Three Huskers Compete in International Meets

A group consisting of three current and future Nebraska track and field athletes concluded their summers of competition Saturday by participating in international meets. Senior Kayla Wilkinson threw the javelin in the Norwich Union International meet in Birmingham, England, while sophomore Daniel Christensen and incoming freshman Megan Weatley each competed in the IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China.

Wilkinson, who made her first career appearance in an international competition, placed eighth in the women’s javelin at the Norwich Union International?a meet comprised of teams from the United States, China, Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Russia. The Deshler, Neb., native recorded a mark of 162-0 in her first major competition since earning the bronze medal back in June at the USATF Championships. China’s Ning Ma won the competition with a throw of 196-0.

A two-time Big 12 Conference champion in the javelin, the Husker senior only recently was named to the U.S. contingent for this weekend’s meet after national champion Kim Kreiner pulled out of the competition. Wilkinson will return for her final campaign at Nebraska during the upcoming 2007 season, when she will attempt to improve on last season’s NCAA runner-up finish as the top returning national finisher.

Meanwhile, Christensen and Wheatly also were in action Saturday competing for separate nations in the World Junior Championships in Beijing. Christensen, who will enter his second season at Nebraska later this year, represented Denmark as the third leg on the Danes’ 4x400-meter relay. The squad finished sixth out of seven teams in the first of three qualifying heats with a time of 3:16.94 and did not advance to Sunday’s final.

Wheatly, an incoming freshman from Perth, Australia, earned 16th place in the women’s heptathlon that began on Friday with a score of 5,151. Australia’s top-ranked junior heptathlete recorded individual event marks of 14.46 (100-meter hurdles), 5-1 ? (high jump), 39-6 (shot put), 25.29 (200 meters), 18-0 ? (long jump), 106-2 (javelin) and 2:21.61 (800 meters).

Scott Wimms, a second incoming Husker recruit from Ft. Wayne, Ind., also is in Beijing on the United States squad as an alternate for the men’s 4x100-meter relay, which qualified for Sunday’s final heat with a heat-winning time of 39.50.