Track Inks Ten to Early Letters of Intent

LINCOLN?Ten athletes have signed National Letters-of-Intent to attend Nebraska and compete for the Husker track and field team beginning next fall, NU Coach Gary Pepin announced Tuesday. Included among the class are four talented Nebraska natives.

"I think this is one of the best early signing classes we’ve had since I’ve been here," Pepin said. "Many of these athletes rank among the very top in the United States for their events."

While the group is deep in the jumps area with four nationally ranked individuals, a pair of in-state sprinters headline the class in Sarah Lyons (Omaha, Neb.) and Lukas Hulett (Bellevue, Neb.).

Lyons won all-class gold medals as a junior while sweeping the girls’ 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events at the 2005 Nebraska Class C state meet. She enters her final year at Brownell-Tallbot High School as the No. 6 senior nationally in the 100 meters with a personal-best time of 11.89.

"(Lyons) is one of the best women’s sprinters to come out of the state of Nebraska in a long time," Pepin said. "We think she has a bright future here."

Hulett also claimed a 2005 all-class gold medal in the boys’ 400 meters while competing for Bellevue East High School at the Nebraska Class A state meet. He also finished second in the Class A 200-meter dash competition.

"(Hulett) is a strong prospect for us in the sprints," Pepin said. "I think he has barely scratched the surface of how good he can be."

Seth Burney (Beatrice, Neb.), the 2005 Class B runner-up in the boys’ pole vault, and Danielle Smith, the 2005 Class A runner-up in the girls’ triple jump, were the final in-state products to sign with NU. Burney finished second to current Husker Sam Ogden at last spring’s state meet and ranks as the No. 6 senior nationally entering this season with a lifetime-best vault of 16-0 ?. Smith owns a personal-best mark of 38-3 in the triple jump.

"We were very excited to get (Burney and Smith) to sign with us," Pepin said. "They both have had exceptional high school careers already, and they still have another season yet to compete."

Pepin, who coaches the vertical and horizontal jumps areas at Nebraska, will have a wealth of incoming talent in 2007 with four nationally ranked women’s athletes. Leading the group is Epley Bullock (Allen, Texas), the No. 2 senior nationally in the high jump with a personal-best height of 6-0. Epley earned third place in the event at the 2005 Texas 5A state meet as a junior.

The Huskers cleaned up in the horizontal jumps in the Show-Me State, as they inked both 2005 Class 4 (largest class) girls’ long jump and triple jump champions. Leandra McGruder (Jefferson City, Mo.) won the Missouri Class 4 state title in the triple jump for Jefferson City High School as a junior last spring, while finishing runner-up in the long jump to Chantae McMillan (Rolla, Mo.), who also signed to compete for Nebraska, out of Rolla High School. McGruder ranks as the No. 2 senior nationally in the triple jump with a personal best of 40-5, while McMillan ranks fourth nationally in the long jump (19-11).

Other athletes to sign early letters of intent included Dax Danns (Lemon Grove, Calif.), Erin Hannon (Bradford, Pa.) and Scott Wims (Ft. Wayne, Ind.).

Danns finished fourth in both the boys' 100- and 200-meter dashes at the 2005 California state meet for Helix High School and has notched respective personal bests of 10.60 and 21.21 for the two events. Hannon, who attends Bradford Area High School, claimed the Nike Indoor National Championship in the high jump last spring. She owns respective rankings of eighth and 11th nationally in the high jump and triple jump entering her senior season. Wims, who ranks eighth nationally in the 200 meters with a personal-best mark of 21.52, won the 2005 Indiana state title in the event last spring for Northrop High School.

Nebraska begins its indoor season Jan. 13-14 by hosting the Holiday Inn Invitational at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track.

Women’s 2006-07 Track and Field Early Signees
Name Hometown (High School) High School Events
Epley Bullock Allen, Texas (Allen) HJ (6-0)
Erin Hannon Bradford, Pa. (Bradford Area) HJ (5-10), TJ (39-6), LJ (18-5)
Leandra McGruder Jefferson City, Mo. (Jefferson City) TJ (40-5), LJ (19-6)
Chantae McMillan Rolla, Mo. (Rolla) LJ (19-11), TJ (39-5)
Sarah Lyons Omaha, Neb. (Brownell-Talbot) 100m (11.89), 200m (24.67), 400m (55.60)
Danielle Smith Bellevue, Neb. (West) TJ (38-3)

Men’s 2006-07 Track and Field Early Signees
Name   Hometown (High School) High School Events
Seth Burney Beatrice, Neb. (Beatrice) PV (16-0 1/2)
Dax Danns Lemon Grove, Calif. (Helix) 100m (10.60), 200m (21.21)
Lukas Hulett Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue East) 400m (47.76)
Scott Wims Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Northrop) 200m (21.52), 100m (10.75)