Shubert Just Off Lead Following Cold Day at Missouri

Columbia, Mo.?The opening day of the Audrey Walton Combined Events at Missouri’s Walton Stadium featured five Nebraska multi-event athletes in action Thursday. Junior Kim Shubert and freshman Erin Hannon represented NU in the women’s heptathlon, while senior Lee Martin and sophomores Pat Burke and Skyler Reising competed for the Husker men’s team in the decathlon.

Conditions were tough for competition Thursday, as temperatures hovered around the low 40's and snow flurries fell during the late morning and early afternoon.

Shubert sits in second place and just 50 points off the lead with 2,905 points following the first four of seven events in the women’s heptathlon. While she was unable to record any individual event bests during the first day, Shubert did manage to put together an all-around solid Thursday with marks of 14.92 in the 100-meter hurdles, 5-7 ? in the high jump, 33-8 in the shot put and 27.04 in the 200-meter dash. Her high jump performance led each of the 13 athletes making up the field.

 

Hannon joined Shubert Thursday with an eighth-place total of 2,670 in her first career heptathlon at Nebraska. She registered marks of 15.95 in the hurdles, 5-5 ? in the high jump, 32-1 ? in the shot and 28.04 in the 200.

 

Leading the Husker men’s contingent was Reising, who currently sits in sixth place with 3,607 points. Reising placed among the top four in three events?the long jump (22-1 ?; fourth), shot put (41-5 ?; fourth) and high jump (6-4 ?; third)?while also running 11.45 and 52.84 in the 100-and 400-meter dash events, respectively.

 

Martin was the only Husker to register a personal best in an individual event Thursday, and he earned a pair of PR’s on his way to a seventh-place point total of 3,588. He set career bests of 11.51 (wind aided) in the 100 and 40-5 ? in the shot put, while also reaching marks of 21-10 ? in the long jump, 6-3 ? in the high jump and 51.50 in the 400. Martin finished among the field’s top six in four of the five individual events.

 

Burke, who officially competed as a Husker for the first time in 2007, ranks 11th overall with 3,250 points after day one. He did manage to finish second in the high jump at 6-6, but he also placed 12th or lower in the other four events with marks of 11.68 in the 100, 20-2 ? (wind aided) in the long jump, 32-7 ? in the shot and 53.77 in the 400.

 

The Audrey Walton Combined Events conclude Friday afternoon. The decathlon starts up at 11:30 a.m., while the heptathlon follows at 1 p.m. Several other Huskers will begin their weekend of competition in either Norman, Okla., at the John Jacobs Invitational or in Walnut, Calif., at the Mt. SAC Relays.

 

Women’s Heptathlon (100h, HJ, SP, 200m) Through 4 of 7 events:

2. Kim Shubert, 2,905 (14.92, 5-7 ?, 33-8, 27.04)

8. Erin Hannon, 2,670 (15.95, 5-5 ?, 32-1 ?, 28.04)

 

Men’s Heptathlon (100m, LJ, SP, HJ, 400m) Through 5 of 10 events:
6. Skyler Reising, 3,607 (11.45, 22-1 ?, 41-5 ?, 6-4 ?, 52.84)
7. Lee Martin, 3,588 (11.51w, 21-10 ?, 40-5 ?, 6-3 ?, 51.50)
11. Pat Burke, 3,250 (11.68, 20-2 ?, 32-7 ?, 6-6, 53.77)