Huskers Look to Sweep for Second Time This Season

Huskers Sweep Team Titles in Omaha...
The Nebraska cross country team opened the 2010 season with a men’s and women’s sweep of the team titles at the Creighton/UNO Classic at Chili Greens on Saturday Sept. 4. Lara Crofford raced to an individual crown on the women’s side, while Jesse Adams took second on the men’s side to help the Huskers to a sweep for the second straight year.

The wins marked the third straight title in Omaha for the NU men, and the fifth title for the Husker women in past six years.

The Husker women were dominant over Creighton and Nebraska-Omaha, as Crofford led a 1-2-3-5-6 finish for the Huskers with a time of 18:11 in the 5K race.  Crofford was followed by Ashley Miller, Erica Hamik, Blaire Dinsdale and Jen Webers.

“Based on other years we probably ran better than we ever have,” Head Coach Jay Dirksen said. “As a group I think they did very well, it was a great way to get the year started.”

For the men, the Huskers placed six runners in the top 15. Jesse Adams paced the pack with an 8K time of 26:28. A junior from Ogallala, Neb., Adams was joined in the top 15 by Trevor Vidlak (3rd), Tommy Brinn (8th), Connor Gibson (9th), Parker Schoen (10th) and Jarren Heng (11th).

“I was really excited to see what Trevor Vidlak did today, he has taken huge strides from where he was at last year,” Dirksen said. “The freshmen ran exceptionally well for their first time out, and I think it shows that we have a lot of depth as a team.” 

Crofford Shines again in Omaha...
Lara Crofford won her second crown at the Creighton/UNO Class on Sept. 4 in Omaha, Neb.  She won her first title as a freshman running the 5K race in 18:34, and she improved her time in the 201 5K race to 18:11, beating the competition by 44 seconds.

Directions to Pioneers Park...
From Memorial Stadium start out going North on Stadium Dr. toward U street. Turn left onto N 9th Street, follow 9th street until you get to Rosa Parks way, take a right.  Stay straight to go onto S Coddington Ave. Turn Right onto West Van Dorn and then you will be taking a left into the Park.

Huskers Dominant at Home
Over the past 20 years the Nebraska men’s and women’s cross country teams have dominated the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, as the women have totaled 15 wins and the men have added another 11.

The women have put their wins together in bunches, as they have currently won the past five meets. The Huskers won the 2009 title behind individual winner Lara Crofford.

Currently with a four-year winning streak, the men’s squad will look to set their longest streak with a fifth straight win on Saturday. Following back-to-back wins in 1990-91, the Huskers then reeled off three straight wins from 1995-97. Following a tie with Air Force in 1999, the Huskers won their seventh team crown in 2002, before beginning their current win streak in 2006. Most recently the Huskers won the 2009 crown behind individual title winner David Adams.

Last Year at 2009 Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational
The Nebraska cross country teams put on an impressive show for the home crowd at Pioneers Park for the 20th Annual Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational. The Huskers swept the university division team crowns, while junior Lara Crofford and sophomore David Adams won the individual titles.

Crofford became the first Husker to win the individual crown since Ari Goldstein won it as a sophomore in 2006. A native of Newville, Pa., Crofford became the sixth Husker woman to win the individual crown, joining Goldstein (2006), Anne Shadle (2003) and Fran ten Bensel (1990-92).

For Adams, he is the fifth Husker on the men’s side to win the individual crown and the first since James Bowler in 2002. The York, Neb., native’s time of 24:29.4 was the sixth-best time ever run on the 8K course and the second-best time ever by a Husker, trailing Cleophas Boor’s time of 24:05.3 in 1996, which ranks third overall. Adams joins former Husker winners James Bowler (2002), Cleophas Boor (1996), David Iteffa (1991) and Joe Kirby (1990).

Overall for the women, Crofford led a 1-2 Husker finishing with senior Rachel Carrizales placing second. The Huskers placed three more in the top 15, with sophomore Jessica Furlan finishing seventh, Goldstein coming in 10th and Ashley Miller finished 12th. The team win was the Huskers fifth straight, their second longest streak at the meet, as they won nine straight from 1990-98.

The team win for the men was their fourth straight, setting their longest run at the meet after also winning three straight from 1995-97. Powered by Adams’ meet title, the Huskers placed two more in the top 25 out of 341 runners. Brad Doering joined Adams in the top 10 with a 10th-place time of 25:31.2, while Todd Gulizia finished 22nd.

Third Time’s a Charm...
Lara Crofford became the first Husker woman to win the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational individual crown since Ari Goldstein won it as a sophomore in 2006, after finishing runner-up at the event the previous two seasons. A native of Newville, Pa., Crofford became the sixth Husker woman to win the individual crown, joining Goldstein (2006), Anne Shadle (2003) and Fran ten Bensel (1990-92). Crofford will look to defend her crown this Saturday at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational.

Adams Looks to Defend his Title in 2010…
David Adams has been the top Cornhusker since his initial season as a redshirt freshman in 2007. Adams was the Husker’s top finisher in every race in 2009 except the season opener at the Creighton/Nebraska-Omaha Classic. His 22nd and 20th-place finishes, respectively, in the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Region Championships were the best individual performances by a Nebraska harrier since 2002.

He was the fifth Husker on the men’s side to win the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational individual crown and the first since James Bowler in 2002. The York, Neb., native’s time of 24:29.4 was the sixth-best time ever run on the 8K course and the second-best time ever by a Husker, trailing Cleophas Boor’s time of 24:05.3 in 1996, which ranks third overall. Adams joined former Husker winners Bowler (2002), Boor (1996), Iteffa (1991) and Kirby (1990). Adams looks to defend his title Saturday, along with Lara Crofford at the Huskers’ lone home meet of the season.

Newcomers to Compliment at Home Meet...
The new faces on the men’s side include five true freshmen, all from Nebraska, include Alex Adams, Connor Gibson, Jarren Heng, Anthony Pittman and Parker Schoen. Gibson and Adams were 1-2 in the 2009 Class B State Cross Country Championships, while Heng won the Class C title in both 2008 and 2009, and Schoen was third in Class A after winning the 2008 individual title. Pittman was the Class A runner-up in both 2008 and 2009.  All will be instrumental in the years to come for Cornhusker cross country.  If they can adjust rapidly to the college level, they can be contenders for NU’s top seven spots on the team this year. “Schoen and Heng are very talented athletes who have a lot of ability,” Dirksen said. “They have a good chance to be in the top seven runners.”

The new faces on the women’s side include transfers Martina Barinova from the Czech Republic and Allison Eckert from the University of Colorado, as well as freshmen Isabel Andrade, Samantha Morabe and Sarah Plambeck.  Barinova is expected to complement Crofford at the front of the pack. “Martina has a lot of experience competing in Europe against great runners, she is a tremendous student and a fine person. She is one of the better recruits we have seen in a long time,” Dirksen said. Eckert was a member of the Buffs’ 2007 top seven in most meets, but had a stress fracture in her back in the 2008 cross country season and reconstructive ankle surgery in the spring of 2009.  Andrade (Petaluma HS, Petaluma, Calif.) and Morabe (Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.) have run well in high school both in cross country and on the track. If they make a smooth transition to the college level could be factor. Plambeck was primarily a middle distance runner at Lincoln Christian but she has great potential. With more training and experience, Plambeck could be a factor in the future.