Ruskule Named Big 12 Women's Athlete of the Week

Dallas ? Nebraska senior Dace Ruskule was named Big 12 women’s track and field athlete of the week Tuesday for her efforts during last weekend’s outdoor season-opening Stanford Invitational. The award marked her first career conference honor, as well as the first for a Husker track and field athlete for the 2007 season.

 

Ruskule, a native of Latvia who does not compete during the indoor season while focusing solely on the discus, claimed the nation’s third-best mark this season while placing fourth among a talented field featuring many of the country’s top college and professional athletes last Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif. Her throw of 181-5, which also ranks as the top toss among all Big 12 athletes this season, made her the meet’s top collegian finisher.

 

The reigning NCAA champion in the discus, Ruskule is attempting to become the first-ever Husker to win duplicate titles in the event. She won her first national crown last June with a spin of 180-10 after earning her second consecutive NCAA Midwest Regional title. Ruskule was a 2004 representative for Latvia at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, and she owns a personal best of 195-9.

 

Ruskule and 30 of her Husker teammates will be in action this weekend, as the annual Texas Relays begin on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. Another group of 17 Huskers, mainly distance athletes, will travel to Emporia, Kan., for Saturday’s Emporia State Relays.