Huskers Open Outdoor Season in Arizona and California

Lincoln - The Nebraska track and field team will kick off the outdoor season this weekend with 83 athletes traveling to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Shootout while a small group of distance runners will compete at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.

The multi-event group will start off the Jim Click Shootout at 1 p.m. (Central) on Thursday and continue on Friday also at 1 p.m. The rest of the team will compete on Saturday starting at Noon with the women's hammer throw and finish at 5:55 p.m. with the running of the men's 4x400-meter relay. No live results or video will be available so make sure and check Huskers.com for updates and a full recap at the conclusion of each day.

The Stanford Invitational is a two-day meet beginning at 10:45 a.m. on Friday and starts up again at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Video and live results will be available throughout the meet. Live results can be found here, and video can be found here.

- Wilkinson Ready to Compete Again
Senior co-captain Kayla Wilkinson may be the most excited Husker on the 2008 track and field team as she is finally back competing for the Big Red after sitting out last year with injury.

Wilkinson owns the NU record in the javelin with a throw of 181-2 at the Nebraska Invitational on April, 15, 2006. Wilkinson had a strong 2006 outdoor season for the Huskers as she earned All-America honors with a runner-up finish at the 2006 Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif.

The two-time Big 12 champion (2005, 2006) will look to return to prime form this season and help lead the Husker women to a Big 12 Championship after last year’s runner-up finish.

"I can’t describe how excited I am to get back out there compete. I am 100% and stronger then I ever have been, my goal is to win the national championship." Wilkinson said.

- 23 Regional Qualifiers Return for Big Red
The Huskers enter the 2008 outdoor season loaded with talent as the men’s side returns 12 regional qualifiers from last year with the women adding another 11. Of those 23 athletes, 12 of them competed last year at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The men are carried by seven-time All-American Dusty Jonas and 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional 200-meter champion Scott Wims. Jonas is now in search of an outdoor national championship after his win in the high jump at the 2008 indoor championships. Wims will look to repeat as regional champion as well as earn All-America honors again in the 200 meters.

The women are well balanced with veterans and an exceptional freshman class. The Huskers return a multitude of experience in the jumps with senior Kim Shubert, junior Zarinah Suluki-Drakes and sophomores Leandra McGruder, Chantae McMillan and Epley Bullock all having NCAA Championship experience. After adding 2006 javelin runner-up Kayla Wilkinson and the young Huskers, a seventh straight top-25 ranking at the NCAA Championships is well within reach.

- Jonas Flies High in Fayetteville
Senior Dusty Jonas culminated his last indoor season as the best high jumper in the country as the four-time All-American won his first national championship on March 15. His height of 7-7 (2.31) is the highest jump in the history of Nebraska track and field indoors or outdoors. The indoor record was previously held by Jeff Loescher who jumped 7-6 (2.29) in 1985.

Jonas was on top of his game all day, as he cleared the first six bars (2.09, 2.14, 2.19, 2.22, 2.25 and 2.28) on his first attempt. Jonas’ only competition on the day was Big 12 indoor champion Scott Sellers of Kansas State, who stayed with Jonas until the 7-4 1/2 (2.25) bar. Sellers was then not able to clear at 7-5 3/4 (2.28). Jonas almost cleared 7-7 on his first attempt, barely clipping the bar with his leg. He would not be denied on his second attempt, as the 7-7 height put him somewhere no other Husker has been able to reach.

Head Coach Gary Pepin couldn’t be happier for his senior jumper.

"7-7 is something that is very special, and I think even if Dusty (Jonas) hadn’t won, he and I would have been very happy he cleared 7-7," Pepin said. "Dusty is now somewhere that only special people get to. He has a bright future not only in the outdoor season, but after his career at Nebraska. I am just so pleased to see all his hard work pay off and that he won a national championship."

"Jonas was relieved that all of his and Pepin’s hard work had finally paid off." Jonas said after the meet.

"Truthfully it really hasn’t sunk in yet that I am a national champion. Right now it just feels like I’ve set a new PR at any regular meet. Coming in, I knew I had a chance and both Coach Pepin and Nic (volunteer coach Nic Petersen) said they knew I had what it was going to take today to win. The strange thing is I think I am happier that I cleared 7-7. Hopefully over the next few days it will set in that I’m a national champion," said Jonas.

- Huskers Send Six to Fayetteville
Dusty Jonas was not the only Husker to earn hardware at the two-day NCAA Indoor Championships as Sheryl Morgan and Lukas Hulett each finished seventh in the 400 meters and Epley Bullock finished eighth in the high jump.

Morgan, who was running her last race as a Husker, gave it her all as she finished with a time of 53.53. It was a sad goodbye for Morgan, but she was very happy to have the opportunity to run at Nebraska.

"I am sad that this is my last meet, but being on the podium makes me very happy. My experience at Nebraska was great and I just want to thank all the coaches for everything they’ve allowed me to do. I’m very happy to be able to call myself an All-American," Morgan said.

Hulett, who ran the fifth-fastest time in the preliminaries, had trouble getting into a flow in the finals, finishing with a time of 47.22. Even though Hulett was not happy with his final race, he was proud to be able to say he has earned All-America honors for the second straight year.

"I didn’t run very well today, and I am really disappointed about that. I really wanted to PR again today, but I am very pleased to be an All-American again. This just motivates me to get ready for the outdoor season," Hulett said following the meet.

Sophomore Epley Bullock earned All-America honors in the high jump for the second-straight year as the Allen, Texas, native finished tied for seventh with a jump of 5-10 3/4 (1.80). Bullock earned All-America honors last year as she finished ninth overall and fifth among American competitors. Bullock cleared the first three bars with ease before tweaking her knee which kept her from being able to clear the 6-0 (1.83) bar.

Bullock was happy to earn the All-America honor outright this year and saw quite a difference in herself this year compared to last.

"My goal coming in was to earn finish in the top eight and have no question about the All-America honor. Last year I was so nervous coming in and couldn’t keep myself still. This year I could just focus on having fun and doing my best," Bullock said.

Senior Peter van der Westhuizen and freshman Paul Hamilton also competed on day two for the Huskers. van der Westhuizen finished 11th in the mile run at 4:07.77, and Hamilton finished 12th in the high jump with a leap of 6-10 1/4 (2.09).

Overall the Husker men finished tied for 17th with 12 points while the women finished 52nd with 3.5 points.

- Morgan and Bullock Bring Home Big 12 Titles
Senior Sheryl Morgan capped off her final Big 12 Indoor Championships on a high note as the senior from Kingston, Jamaica won the women’s 600-yard run with a time of 1:20.63. Morgan had posted the top time in the Big 12 coming into the event and held on as she defeated two-time Big 12 indoor champion Morgan Bonds of Kansas State. Morgan paced herself until the final turn when she blew away Bonds and Tijahnni Netwon of Oklahoma. Morgan’s time was a new personal best and moves her up to No. 11 all time in the Nebraska women’s indoor record book. After the race Morgan was focused strictly on what she could do for the team.

"I am very excited and I was just doing my best for the team. It is great to get this win in my senior season."

Morgan’s position coach Mark Devenney knew Morgan would win the event.

"Coming in I new Sheryl (Morgan) would win. She had a disappointing race last year as it looked like she was going to win and she got tripped, so that motivated her. She gives me a heart attack sometimes when she starts out so slow, but she knows her abilities so well and never lets people get too far away."

Sophomore Epley Bullock came into the meet with a personal best of 5-8 3/4 (1.75) and left the meet with a new personal best, NCAA provisional-qualifying jump and the seventh-best high jump this year in Division I at 6-0 1/2 (1.84). The returning All-American had struggled throughout the year, but her teammates kept faith in her.

"I’ve had a rough year, but everyone else kept my confidence up. I don’t even know how to explain today. Making that bar (6-0 1/2) is something I’ve been working on forever and making it at the Big 12 meet is unbelievable. This is easily the best meet I have ever been at."

- Huskers Tough in the Classroom Too
The Nebraska track and field team earned an amazing 89 spots on the 2007 Big 12 Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll, released by the Big 12 Conference on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The men’s team contributed 52 athletes to the list, with the women adding another 37. Nine athletes produced perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. On the men’s side, Anthony Oberle, Ben Schutter, Bryce Somer and Issar Yazhbin produced 4.0 grade-point averages in the fall, while Joslyn Dalton, Betsy Miller, Kim Shubert, Kayla Ubel and Natalie Willer added perfect semesters on the women’s side.

Overall, an impressive list of 298 Nebraska student-athletes across all sports claimed spots on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll. Among the 298 student-athletes who achieved 3.0 or better grade-point averages during the semester, 35 Huskers posted perfect 4.0 GPAs.

Nebraska’s approach to recruiting the nation’s finest student-athletes yielded a remarkably diverse contingent of fall academic honorees that included representatives of 31 U.S. states and 16 foreign countries, including honor roll members from four Canadian provinces. Husker honor roll members also came to Nebraska from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Jamaica, Latvia, Mexico, Scotland, South Africa and Sweden.

The Huskers’ Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll class also carried a distinct state flavor with 114 native Nebraskans among the 298 award winners.

- T&F Adds 12 New Huskers
The Nebraska track and field team has announced 12 signees to its 2008 class. The men’s team will welcome four athletes while the women’s team adds eight. The class includes five Nebraska natives, two athletes from Iowa, one from Kansas, two from Canada, one from South Africa and one from Panama. Check out Huskers.com for a full bio on all the signees.

Men
- Alonso Edwards (Sprints)
- Adam Mitteis (Distance)
- Pieter Smith (Sprints)
- Adam Wolkins (Javelin)

Women
- Blaire Dinsdale (Distance)
- Brooke Dinsdale (Distance)
- Jessica Furlan (Distance)
- Roxi Grizzle (Javelin)
- Erica Jamik (Distance)
- Tara Korshoj (Jumps)
- Katie White (Distance)
- Morgan Wilken (Throws)

- Husker Legend Earns Honor
In the February issue of Track and Field News, the publication celebrated its 60th birthday with a list of the best track and field athletes over the past six decades. Under the "Best College Woman" section, former Husker Merlene Ottey was named the best collegiate woman sprinter.

Ottey is easily the most decorated track and field athlete in Nebraska history as she won 14 national championships from 1980 to 1984. Ottey also competed in seven straight Olympic Games from the 1980 games in Moscow to the 2004 games in Athens. Over her seven Olympics, Ottey was runner-up three times and also earned five bronze medals, including earning the silver in the 100- meter dash (1992 Barcelona), 200-meter dash (1996 Atlanta) and 4x100-meter relay (Sydney 2000). Ottey still holds 13 school records, including four relay marks.

Ottey earned indoor national championships in the 55-meter dash (1984), 60-yard dash (1982), 300-yard dash (1982), 4x220-yard relay (1982), 60-meter dash (1981) and 300-meter dash (1980-81). Outdoors she won titles in the 100-meter dash (1983), 200-meter dash (1983), 1982 (100-meter dash), 4x100-meter relay (1982), 100-meter dash (1981) and 200-meter dash (1980-81).

- Freshmen Shine During Indoor Season
During the 2008 indoor season 17 events were won by Husker freshmen. Leading the pack for the men were Paul Hamilton of Sidney, Neb., and Nicholas Gordan of Kingston, Jamaica. Hamilton was the only freshman to compete in the high jump at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships, finishing 12th. Gordon won the triple jump twice during the year and the long jump three times. Other winners for the men included Adam Dailey (800m), David Adams (3000m) and Mikel Thomas (mile run).

The women were carried by NCAA provisional qualifier Karyn LaCour, who posted the top collegiate time in the 60m hurdles at five meets. NCAA provisional-qualifiers Lara Croffod (5,000-meter run) and Arna Erega (60-meter hurdles) also posted wins. Crofford also went on to win mile run twice and Natalie Willer posted four wins in the pole vault.

- Four NCAA All-Americans Head Outdoor for Men’s Squad
Four Husker men who have combined to win nine individual and one relay All-America awards return to power Nebraska outdoors. The group is led by Dusty Jonas, one of the premier high jumpers in the country.

Jonas enters his final season with the Huskers in search of an outdoor national championship after winning the 2008 indoor event in Fayettville, Ark. Jonas owns seven All-America finishes in the last three years and is the Nebraska indoor record holder at 7-7.

Three young Husker sprinters will compliment the seasoned veteran. Junior Dan Christensen and sophomores Lukas Hulett and Scott Wims were part of the 4 x 400-meter relay that earned All-America honors by virtue of their eighth-place performance at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Wims also earned All-America recognition outdoors for his seventh place in the 200-meters at the outdoor championships. Hulett is a two-time All-American in the indoor 400 meters. These three sprinters plus sophomore Dax Danns should form a solid sprints and relay corps.

- Two NCAA All-Americans Return for Women
The Huskers return two women for the 2008 season who have each earned NCAA All-America honors during their outstanding careers. Kayla Wilkinson returns for her second attempt at a senior season after redshirting in 2007 due to shoulder surgery, while Epley Bullock is back for her sophomore year following a remarkable debut campaign.

Wilkinson captured her All-America honor with a runner-up finish in the javelin at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a toss of 177-7. Had it not been for an injury in 2007, she would have been poised to make a run for a national title in the event last year. That goal resurfaces this season, as well as Wilkinson’s attempt to reclaim the Big 12 javelin title, which she won in both 2005 and 2006.

While Wilkinson has years of collegiate experience under her belt, Bullock is the epitome of young stardom. She finished ninth in the high jump (eighth American) at the 2007 indoor championships with a then career-high leap of 6-0, winning one of three freshman All-America honors for the Huskers last season. Bullock again qualified for the NCAA Championships in the high jump during the outdoor season, only to finish 24th. Bullock returned to the NCAA 2007 Indoor Championships in 2008 an finished tied for seventh and earn All-America honors for the second-straight year.

- Pepin Leads Husker Squad for Record-Tying 28th Season
Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin is in his 28th year guiding the Husker women’s team and 25th year coaching the NU men's squad. This year Pepin ties former Husker coach Frank Sevigne as the longest-tenured track and field coach in school history. Sevigne logged 28 seasons leading the NU men’s program from 1956 through 1983.

Pepin has helped the Husker women combine for 38 of their 40 conference titles, while also notching 20 of the program’s 21 top-five NCAA team finishes, including each of Nebraska’s three indoor national championships.

Pepin has led the men's team to 26 of its 58 indoor and outdoor conference crowns, while also notching two NCAA top-five placings. The Huskers' second-place finish at the 1996 NCAA Indoor Championships ranks as the squad's highest at an NCAA meet.