Huskers Conclude 101st Drake Relays

Des Moines, Iowa ? The Nebraska track and field team wrapped up the 101st Drake Relays on Saturday at Drake Stadium with solid performance both on the track and in the field.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

True freshman Tommy Brinn made his Drake Relays debut with a runner-up finish in the men’s 800 meters. Brinn and Alabama’s Fred Samoei were the only runners in the field to run below 1:50.00, as Samoei clocked a 1:49.73 and Brinn was right behind him at 1:49.84. Saturday marked the second time during the 2010 outdoor season that Brinn has run below 1:50.00, as he previously ran a season best of 1:49.53 at the Jim Click Shootout.

 

Ashley Miller and Kyle Custer followed with strong finishes in the 1,500 meters. Miller took second in the women’s race with a time of 4:25.44, while Custer placed fifth on the men’s side with a season best of 3:48.30

 

Moving to the field events, Brandon Sheppard tied his personal best in the high jump with a leap of 6-11 in the men’s special invitational division. Sheppard started on fire with back-to-back first-attempt clearances at 6-9 and 6-11, but then was unable to take on 7-1.

 

Leandra McGruder and Zarinah Suluki-Drakes contributed a pair top-five finishes in the triple jump. McGruder took third on her final leap of the competition with a wind-aided jump of 42-10 1/4, while Suluki-Drakes posted her wind-aided fourth-place jump of 41-8 /34 on her third attempt. Earlier in the day, McGruder added a sixth-place jump of 19-9 3/4 in the long jump.

 

The Huskers first action on the track came in the women’s 4x1600-meter relay, where NU placed seventh. Jen Pancoast, Brooke Dinsdale, Erica Hamik and Jen Webers combined to run 19:58.65.

 

In other action, former Husker Becky Breisch set the meet and stadium record in the discus with a winning toss of 211-3.  Breisch previously set the stadium record with a throw of 205-5 in 2004, while the meet record was set by Kansas State’s Pinkie Suggs in 1987 with a mark of 194-0. Former NU distance runner Peter van der Westhuizen also put on quite the performance in the men’s special mile, as the Saucony runner placed fourth with a sub-four minute time of 3:57.96.

 

The Huskers will be back on the road next weekend when they travel to Lubbock, Texas, for a dual with the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, May 1 at Noon (Central). The Huskers and Red Raiders were set to dual during the indoor and outdoor season, but severe weather during the end of January in Texas made it not possible for Texas Tech to make its way to Lincoln.