Huskers Finish with Four Titles at Arkansas Spring Invitational

Fayetteville, Ark. - The Nebraska track and field team wrapped up competition at the Arkansas Spring Invitational on Saturday with four event titles. The Huskers saw Greta Kerekes earn the 100 meter hurdles crown, Mara Griva claim the women's triple jump title, Miles Ukaoma finish with the 400 meter hurdles title and Chris Phipps claim the men's long jump crown.

Phipps earned the first outdoor title of his senior season with a jump of 25-4 1/2 (7.73) in the long jump. Bobby Carter followed his lead, finishing in fourth-place with a leap of 24-3 1/2 (7.40). On the women's side, Anna Weigandt finished in a tie for fourth, recording a jump of 18-2 1/4 (5.54).

The Huskers swept the top two spots in the triple jump as Mara Griva claimed the event title with a leap of 42-2 1/4 (12.86) and Weigandt finished second with a personal-best jump of 41-3 1/4 (12.58). The Husker men finished with three athletes in the top five spots in the men's triple jump standings. Patrick Raedler finished second with a leap of 50-6 3/4 (15.36), Corey Winston took third with a mark of 47-9 (14.55) and Travis Englund finished fourth notching a personal-best jump of 46-11 3/4 (14.55).

Marusa Cernjul finished second in the women's high jump, posting a mark of 5-8 1/2 (1.74) as Jillanna Scanlan tied for eighth place with a jump of 5-3 3/4 (1.62). On the men's side, Carlos Hernandez finished tied for seventh after recording a leap of 6-9 (2.06).

Nate Polacek opened the first outdoor meet of his senior season with a vault of 16-10 3/4 (5.15) to tie for third place. Craig Driver finished in a tie for seventh-place, posting a mark of 15-11 (4.85). On the women's side, Cami Jiskra and Breanna Bussel each tied for third-place after both finished with a vault of 12-5 1/2 (3.80).

Heading to the throws, Veronica Grizzle came in fourth in the women's shot put, recording a throw of 50-9 1/2 (15.48) to tie her personal best mark. Annie Jackson notched a fifth-place finish with a mark of 49-2 1/4 (14.99). Grizzle went on to finish seventh in the women's javelin, posting a mark of 135-4 (41.25). Taylor Shapland used a throw of 51-7 1/4 (15.73) to finish eighth in the men's shot put.

Miles Ukaoma provided highlights on the track for the Huskers, posting his second-straight outdoor title of the season with a first-place finish in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 50.72, narrowly missing setting a personal-best time.  

Greta Kerekes followed Ukaoma's lead with her first event title of the season. Kerekes notched a time of 13.93 in the women's 100 meter hurdles to take top honors. Mila Andric finished sixth in the 400 meter hurdles with a season-best time of 59.94.

Tim Thompson posted two top-five finishes on the day, coming in fifth in the 100 meters with a personal-best time of 10.46 and fourth in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 21.37. Mara Weekes also posted two top-five finishes as she came in second in the women's 100 meters with a personal-best time of 11.65. She also finished in third-place in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 23.68.

In the middle distance races, Tommy Brinn finished second in the men's 800 meters, posting a time of 1:50.11. Trevor Vidlak notched a fifth-place finish in the 1,500 meters, recording a personal-best time of 3:55.19. Erica Hamik came in eighth in the women's 1,500 meters with a time of 4:41.61, while Blaire Dinsdale notched a personal-best time of 4:32.21 in the 1,500 meters. Katie White led the women in the distance races, producing a third-place finish in the 3,000 meters behind a time of 9:59.51.

The 4x100 meter relay team of Carter, Dexter McKenzie, Phipps and Thompson posted a second-place finish behind a time of 40.10. The women's 4x100 meter relay team of Kerekes, Monique Lewis, Breunna McCarty and Weekes finished fifth with a time of 46.38. The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Andric, Ellie Grooters, Rachel Butler and Lewis took home a third-place finish after posting a time of 3:44.28. The men's 4x400 meter relay team of Jodi-Rae Blackwood, London Hawk, Brinn and Sidney Madlock notched a time of 3:14.56 to finish eighth.

The Huskers will continue outdoor competition next weekend as they head to the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz.