Reising in Hunt for Decathlon Title at Jim Click Shootout

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Tucson, Ariz. ? The Husker multi-event group opened up the 2008 Jim Click Shootout today with strong showings in both the men’s decathlon and the women’s heptathlon. Senior co-captain Skyler Reising is in the hunt to not only be the event winner but to also post an NCAA automatic-qualifying score. On the women’s side Erin Hannon and Kim Shubert locked up NCAA Midwest Regional spots as they both cleared the 5-8 ? (1.75) bar in the heptathlon high jump.

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Reising posted the top collegiate score on day one with 4,071 points. He trails only Jamie Adjetey-Nelson who is competing unattached with 4,162 points. Reising climbed up the leaderboard as he set new personal bests in three of the five events. He knocked .22 seconds off of his 100-meter time to finish at 11.07, increased his shot put by 2-6 1/2 feet as his best toss landed at 47-6 1/4 (14.48) and improved his high jump by 3/4 of an inch as his highest clearance on the day was the 6-10 ? (2.09) bar. Reising’s current personal best in the decathlon sits at 7,244 points and the automatic-qualifying mark for the NCAA Outdoor Championships is 7,500 points.

 

Patrick Burke also competed for the Big Red on day one and currently sits No. 5 overall with 3,442 points. Burke set a new personal best in the 100 meters with a time of 11.37 and hopes with a strong day tomorrow that he will hit the NCAA provisional-qualifying score of 6,900 points.

 

On the women’s side freshman Rachel Butler leads the way for the Huskers as she sits in third place with 3,061 points after one day of the women's heptathlon. Veterans Kim Shubert and Erin Hannon are right behind Butler in fourth and fifth place with 3,050 and 2,966 points, respectively. The Huskers are facing very tough competition as the current leader, Jacquelyn Johnson of ArizonaState, won the 2008 NCAA indoor pentathlon and Shevell Quinley of Arizona, who currently sits in second place, finished in third at the indoor championships.

 

“I was real happy with the way we came out and performed today. We have a shot at hitting some good scores tomorrow,” stated multi-event coach Kris Grimes.

 

Action will pick back up tomorrow with the men’s 110-meter hurdles starts at Noon (Central) and the women’s long jump at 1 p.m.