Gordon Jumps to No. 3 in Division I

Fayetteville, Ark.  ? For the first time during the 2009 indoor track and field season, the No. 20 Husker men and women hit the road for the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. One of the premier meets of the indoor season, 13 top-10 teams made the trip to the Randal Tyson Track Center, including top-five teams Arkansas (men - No. 1), Tennessee (women ? No. 2), Oregon (men and women - No. 3), Michigan (women ? No. 4), Florida State (men - No. 5) and LSU (women - No. 5).

 

Sophomore Nicholas Gordon broke out in Fayetteville with a personal-best leap of 25-8 in the championship division of the men’s long jump. In the prelims, Gordon cleared an NCAA-provisional qualifying mark of 25-2 on his first attempt to post the top jump in the first of two flights and the No. 4 jump overall through the prelims. The jump was just one-half inch short of his personal best.

 

Following the completion of second flight, Gordon returned for the finals to foul on his first attempt, before unleashing a monster jump of 25-6 3/4 on his second attempt. With a throng of Husker teammates in the crowd cheering him on, Gordon cleared 25-8 on his final attempt to take third overall, just missing the NCAA automatic-qualifying mark of 25-9 1/4 by one and one-quarter inches. Gordon was joined in the top three by Florida’s Christian Taylor (26-3 1/4) and Arkansas’ Alain Bailey (25-10 1/4), with the three jumpers posting the top-three jumps in Division I this season.

 

“Everything I’ve been working on is starting to come together,” Gordon said. “There is real good competition at this meet, it really pushes you.”

 

Just like Gordon, sophomore co-captain Chantae McMillan made a big splash in the championship division of the women’s long jump. With an NCAA provisional mark of 20-3 1/2 already on the books this season, McMillan added four and one-half inches to her previous best with a leap of 20-8, to finish runner-up to Florida’s Shara Proctor (20-9 1/4). The mark moves McMillan from No. 20 in Division I to No. 13. The Rolla, Mo., native is also ranked No. 8 in the nation in the pentathlon with a score of 3,996.

 

In the Olympic development division of the women’s mile run, Natalja Callahan finished fifth with a time of 4:49.13, just shy of the NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 4:48.00. Callahan has already provisionally qualified this season with a time of 4:47.40, at last weekend’s Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

 

Redshirt freshman Luke Franssen and true freshman Nate Polacek each cleared 16-1 1/4 in the college division of the men’s pole vault, both setting personal bests by one half-inch. The pair finished third and fourth, respectively, with Franssen clearing the previous height of 15-9 1/4 on less misses.

 

Away from the track at the Walker Pavilion, Keith Lloyd tossed 55-0 3/4 in the men’s shot put, finishing runner-up to Indiana’s Ben Stephen (59-2 1/4). Lloyd will return on Saturday to compete in the men’s weight throw, where he ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 with a toss of 62-0 1/2.

 

In the college division of the men’s long jump, LeRon Williams, Scott Jorgenson and Bj?rn Barrefors finished 3-5-6, respectively, with Williams leading the way with a leap of 24-0 3/4. Both Jorgenson and Barrefors landed personal-best jumps, as Jorgenson jumped 23-9 1/2 and Barrefors cleared 23-9. On the women’s side, Megan Wheatley finished third with a personal-best jump of 19-6 3/4, topping her previous best by one and one-quarter inches.

 

The Huskers will be back at the Randal Tyson Track Center tomorrow, starting at 11:10 a.m., with the college division of the men’s 3,000-meter run. Live results will be available on Huskers.com, via Flash Results.

 

In other Husker action at the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa, Scott Wims, Dale Ervin and Dax Danns all finished in the top 10 in the 200 meters. In a 130-athlete field, Wims finished fifth with a time of 21.45, with Ervin right behind him in sixth at 21.58 and Danns in ninth at 21.76.