Huskers Win Seven Events at NWU Invite

Lincoln - Following the 2008 Conference Challenge the Huskers continued to rack up seven wins at the NWU Invite. The NWU Invite was hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan and featured every team from the Conference Challenge, plus Nebraska Wesleyan. Any athlete from the prior meet was able to compete in the NWU Invite, however, they were not able to compete in the same event at both meets.

Husker sophomore Nikita Eades got the meet started off on the right foot for the Huskers as she beat out the competition to win the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.75. Eades ranks sixth all-time in the Husker indoor record book and hopes to be a top competitor in the 60-meter hurdles when the Big 12 Indoor Meet is held in Lincoln from Feb. 29 to March 1.

The Husker women went 1-2-3 in long jump, led by Chantae McMillan who recorded a personal-best jump of 5.70m (18-8 1/2). McMillian beat out teammates Zarinah Suluki-Drakes, who jumped 5.56m (18-3), and Ann Erega, who finished at 5.52m (18-1 1/2). Suluki-Drakes would not be denied in the triple jump as she won the title with a leap of 12.6m (39-7). 

On the men's side Chris Nuttelman and Maruo Parnell took the top two spots in the men's triple jump as Parnell's personal-best jump of 14.21 (46-7 1/2) was not enough to beat out Nuttelman, who jumped 14.38 (47-2. 1/4). In the long jump Skyler Reising beat out fellow Husker Scott Jorgenson as Reising jumped 7.11m (23-4).

In the running events the Husker men took both the 600-meter and 800-meter runs as Eric Lund paced the 600m pack with a time of 1:23.32 while Jack Lemke won the 800 title with a time of 1:54.81.

In the men's 60-meter dash LeRon Williams and Robert Rands both ran personal-best races at 7.07, however, neither could beat out former Husker All-American and Big 12 Conference Champion Chris Chandler, who torched the competition with a time of 6.86. Chandler still holds the Nebraska all-time indoor record in the 60-meter dash at 6.61.

The unattached team of Husker freshman Derrell Bradford, Scott Evans, Jamelle Ross and Anthony Blue won the men's 4x400 relay while three other Huskers also won events as they were competing unattached. Deiddra Rodgers won the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 25.83, Kirkland Thorton won the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.96 and Keith Lloyd won the shot put title with a mark of 17.23m (56-6 1/2).

The Huskers will once again be home next weekend when they play host to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The meet is one of the biggest on the Husker indoor schedule as 18 teams from across the United States embark on Lincoln for the two-day event that starts at noon on Friday, Feb. 1 at picks back up again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Husker.com, the Husker Athletic Ticket Office or the day of the meet. Reserved seats are $7 while general admission tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. University of Nebraska students have free admission with an NCard.