Huskers Head North to South Dakota State Classic

Lincoln - This weekend the Nebraska cross country team will head north to Brookings, S.D., for the South Dakota State University Classic on Saturday, Oct. 4.

 

The Husker women will see good competition as Minnesota will also be making the trip. The Golden Gophers are ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region and No. 4 nationally. The women’s 5K race is set for 11 a.m. with the men’s 8K race to follow at 11:45 a.m.

 

Homecoming for Dirksen...

Saturday’s meet will be a bit of a homecoming for Nebraska Head Coach Jay Dirksen as Dirksen graduated from South Dakota State in 1968 and began his coaching career at SDSU as well. Dirksen started as the head men’s cross country and track and field coach in 1969. In 1975 he started the women’s cross country team.

 

While at SDSU, Dirksen coached six NCAA Division II champions, 34 NCAA All-Americans and his 1973 Jackrabbit men’s cross country team won the NCAA Division II National Championship.

 

Zarcenko Ready to Run...

Senior Natalja Zarcenko will hit the course for the first time all season this weekend in Brookings, S.D., at the South Dakota State University Classic. Zarcenko, who earned All-Midwest Region honors last year, has been held out through the first three meets due to a foot injury.

 

The Valmiera, Latvia, native has been missed so far this season, but other veteran runners such as Jen Pancoast and Rachel Carrizales along a slew of young talent led by Lara Crofford have picked up the slack for the Big Red. Zarcenko’s absence was noticed most at the BYU Autumn Classic where the Huskers finished runner-up to No. 23 BYU. Head Coach Jay Dirksen noted afterwards that with Zarcenko’s addition, the Huskers would have had a real shot at winning the team title.

 

Huskers Defend Home Turf...

For the fourth consecutive year on the women’s side and the third straight year on the men’s side, the Nebraska cross country teams won the men’s and women’s collegiate division at the Woody Greeno / Nebraska Invitational.

 

The Husker women, who have won the meet five of the last six years, were led by sophomore Lara Crofford and her second-place finish. Crofford also finished second last year, but cut nearly a minute off her time this year to finish the 6K course in 21:32. Junior Rachel Carrizales posted a 21:51, her best time ever on the course, to take home fifth, while senior Jen Pancoast ran 22:22 for ninth to help NU put three runners in the top 10. Sophomore Jen Webers took 11th (22:45) and freshman Erica Hamik placed 19th (23:10) to round out NU’s scorers.

 

“With the women, I was really pleased with every person that ran,” Head Coach Jay Dirksen said. “They all ran very intelligently. They didn’t go out too hard, didn’t fade and got themselves up in the race.”

 

Redshirt freshman David Adams paced the Huskers with a time of 25:34 over the 8K course. Nebraska’s top finisher in all three races this season, Adams finished eighth overall. Sophomore Todd Gulizia earned 10th with a time of 25:53, while fellow sophomore Peter Falcon crossed the line in 26:05 for 14th. Junior Bryce Somer cut over two minutes off his time from last year with a 26:16 for a career-best time on the course. NU’s final scorer was sophomore Brad Doering in 29th place (26:32).

 

“I thought David Adams and Todd Gulizia ran very strong races,” Dirksen said. “They weren’t in the category of the first people, but this is only Adams’ third race in college and first 8K.”

 

Youth Doesn’t Hold Back Crofford...

Before the 2008 season got under way Head Coach Jay Dirksen couldn’t say enough good things about sophomore Lara Crofford.

 

“Last year Lara (Crofford) ran well beyond her age. I expect big things out of her in 2008,” said Dirksen.

 

A native of Newville, Pa., Crofford had a breakout freshman season in 2007 that saw her earn All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region honors as well as make a trip to the NCAA Championships. She was the first Husker freshman on the women’s side to reach the NCAA Championships since Jeannette Zimmer in 1998.

 

Just like 2007, Crofford won the individual title in her first race of the 2008 season, winning the BYU Autumn Classic in Provo, Utah. Last year she won the Creighton/UNO Classic, propelling the Husker women to the team title. The following week at the Woody Greeno / Nebraska Invitational the competition stiffened and Crofford finished runner-up to sophomore Beverly Ramos of Kansas State. Crofford continued to improve throughout the 2007 season, placing ahead of Ramos at the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional meets.

 

Overall, Crofford went on to finish in the top 20 at every meet during the season, except the NCAA Championships where she finished 85th. She earned All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region honors with ninth-place showings at the both meets.

 

Redshirt Season Paying Dividends for Adams...

Redshirt freshman David Adams is reaping the rewards in 2008 of a redshirt year in 2007. Adams has paced the men’s team at every meet so far during the 2008 season. Adams started his first collegiate season with a win at the Creighton/UNO Classic, then finished 11th at the BYU Autumn Classic before leading the men’s squad to its third straight Woody Greeno / Husker Invitational team title with an eighth-place finish.

 

Adams went to high school at York High School, a town of 8,000 just 50 miles west of Lincoln. He totaled two Nebraska Class B state championships in cross country in 2005 and 2006, as well as three championships in track. Adams suffered a stress fracture in the spring of 2007, forcing him to miss the 2007 state track meet and redshirt his first year at Nebraska.

Head Coach Jay Dirksen was very high on Adams entering the 2008 season, “David Adams is a pure talent and could be a major force for us this year,” Dirksen said.