Huskers Co-Host Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational

The Nebraska men and women’s cross country teams will have a home-course advantage this week when they co-host the annual Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational this Saturday, Sept. 17 at Pioneer’s Park in Lincoln.

The women’s 6k will start at 10 a.m., followed by the men’s 8k at 10:45 a.m.

"It is always nice to run in front of your home crowd," Head coach Jay Dirksen said. "We always have big turnouts, and the competition is good enough that there will be a lot of good runners in the front end."

The races will be split into College and University divisions. Among Nebraska’s competition will be Air Force, Bradley, Drake (women), Kansas State, South Dakota State, Wichita State, Wyoming, Creighton, Missouri and Northern Iowa.

Nebraska is coming off a strong showing in its first meet of the year, sweeping the top three finishes in both men’s and women’s races at the Creighton/UNO Classic in Omaha on Sept. 3.

Senior tri-captain Kayte Tranel, who redshirted last season, is off to a fast start for the NU women. The Hampton, Neb., native was named the Big 12 women’s runner of the week for the week of Sept. 5 after her first-place finish at Omaha, leading the women to the team title.

Sophomore Peter van der Westhuizen, a new member to the men’s team, also led his squad to the team title, and will be one to watch this weekend. He began to show his potential at Omaha with a first-place finish. The South Africa native joined the Nebraska track team last spring, and immediately became one of the top distance runners Nebraska has seen in recent history.

Directions to Pioneer’s Park:

From I-80 west and east: Get off on Exit-397 and go south on Homestead Expressway. Take a right on Capitol Parkway W. off Homestead Expressway. Capitol Parkway will turn into S. Coddington Ave. After crossing W. Van Dorn Street, you will enter Pioneer’s Park on the east side.

From Downtown Lincoln: Get on Capitol Parkway W. off S. 9th Street ("L" Street turns into Capitol Parkway after crossing 9th). Continue on Capitol Parkway W., which turns into S. Coddington Ave. After crossing W. Van Dorn Street, you will enter Pioneer’s Park on the east side.

Last Year at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational

Senior co-captain Anne Shadle led the NU women with a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, while another co-captain, senior Eric Rasmussen, led the men with a fifth-place individual showing.

The seniors’ performances helped the women to a third-place team finish in the University division, while the men were fifth.

Freshmen Joslyn Dalton was Nebraska’s highest finisher on this year’s women’s team, placing 16th. Sophomore Bryce Dickmeyer was 31st in the men’s race.

Tranel Named Big 12

Runner of the WeekNebraska senior Kayte Tranel won Female Runner of the Week honors last Wednesday from the Big 12 Conference after earning her highest career collegiate cross country finish on Sept. 3 in Omaha.

The Hampton, Neb., native won the women’s 5k race at the Creighton/Nebraska-Omaha Classic in a time of 18:51 while leading the Husker women to their first team victory since the 2003 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships.

Tranel also became the first NU runner to claim a cross country title in nearly two seasons. She finished runner-up to Anne Shadle, the last Husker to win an individual title, at the 2003 Creighton/UNO Classic.

The race was the first competition for Tranel since the 2003 season. She returned for her senior season after sitting out all of 2004 while rehabbing a stress fracture.

Up Next:

Following this weekend’s home meet, the Huskers will take to the road again for the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 24.

The meet will take place at Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn. with the men running at noon and women at 1 p.m.