High Jump Duo Earn Podium Finishes at Big Ten Championship

After two days of competition, the Nebraska women’s track and field team sits in fifth-place with 20.5 points and the men are in a five way tie for sixth with ten points. 

Karysn Leeling and Ela Velepec made their presence known at their second Big Ten Indoor Champions finishing second and third in the women’s high jump and securing their first conference medals.

The high jumpers gave NU a big boost in the standings with Leeling clearing 1.84m (6-0 ½) to earn silver and Velepec clearing 1.81m (5-11 ¼) adding a bronze medal. The two combined for 13.5 points for the women’s team. 

Kellyn Kortemeyer improved on her number two mark in school history, throwing a personal best of 22.00m (72-2 ¼) to finish eighth in the women’s weight throw competition and add one point to the Husker’s team score. Donna Douglas also moved up in the school record book to fourth with her tenth-place mark of 20.70m (67-11).

Kelsie Belquist ran a blazing time of 52.47 in the women’s 400m to qualify for tomorrow’s final at 1:20 p.m. and move to the third-fastest time in school history. 

Noa Isaia led the way for the Husker men in the weight throw, claiming fourth with a throw of 21.59m (70-10). Brett Schwartz (20.91m, 68–7¼) and Seth Schnakenberg (20.72m, 67–11¾), placing seventh and eighth, respectively, as the trio combined to score eight points. Gustav Rydaker added a personal best throw of 20.09m (65-11), finishing 11th.  

Berlyn Schutz ran 4:40.40 in the women’s mile to finish second in her heat to qualify for tomorrow’s final at 1:00 p.m.  

Michael Buchanan jumped a season best, 7.44m (24-5), finishing eighth in the men’s long jump, earning one point for the men’s team. Buchanan also ran 60mH for the first time this season, running 8.00, good for 13th. 

Rajer Gurode ran the sixth fastest women’s 60m time in school history crossing the finish line in 7.40 and earning a tenth-place finish. 

Powered by a fourth-place finish in the pole vault, Brayden Bergkamp put up a personal best of 5228 points in the men’s heptathlon to secure an eighth-place finish. Luke Noland ended just behind him in ninth with 5184 points highlighted by a second-place finish in the 60mH. 

In the men’s 400m, Richard Simpson ran a personal best time of 47.99, finishing in 22nd. Emmanuel Rwotomiya finished just outside of qualifying in 11th, running 46.81.

Sydney Drevlow added to the PR count, running 2:10.02 in the women’s 800m, to finish in 21st. 

The final day of events will start tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. (CT) beginning with the men’s high jump and women’s triple jump. Coverage will be streamed on B1G+ and Runnerspace.