Walton Takes Seventh in Decathlon to Lead Huskers

EUGENE, Ore. - Nebraska junior Cody Walton finished seventh in the decathlon to lead the Nebraska track and field team on Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field. Walton became Nebraska's first athlete to earn first-team All-America honors, while four others picked up second-team honors on day two of the meet.

Walton, a Forest Lake, Minnesota native, scored 7,813 points to earn first-team All-America honors in the event for the first time in his career. Walton's point total was the best ever by a Husker decathlete at the NCAA Championships. The school-record holder in the event with a total of 7,937 earlier this season, Walton finished second in the javelin part of the competition with a mark of 207-6 (63.24m). He posted top-eight finishes in the first four events of the day, including 110-meter hurdles (eighth), discus (sixth) and pole vault (seventh). 

"The score wasn't what I wanted, but I'm absolutely thrilled," Walton said. "I came here to be top eight and I finished top eight, so I couldn't be happier."

Senior Tierra Williams was ninth in the long jump with a mark of 20-9 1/4 (6.33m) on her second attempt. Williams followed with three more jumps over 20 feet but was unable to improve her mark. The Auburn, Nebraska product earned her third career second-team All-America award in the long jump - to go with her two first-team All-America honors in the triple jump - and finished her career with top-six all-time long jump and triple jump marks at NU.

Toni Tupper notched a 10th-place finish in the shot put in her first nationals appearance with a best throw of 54-7 1/4 (16.64m). The Lincoln Northeast grad picked up second-team All-America honors and was just one spot shy of qualifying for the finals. 

Brittni Wolczyk was 14th in the javelin with a best throw of 166-10 (50.86m) to become a second-team All-American in the event for the second straight year. Freshman Sydney Otto finished 24th in the javelin in her first trip to nationals. Otto's mark was 143-0 (43.59m). 

Jasmine Barge finished 16th in the 400-meter hurdles to earn second-team All-America honors for the first time in her career. Barge posted a time of 59.24. 

Five Husker men will compete in field event finals on Friday. Landon Bartel and Mike McCann start the day in the high jump at 7 p.m. (CT). Nick Percy opens his NCAA title defense in the discus, along with redshirt freshman Nick Coghill, at 7:05 p.m. Finally, Isaiah Griffith, who was a second-team All-American in the long jump on Wednesday, will compete in the triple jump at 7:40 p.m.

Nebraska's NCAA Championships Finishers (Thursday finishers in bold)
Cody Walton, Decathlon - 7,813 (7th)
Tierra Williams, Long Jump - 20-9 1/4 (6.33m) (9th)
Toni Tupper, Shot Put - 54-7 1/4 (16.64m) (10th)
4x400-Meter Relay (Andy Neal, Jake Bender, Drew Wiseman, Sam Bransby) - 3:04.98 (11th)
Isaiah Griffith, Long Jump - 24-6 1/4 (7.47m) (13th)
Brittni Wolczyk, Javelin - 166-10 (50.86m) (14th)
Antoine Lloyd, 110-meter Hurdles - 13.71 (15th)
Drew Wiseman, 400-meter Hurdles - 50.85 (15th)
Jasmine Barge, 400-meter Hurdles - 59.24 (16th)
Seth Derr, Javelin - 216-8 (66.05m) (21st)
Sydney Otto, Javelin - 143-0 (43.59m) (24th)