Husker Javelin Throwers Advance to Nationals

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Nebraska track and field freshmen Mirta Kulisic and Maddie Harris both finished in the top 12 in the javelin at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Thursday to secure a spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in two weeks. 

Kulisic qualified with the sixth-best throw out of 48 competitors. She set a new personal best of 175-1 (53.37m), improving on her No. 8 throw in school history. Joining her at the NCAA Championships will be freshman teammate Maddie Harris. The Big Ten champion in the event threw 173-4 (52.85m) on Thursday to place eighth overall. 

Their qualification brings the Huskers' total to four with two days left at the NCAA West Preliminary Round at Texas A&M's E.B. Cushing Stadium. Michael Hoffer (long jump) and Burger Lambrechts Jr. (shot put) both qualified on Wednesday.

Among the Huskers' other top performers on Thursday, Darby Thomas led the NU women in the long jump, setting a new personal best of 20-9 1/4 (6.33m) to finish 16th. Jessica Gardner narrowly missed out on qualifying for nationals, placing 15th in the pole vault after tying her career-best performance of 13-8 1/4 (4.17m). 

The Husker men will be back in action on Friday. Nebraska has athletes competing in the high jump, triple jump, 4x100-meter relay, 1,500 meters and 110-meter hurdles. The first event is the high jump at 1 p.m.