Huskers Gear Up for Big Ten Indoor Championships

The Nebraska track and field team visits Geneva, Ohio, this weekend for the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the SPIRE Institute. The meet starts on Friday with combined events at 9:50 a.m. (CT) and will commence on Saturday with combined events beginning at 10 a.m. (CT). Both days will be streamed live by both BTN Plus and FloTrack on their respective subscription services.

The Husker men have won 38 all-time conference indoor titles, including three in the Big Ten (2015, 2016 and 2019). Last season, the Nebraska men entered the final day of competition with an 11-point lead and led the entire day until Indiana took a 90-89 lead with only the 4x400-meter relay remaining. The Nebraska relay team ran a season-best time of 3:09.12 to finish fifth, while Indiana finished eighth in 3:11.71. The Huskers finished with 93 points, and were trailed by Indiana with 91 points, giving NU its first team crown since 2016. With 17 athletes currently ranked in the top eight in their events, the Husker men look to be in contention for a Big Ten indoor title this year along with Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue.

The Nebraska women have 24 all-time conference indoor titles, including one in the Big Ten (2012). The NU women were fifth last year with 68 points and are looking to have a strong showing this season with seven Huskers ranked in the top eight. 

Traditional NCAA scoring rules apply at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, with values scored to eight places for both track and field events as follows: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Scoring will be the same for both individual and relay events.

Athletes who rank in the top 16 nationally following the conference meets will qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on March 13-14. The Huskers currently have three athletes that rank in the top 16 in the nation in four events.

NU Men in the Big Ten Top 8

Rk	Athlete	Event	Mark
2	George Kusche	Mile	3:57.93
2	George Kusche	3,000m	7:50.93
3	Mayson Conner	High Jump	7-1 3/4 (2.18m)
4	Luke Siedhoff	60m Hurdles	7.84
4	Darius Luff	60m Hurdles	7.84
4	Burger Lambrechts Jr.	Shot Put	64-8 (19.71m)
5	Alexander Thompson	Triple Jump	50-0 3/4 (15.26m)
6	Isaiah Hutchinson	200m	21.17
6	Tony Nou	400m	47.18
6	Distance Medley Relay		9:52.98
6	Terrol Wilson	Triple Jump	50-0 1/2 (15.25m)
6	Zach Podraza	Heptathlon	5,408
7	Matthew Brown	60m	6.74
7	Brent Wetovick	600m	1:18.18
7	4x400m Relay		3:10.96
8	Kevin Cahoy	Pole Vault	16-10 3/4 (5.15m)
8	Alencar Pereira	Weight Throw	69-8 (21.23m)

NU Women in the Big Ten Top 8

Rk	Athlete	Event	Mark
2	Ieva Turke	Triple Jump	43-0 1/2 (13.12m)
6	Erika Freyhof	5,000m	16:18.28
7	Winsome Harris	60m Hurdles	8.47
7	Distance Medley Relay		11:40.50
7	Ieva Turke	Long Jump	19-10 3/4 (6.06m)
8	Kayla Hugg	400m	54.91
8	Kristina Insingo	Shot Put	55-0 (16.76m)

New Nebraska Top-10 Marks
The Huskers have achieved several all-time top-10 indoor marks in school history so far in 2020:
• George Kusche - Mile (No. 1 - 3:57.93*)
• George Kusche - 3,000m (No. 1 - 7:50.93)
• Erika Freyhof - 5,000m (No. 2 - 16:18.28*)
• Alencar Pereira - Weight Throw (No. 2 - 69-8, 21.23m)
• Burger Lambrechts Jr. - Shot Put (No. 4 - 64-8, 19.71m)
• James Joycey - Weight Throw (No. 4 - 68-7, 20.90m)
• Kristina Insingo - Shot Put (No. 4 - 55-0, 16.76m)
• Burger Lambrechts Jr. - Weight Throw (No. 5 - 67-9, 20.65m)
• Isaiah Hutchinson - 200m (No. 7 - 21.17)
• Elsa Forsberg - Mile (No. 7 - 4:42.16*)
• Judi Jones - 3,000m (No. 7 - 9:27.28*)
• Brent Wetovick - 600m (No. 8 - 1:18.18)
• Elsa Forsberg - Mile (No. 9 - 4:46.06)
• Judi Jones - 3,000m (No. 9 - 9:36.19)
• Ieva Turke - Triple Jump (No. 9 - 43-0 1/2, 13.12m)
• Jordan De Spong - 3,000m (No. 10 - 8:13.47*)
*oversized track

Nebraska Ranked in USTFCCCA #EventSquad Rankings
The Husker track and field team has several event groups ranked highly in the USTFCCCA #EventSquad Rankings this season. The ranking system uses the best qualifying marks from a team's top-four ranked athletes in the event.
• #4 - Men's Weight Throw
• #4 - Women's Triple Jump
• #4 - Women's Shot Put
• #5 - Women's High Jump
• #7 - Men's Shot Put
• #8 - Men's 60m Hurdles
• #10 - Women's Long Jump

Husker Men Crowned 2020 Indoor Dual Meet Champions
The Nebraska men's track and field team has been crowned the indoor dual meet champions by Track & Field News Magazine for the second straight season.

The Huskers claimed the title on the strength of two home quadrangulars, the Mark Colligan Memorial and the adidas Classic, as well as outstanding running-event balance. The Nebraska men won the eighth-straight Mark Colligan Memorial title with 178.5 points, topping Oklahoma (146), North Dakota State (122) and Oral Roberts (55.5). The following week, the Husker men claimed the adidas Classic team title with 199 points, defeating Illinois State (117), South Dakota (117) and Kansas City (81).

Nebraska posted a 6-0 record in dual meets to top No. 2 Indiana (1-0) and No. 3 Texas A&M (2-0) for the top spot. Akron (2-0) finished fourth and Oklahoma (2-1) rounded out the top five. 

All of this is just a precursor to the big prize, the season-long comprehensive rankings released during the outdoor season. To be ranked, a team must compete in one or more dual meets (defined as a scored meet between four or fewer teams) during the indoor season. Teams are ranked on wins and losses, marks, and strength and depth of dual meet schedule. Teams are rewarded for taking dual meet competition seriously. The Nebraska men won the absolute - indoor and outdoor combined - dual meet championship in 2017. 

Pepin Named B1G and USTFCCCA Men's Midwest Region Coach of the Year
Nebraska track and field head coach Gary Pepin was named the Big Ten Men's Indoor Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2019. 

The Big Ten honor marked Pepin's sixth selection as Big Ten Coach of the Year since the Huskers joined the conference in 2011-12, and it was his 28th all-time conference coaching accolade. The 2019 Big Ten men's indoor title was Pepin's 73rd career conference title and 43rd indoors. He has guided the Husker men to three Big Ten indoor titles in the last five seasons.

Pepin, in his 40th year as head coach at Nebraska, has also been honored as region coach of the year 11 times in the past 15 years. Of his 11 region coaching honors, three are men's indoor coach of the year (2005, 2015, 2019). 

Husker Men Out to Defend Big Ten Indoor Title
The Nebraska men won the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Angela Mercurio, Lakayla Harris, Mayson Conner and Elijah Lucy all won individual Big Ten indoor titles for the Big Red. 

The Husker men entered the final day of the Big Ten Championships with an 11-point lead and led the entire day until Indiana took a 90-89 lead with only the 4x400-meter relay remaining. However, the Huskers' relay team of Givon Washington, Tony Nou, Lucy and Isaiah Hutchinson ran a season-best of 3:09.12 to finish fifth, while Indiana finished eighth in 3:11.71. The Huskers finished with 93 points, and Indiana had 91, giving NU its first team crown since 2016.

The Husker men won their 67th all-time conference title and 38th indoors with the victory. It was the fifth Big Ten title for the Husker men since joining the conference in 2012. For legendary head coach Gary Pepin, it marked his 73rd career conference title and 43rd indoors.

Conner was crowned the high jump champion after clearing a personal-best 7-3 3/4 (2.23m), which put him in a tie for ninth in school history. Conner had the competition locked up as the only jumper to clear 7-2 1/4 (2.19m), and he was perfect through that height. The McCool Junction native went on to achieve a new personal best and give the Husker men the Big Ten indoor high jump title for the fifth time in the last six years. Conner was the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year.