Huskers Pick Up Five Titles on Final Day of Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational

LINCOLN, Neb. - Reka Czuth and Sam Bransby posted top-three marks in NU indoor history, as the Nebraska track and field teams concluded the 41st annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational on Saturday in front of a crowd of 2,157 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. 

One week after cracking the NU indoor top-10 list in the high jump, Czuth set a new personal best of 6-1 1/2 (1.87m), and she is now tied for third in NU indoor history. Czuth's lifetime best moved her into a tie for second in the nation and first in the Big Ten. 

"It's really exciting. I can't believe it," Czuth said. "This is a great meet. Everyone was here, and I was just really excited. I did not see this coming but I'm really happy." 

Czuth's former Husker teammate, Marusa Cernjul, set a new personal best in the event by clearing 6-2 3/4 (1.90m). Cernjul's jump moved her to No. 15 in the world this year. 

Bransby and Karolina Pahlitzsch swept the 600-meter titles for the Huskers. Bransby ran a personal-best 1:17.38, the second-fastest time in NU indoor history and No. 2 time in the Big Ten this season. Levi Gipson was second at 1:18.13. Pahlitzsch ran 1:30.99 - just off her PR of 1:30.37 - but won the event by nearly a full second.

"We have such a strong 400 and 600 group on this team that during practice they push you to compete, and we have a mentality of competing in practice," Bransby said. "I kind of just run my races and then leave it up to my kick on the last lap."

Antoine Lloyd won the 60-meter hurdles title in 7.80, while Oladapo Akinmoladun was right behind with a time of 7.82. Former Husker Kirkland Thornton posted the fastest time of 7.74.  

The men's 4x400-relay team of Mate Koroknai, Oliver Alexandre, Drew Wiseman and Cody Rush set a meet record of 3:08.47 to win the event. Alexandre (46.784) and Rush (46.933) posted the fastest splits. 

All three Huskers in the heptathlon set standard track personal bests, with Cody Walton and Noah Gabel posting the Nos. 5 and 10 point totals in NU indoor history.

Walton finished second in the event with a total of 5,515. He won the heptathlon pole vault with a personal-best 15-9 (4.80m) clearance. Gabel finished third in the contest with a PR 15-5 (4.70m) and was third overall with 5,318 points. Guy Fenske was fourth with 5,222 points. 

Tierra Williams took second in the women's triple jump at 42-1 1/4 (12.83m). Kaiwan Culmer was third in the men's triple jump after posting a leap of 49-11 1/4 (15.22m).

Lakayla Harris, with a personal-best 23.92, took fourth in the women's 200 meters. Matt Gilbert took fifth overall in the mile with a PR 4:07.69.  

Among other top performances, professional athlete Laura Thweatt set a new Devaney Center record in the 3,000 meters, finishing in 9:09.48. Tulsa's Bryce Robinson set a meet record of 20.63 in the 200 meters. Former Husker high jumper James White cleared 7-2 1/4 (2.19) to lead the event. 

The Huskers are split between the Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.) and Pittsburg State Gorilla Classic (Pittsburg, Kan.) next Friday and Saturday.