Czuth, Firestone and White Win Big Ten Titles

East Lansing, Mich. - Three members of the Nebraska track and field team were crowned champions on Saturday at the Big Ten Track and Field Outdoor Championships at Michigan State's Ralph Young Field. 

James White won the men's high jump, giving him the Big Ten indoor and outdoor sweep this year. White cleared 7-1 1/2 (2.17m) on his second attempt to edge teammate Landon Bartel. The duo combined for a 1-2 finish at both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor meets. Reka Czuth recorded a huge PR of 20-8 (6.30m) in the long jump to run away with the title. Teammate Jazmin McCoy was second in another 1-2 finish for the Huskers. Sarah Firestone capped the day with a school-record toss of 184-3 (56.15m) to win the women's javelin. 

The Husker men wrapped up the day in first place with 44 points. Minnesota (38) and Illinois (35) follow. The Nebraska women have 51 points and are in third place heading into the last day of the meet. Minnesota (71) and Michigan State (52) are one and two.

White and Landon Bartel posted a 1-2 finish in the men's high jump - just as they did at the conference indoor meet - to lead a 20-point event for the Husker men. White, a senior from Grandview, Mo., cleared 7-1 1/2 (2.17m) on his second attempt, while Bartel and Illinois' Jonathan Wells cleared on their third attempts. Bartel and Wells tied for second, earning seven team points each. Grant Anderson added three team points, finishing sixth by clearing 6-9 3/4 (2.08m). Gus Gehlen also cleared the height, an outdoor PR for him, and finished ninth after tiebreakers. 

For White, the title wasn't without a little drama. He needed his third attempt at 7-0 1/4 (2.14m) just to make the final four competitors.

"The high jumpers just came in with a goal to place and get points and just push each other," White said. "Landon and I going one and two again at Big Tens, that's big for us. I'm looking forward to regionals and seeing how well we do there."

Czuth, a freshman from Pécs, Hungary, produced her huge PR of 20-8 (6.30m) on her first jump to win the long jump. She shattered the previous best jump in the Big Ten this season (20-2 1/4, 6.15m) and is now tied for 16th nationally. McCoy had a season-best day as well to grab the silver medal, leaping 20-6 1/4 (6.25m). Tierra Williams also scored, finishing eighth at 19-6 1/4 (5.95m). 

"It was very exciting," Czuth saiad. "Of course I wanted to PR, but I just wanted to have fun and support my teammates. My indoor PR was 6.12 (meters) and my outdoor PR was 6.08, so this is a huge PR for me."

Firestone capped off the evening with her 184-3 (56.15m) javelin throw, surpassing Kayla Wilkinson's school record of 182-10 (55.73). Firestone, a sophomore from Mercersburg, Pa., now ranks third nationally in the event. In a dominating display, all five of her registered throws on Saturday would have won the event.

"I went into this meet knowing it would be a battle between me and another girl (Minnesota's Nicolle Murphy). I was determined to go out there and do my best," said Firestone, who reached her pinnacle on her second throw. "I went into it thinking of it as a prelims for regionals, because there you only get three throws. I don't usually set myself up very well in the first three throws, so I really wanted my first three to be my best ones today. I started with a 52-meter throw and went up from there."

Nick Percy saved his season-best discus for the Big Ten Championships, placing third with a throw of 186-8 3/4 (56.91m). Cody Walton made an early charge up the decathlon standings and wound up with a third-place finish for the Huskers with a personal-best 7,232 points. Walton started the day in 11th, but after taking second place in the 110m hurdles (14.93) and winning the discus throw (42.93m, 140-10 1/2), he moved up to fourth place. Walton moved to third place after winning the javelin with a mark of 191-2 3/4 (58.28m). He closed the day with a PR 4:55.53 in the 1,500m.

Nikita Pankins took fourth in the long jump at 24-4 1/4 (7.42m), scoring five team points for the men. Caleb Cowling reached the final but was forced out of the competition with an injury. He finished ninth. 

Guy Fenske recorded a fifth-place finish in the decathlon. He was sixth in the discus (38.56m, 126-6 1/2) and third in the javelin (181-9, 55.39m). He finished the day with a PR in the 1,500m of 4:32.26 to place second in the event. Freshman Alex Meyer earned a fifth-place finish in the women's discus. She threw 170-5 (51.94m). 

In preliminary races, Jordan Stiens qualified for the 100-meter hurdle finals with a personal-best 13.50, which is tied for seventh in NU history.

Antoine Lloyd qualified for the finals in three races, two with PRs. He ran a personal-best 10.50 in the 100 meters to qualify for tomorrow's final with the fifth-fastest time. He also set a PR of 13.99 in the 110-meter hurdles to qualify for that final as well. Joining him will be Oladapo Akinmoladun, who ran a season-best 13.88, and Sean Pille (13.99). Finally, Lloyd ran 21.19 in the 200 meters to qualify for that final. Ricco Hall will also be there after running 20.95. 

Jake Bender (46.73) and Levi Gipson (46.91) reached the 400-meter final with the second and sixth-fastest qualifying times, respectively. Shawnice Williams ran 2:07.44 in the 800 meters, the third-fastest qualifying time for tomorrow's final. 

The Husker men will have two competitors in the 400-meter hurdles, as Drew Wiseman (PR 51.51) and Sean Pille (52.18) earned spots in the final. 

The final day of competition begins at 10 a.m. (CT) with the women's triple jump and men's shot put. The running event finals begin at 11:45 a.m. (CT).