Huskers Rack Up Titles at Pac-12/Big Ten Invite

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Nebraska track and field team swept the team titles at the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational for the second straight year at Arizona State's Sun Angel Stadium on Saturday night.

The Husker men scored 153 points while the women scored 142 points. The four Big Ten teams in the competition (Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan and Penn State) combined to defeat the Pac-12 teams (Arizona, Arizona State, California and UCLA) on both the men's and women's sides. Eight Huskers picked up event titles on Saturday. 

Toni Tupper won the shot put on her final throw, as her winning mark of 53-6 1/2 (16.32m) put her at No. 7 in school history. Nick Percy won the discus title with a meet-record 196-3 (59.82m), adding to the hammer throw title he won Friday night. 

On the track, freshman Kierra Griggs won the 400 meters in her first collegiate outdoor race with an outdoor personal-best time of 54.78. Jasmine Barge won the 400-meter hurdles to lead a 1-2-3 finish for the Huskers in the event. Barge posted a time of 58.59, while Michaela Peskova (59.35) and Virginia Hill (1:00.10) finished just behind her. Lakayla Harris won the 200 meters with a new meet record time of 23.70, and the women's 4x100-meter relay won their race with a meet record time as well, 44.79.  

Peter Spinks won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:14.55, while Patrick Letz was third at 9:32.48. Katrina Santiago won the women's steeplechase, finishing in a personal-best 10:57.66, the eighth-fastest time in school history. 

The Husker men combined for four of the top-six spots in the long jump. Elijah Lucy led the way with a runner-up finish at 24-11 (7.60m), a new personal best. Isaiah Griffith's outdoor personal-best 24-2 (7.37m) put him at third, and Noah Gabel was fourth with a personal best of 23-10 (7.27m). 

Alex Meyer took second in the women's discus with a throw of 183-5 3/4 (55.93m), a personal best and the fifth-best throw in NU history. Spencer Powell finished second in the pole vault with a clearance of 16-1 1/2 (4.92m). Griffith tacked on a third-place finish in the triple jump after leaping 50-0 (15.24m) on his last attempt. 

Jake Bender earned second place in the 400 meters with an outdoor personal best of 46.58. Andy Neal took second in the 400-meter hurdles with a PR of 50.62. Antoine Lloyd was the runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.99. 

The women's 4x400-meter relay ran 3:46.35 to finish second. The men's 4x100-meter relay (40.23) and 4x400-meter relay (3:09.28) both finished third.

The Huskers are off next weekend before hosting their outdoor home opener, the Husker Spring Invite, on Saturday, April 8 at Ed Weir Stadium.