Fourie Moves Up NCAA List in Georgia

Lincoln ? Along with hosting its first home meet of the 2010 outdoor season on Saturday, the Nebraska Invitational, the Nebraska track and field team was also competing at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational in Athens, Ga., and the UTEP Invitational in El Paso, Texas.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Starting in Athens, Lehann Fourie ran a season-best time of 13.67 in the 110 hurdles to take top honors. Fourie, who ran his personal best of 13.56 at last summer’s World University Games, was quick enough to take down South Carolina’s duo of Johnny Dutch (13.90) and Booker Nunley (14.13). Fourie’s time ranks third in the nation among times entering the weekend, as he still trails Nunley (13.59) and jumped ahead of Dutch (13.73). Paul Hamilton and Epley Bullock swept the high jump, with Hamilton clearing 7-0 1/2 on the men’s side and Bullock jumping 5-9 1/4 on the women’s side.

 

In the horizontal jumps in El Paso, Chris Phipps finished second overall and was the top collegiate jumper in the men’s long jump with a leap of 25-3 1/2. Phipps was directly followed by teammates Bobby Carter and Nicholas Gordon, who each cleared 24-11 3/4, a personal best for Carter. Leandra McGruder and Zarinah Suluki-Drakes then went 1-2 in the women’s triple jump, with McGruder posting a jump of 43-2 1/4 and Suluki-Drakes clearing 41-0 1/4, with both jumps wind aided at +2.6.

 

Moving to the Nebraska Invitational, Adam Wolkins started Saturday with a win in the men’s javelin, throwing 220-8. It was his second straight win in the event, after winning the Jim Click Shootout last weekend. Wolkins has now surpassed the 220-foot barrier at all three of his meets this season.

 

Also in the throws, true freshman Veronica Grizzle added a win in the women’s shot put with a personal-best toss of 47-9, which is a top throw by a Husker this season and bettered her previous best of 46-6 3/4. After winning the women’s hammer throw on Friday night, Samantha Musil bounced back to win the discus on Saturday with a toss of 156-7, as she was the only thrower in the field of 20 to throw farther than 150 feet.

 

Cami Jiskra then led NU to a 1-2-3-4 finish in the women’s pole vault, as Jiskra topped her previous best of 12-6 with a winning vault of 12-8 1/4. Jiskra was followed by Breanna Bussel (12-2 1/2), Rachel Birtles (12-2 1/2) and Lindsey Maher (11-8 1/2). Nate Polacek finished a sweep for the Huskers in the vault with a winning leap of 16-7 1/2 on the men’s side.

 

On the track in Lincoln, the men’s 4x100-meter relay squad of Scott Wims, Kendall Bacchus, Dan Christensen and Lukas Hulett opened the afternoon by clocking a season-best time of 40.34 to hold off Barton County, who finished at 40.65. Adam Dailey and Eric Lund teamed for a 1-2 finish in the men’s 400 hurdles. Dailey paced the field with a time of 51.27, while Lund added a personal best of 51.47 to earn second-place honors. The men’s 4x400-meter relay capped the day with a winning time of 3:12.64.

 

For next week, NU will be in Lawrence, Kan., on Wednesday through Saturday for the KU Relays as well Walnut, Calif., on Thursday through Saturday for the Mt. SAC Relays.