Nebraska track and field competed at the opening day of the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Friday in Geneva, Ohio, securing an event title, a third-place finish and eight spots in the finals.
Till Steinforth jumped a massive 26-2 ¾ (7.99m) on his final attempt of the long jump to claim the Big Ten title. This marks Steinforth’s third Big Ten title, after winning the decathlon and the long jump at last season’s Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Today’s personal-best mark ties Steinforth for fourth in school history. Adding to the long jump success, Micaylon Moore placed fourth (24-6 ¼, 7.47m), Jaylen Lloyd finished fifth (24-3 ½, 7.40m), Jeremiah Charles took sixth (24-0 ¼, 7.32m) and Kavian Kerr added a seventh-place finish (23-11 ½, 7.30m). The five Huskers combined for 24 team points in the long jump.
Henry Zimmerman is the men’s weight throw bronze medalist after throwing 72-9 ¼ (22.18m) on his fourth attempt. Josh Marcy added an eighth-place finish with a distance of 65-9 (20.04m). Cammy Garabian placed 16th in the women’s weight throw with a distance of 63-0 (19.20m).
Darius Luff (7.71) and Brithton Senior (7.81) earned spots in the 60m hurdles final, running the third- and fourth-fastest prelims times among the field. Last year at this meet, the duo took home first and second and look to repeat tomorrow. In the women’s 60m hurdles prelims, Johanna Ilves ran a personal-best 8.32 to secure her spot in tomorrow’s final and climb to fifth in school history. Ilves’ previous best time was 8.35, ran at the Tyson Invitational this season.
Kavian Kerr came out blazing in the men’s 200m, covering the track in a personal-best 20.96 to finish fourth and qualify for the final. Garrett Kaalund ran his first 200m of the season today, clocking a 21.12 to grab a final’s spot of his own with the seventh-fastest time.
In the men’s 60m prelims, Jeremiah Smith ran a personal-best time of 6.74 to grab seventh place and a qualifying spot in tomorrow’s final. On the women’s side, Darby Thomas ran a personal-best 7.43 to take 11th and move up to sixth on the all-time list. Thomas added an 11th-place finish in the 200m, crossing the line at 24.19.
Nick Bryant, the defending Big Ten Indoor 600m Champion, ran a 1:17.05 in the 600m prelim to punch his ticket to the final with the sixth-fastest time. In the men’s 800m prelims, Niko Schultz was the top finisher for the Huskers, running a 1:49.52 to grab tenth.
Berlyn Schutz cover the track in 4:45.94 in the women’s mile to qualify for tomorrow’s final.
Rebecca Pecora placed seventh in the pentathlon with a career-high 3781 points. In the 60m, she ran a 9.22 to claim 865 points, before adding 891 points in the high jump with a clearance of 5-8 (1.73m). Adding a mark of 29-2 ½ (8.90m), a leap of 18-08 ¾ (5.71m) in the long jump and a personal-best time of 2:21.35 in the 800m, Pecora closed the five events in scoring position. Favour Wanjoku joined Pecora in the pentathlon, contributing her best performances in the 60m hurdles with a personal-best 8.65 and the shot put with a 38-9 ½ (11.82m).
Matthias Algarin leads Nebraska in the heptathlon standings, sitting in fifth entering Saturday with 3039 points. Opening with the 60m, Algarin ran a 7.02 to earn 875 points. Berg added a time of 7.19, scoring 816 points in the first of seven events. In the long jump, Algarin leaped 23-4 ¾ (7.13m), moving up two spots in the overall rankings with 1720 total points. Kolby Heinerikson took seventh with a jump of 21-10 ¾ (6.67m) to jump up to eighth overall in the heptathlon. In the heptathlon shot put, Heinerikson was NU’s top finisher with a mark of 41-5 ¾ (41-5m) to come in tenth. The high jump portion was the final heptathlon event of the day. Cory Berg cleared 6-5 (1.96m), gaining 767 points to lead Nebraska. The three heptathletes will compete in the final three events tomorrow.
In the 5000m, Brynna McQuillen ran a 16:41.06, taking 13th with the eighth-fastest time in school history. Sadio Fenner ran a personal-best 14:30.69 in the men’s 5000m, placing 15th.
Jessica Gardner took home 12th in the women’s pole vault, clearing a height of 12-9 ½ (3.90m). In the women’s long jump, Darby Thomas was Nebraska’s top finisher jumping 19-05 ¼ (5.92m) to come in 14th.
Tyrell Pierce was the top runner for the men, adding a personal best in the 400m, placing 11th with a time of 47.46. In the 400m, Meghan Walker took 14th in the prelim, running a personal-best time 55.04.
Both the women’s and the men’s distance medley relays placed eighth, with the women (Schutz, Walker, Hayley Trotter, Ali Bainbridgeh) clocking an 11:26.56, the fourth best time in school history on an oversized track and the men (Gabe Nash, Jacob Hyde, Holden Ruse, Sam Kirchner) running a 9:50.98.
In the team standings, the men currently sit in second, eight points behind Wisconsin.
Action resumes tomorrow with the heptathlon at 10 a.m. (CT), field events at 10:30 a.m. (CT) and running events at 12:20 p.m. (CT).