocking of 46.49.

 

Ray Scotten extended his streak of reaching the 18-foot mark to three straight meets when he went 18-0 ? for a third-place finish in the men’s Invitational pole vault. Scotten, the top-ranked vaulter in the NCAA, achieved the same height as former Husker Eric Eshbach (unattached), but finished behind due to misses.

 

Kwonya added another bronze for NU in the women’s triple jump by recording a leap of 41-11 ?.

 

Nebraska faces the biggest weekend of its regular season next weekend when it sends split squads to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. Both events will be held Thursday, April 28 through Friday, April 30.