Huskers Set to Host Big Red Classic

The Nebraska track and field team is set to host the Big Red Classic on April 17 and 18 here in Lincoln, Neb., at the Nebraska Outdoor Track.

Action will begin Friday at 11 a.m. with the men’s hammer throw with track events beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Big Red Classic
Teams Competing: Creighton, Drake, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Nebraska – Omaha, North Dakota State and South Dakota State
Date: Friday, April 17 - Saturday, April 18
Venue: Nebraska Outdoor Track
Start Times: Friday: Field 11 a.m., Track 1:30 p.m., Saturday: Field 11 a.m., Track 1:15 p.m.

Rising up the Rankings
The Nebraska men's and women's track and field teams both entered the top of the USTFCCCA Rankings this week. 

The Husker men are ranked No. 8, up 18 spots from No. 26. The Husker women are ranked No. 10, up 14 spots from No. 24.

It marks the first time since May 30, 2023 that both the NU men and women have been ranked in the outdoor top 10 at the same time. 

Both the men and women continue to dominate in the shot put having the top-ranked squads in the country. The men’s javelin unit, spearheaded by Keyshawn Strachan and Dash Sirmon, is also ranked No. 1 in the country and our hammer throw and discus groups are third nationally. 

Karsyn Leeling and Ela Velepec have the women’s high jump squad sitting atop the rankings as well. The women’s discus unit is currently sixth and javelin holds an eighth-place ranking. 

Spec Towns Invitational Recap
Karsyn Leeling and Cade Moran were the event winners on the final day as they both used personal best marks to claim their titles. 

Leeling cleared a career-best 1.89m (6-2 ¼) in her first outdoor meet of the year to win the women’s high jump title. That mark moved the sophomore into a tie for third in school history and is the current NCAA No. 1 mark. Ela Velepec cleared 1.83m (6-0) to finish just behind Leeling in second. EJ Brown cleared a personal best of 1.80m (5-10 ¾) to slot herself into sixth.

Moran tied his personal best en route to winning the men’s shot put title, throwing 19.90m (65-3 ½). Hencu Lamberts used a PR of his own to claim second and move into 10th in school history. 

In the men’s high jump, Mason Kooi cleared the bar at 2.20m (7-2 ½) to earn a second-place finish and tie for 10th in school history. 

Belquist circled the track in 52.41 to claim fourth in the women’s 400m and slot herself at ninth in school history.

Mine De Klerk was the first Husker on the podium on the final day of competition, claiming third in the women’s shot put with a throw of 17.87m (58-7 ½). 

In the men’s triple jump, Xavier Bogan used a last jump of 15.07m (49-5 ½) to earn a second-place finish. 

Rhianna Phipps jumped 13.09m (42-11 ½) in the women’s triple jump to finish third at her first outdoor competition of the year. 

Keyshawn Strachan capped off day two of competition in dominant fashion by winning the men’s javelin title on his final throw of 78.48m (257-6).

Belquist earned a second-place finish in her women’s 400mH debut , running the second-fastest time in school history (55.96). Abrielle Artley added a PR of her own, running 58.74, good for fifth.

Brett Schwartz threw 66.77m (219-0) in the men’s hammer throw to earn second in the event and move into fifth in school history. Seth Schnakenberg improved on his sixth all-time mark, throwing 66.02m (216-7). 

Jana Lowka threw 55.19m (181-1) in the women’s javelin claiming second and moved into eighth in school history. 

Luke Noland finished in second in the men’s decathlon with 6849 points. Noland collected a pair of top-three finishes on the second day of competition including a third-place finish in the 110mH (14.96) and second-place finish in the javelin (49.95m, 163-10).