Huskers Notch Four Titles on Opening Night

The Nebraska track and field team began the 2015 season with four individual titles on the first day of the Holiday Inn Invitational before 1,754 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track on Friday night. 

Tristen Sharp started the night by winning the women's weight throw (58-2) for the first individual title of the season for the Big Red. The junior was dominant in topping the runner-up by nearly five feet. Sharp tallied three runner-up finishes in the weight throw last indoor season but overcame that hurdle on the first night of the 2015 season.

Sophomore Tierra Williams, an honorable mention All-American long jumper at last year's outdoor meet, took first in the long jump with a personal best of 19-11. Teammate Jazmin McCoy finished third at 19-0 3/4. McCoy also took third in the 60-meter dash qualifying with a time of 7.79. 

All around, it was a good night for the Husker throwers, as NU went 1-2 in the men's weight throw. Will Lohman tossed a 62-3 3/4 to earn the individual title, while Jake Pinion came in second with a personal-best throw of 59-6 3/4. 

Connor Gibson capped off the night with a first-place finish in the 3,000 meters, posting an 8:37.55.

Andy Neal (8.23) and Morgan Smith (9.04) posted top qualifying times in the men's and women's 60m hurdles, respectively. Neal edged teammate Antoine Lloyd, who earned the second-best qualifying mark of 8.33. In the unseeded women's pole vault, Karlye Cygan and Allexis Menghini finished second and third, respectively, with leaps of 11-7. 

Devandrew Johnson was third in the long jump with a jump of 23-8 3/4, while Nikita Pankins was fifth at 23-4 3/4. 

In the women's 800 meters, Morgan Woitzel was fifth (2:18.37) and freshman Haley Harsin was seventh (2:19.36). Levi Gipson (1:55.08), Cody Rush (1:55.09) and Edgar Propst (1:55.42) finished fourth, fifth and sixth in the men's 800 meters.

One Devaney Center record fell on Friday, as Oklahoma State's John Teeters beat the one-year old 60-meter dash record with a blistering time of 6.54 to take the top spot in qualifying. 

The meet continues on Saturday at 11 a.m.