Val Zajac Season 2003

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Outlook

Val Zajac will be part of a strong senior class in 2007 as she enters her final season at <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska. She returned to the Big 12 Championships lineup last season and hopes to contend for postseason action once again.

 

A two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection, Zajac has competed in 18 races during her career, second most on this year’s roster.

 

2006 (Junior)

Zajac ran in the first six meets as a junior, including the Big 12 Championships after she was absent from the lineup in 2005. Her best showing came at the Chile Pepper Festival, where her 6K time was her fastest since the NCAA Midwest Regional in October of 2004. Zajac’s overall finish was higher in three of the first four repeat meets from the 2005 schedule.

 

Zajac competed in the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters during the indoor track season. In the first meet of the year, she placed sixth out of 16 runners in the 5,000 meters at the Holiday Inn Invite. Zajac missed the oudoor season due to a stress fracture.

 

2005 (Sophomore)

Zajac ran in the first five meets for the Huskers but did not compete at the Big 12 Championships or NCAA Midwest Regional. She ran season-best times in both the 5K (20:24) and 6K (24:28) in her final two races of the season at the South Dakota State Invitational and Chile Pepper Festival.

 

During the indoor track season, Zajac ran a personal-best time of 10:52.50 in the 3,000-meter run at the Prairie Wolf Invitational.

 

Zajac missed the outdoor season with a stress fracture that was suffered at the end of the indoor season.

 

2004 (Redshirt Freshman)

Zajac steadily improved throughout the 2004 season to become the Huskers’ fifth runner in the final three meets. She was one of only two returning athletes to compete in every meet. She ended the season with a personal-best 6K time of 23:15.29 at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

 

Zajac competed in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter events during both the indoor and outdoor track season. She recorded personal bests of 10:47.52 for the 3,000 (outdoors) and 19:06.72 over 5,000 meters (indoors).

 

2003 (Freshman)

A stress fracture during the cross country season also kept her out of the indoor track season. She competed unattached in two meets during the outdoor track season.

 

High School

A four-year qualifier to the Ohio Division II state cross country meet, Zajac had her best finish at the 2000 state meet with a fifth-place showing. She concluded her freshman year with a seventh-place finish.

 

Zajac’s best result during her high school track career was a fifth-place finish in the 3,200-meter run at the 2000 Ohio Division II state meet.  Her time of 11:16.47 was a personal best. She was coached in cross country by Adrian Mangino and on the track by Keith Gorby. Zajac was also a National Honor Society Member.

 

Personal

The daughter of John and Penny Zajac, Val was born Oct. 3, 1984.  Zajac has one sister, Colleen (17), a freshman at Nebraska, and one brother John (13). Zajac is majoring in psychology.

2006 Results Creighton/UNO (5K) Woody Greeno (6K) Roy Griak (6K) South Dakota State (5K) Chile Pepper Festival (6K) Big 12 Championships (6K) NCAA Midwest Regional (6K) NCAA Championships (6K) 18th, 21:17 122nd, 26:32 264th, 25:54 61st, 20:32.90 248th, 24:20 96th, 25:34.86 DNR DNQ2005 Results Creighton/UNO (5K) Woody Greeno (6K) Roy Griak (6K) South Dakota State (5K) Chile Pepper Festival (6K) Big 12 Championships (6K) NCAA Midwest Regional (6K) NCAA Championships (6K) 32nd, 22:34

143rd, 25:27

260th, 25:16

73rd, 20:24 186th, 24:28 DNR DNR DNQ2004 Results Creighton/UNO (5K) Woody Greeno (6K) Roy Griak (6K) Lakefront Loyola (5K) Pre-Nationals (6K) Big 12 Championships (6K) NCAA Midwest Regional (6K) NCAA Championships (6K) 11th, 21:34.6

118th, 25:41

224th, 24:45 132nd, 19:50^ 228th, 23:52.6 82nd, 24:36.85 119th, 23:16* DNQ

* Denotes career-best 6K

^ Denotes career-best 5K