Nebraska track and field closed the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Saturday night in Geneva, Ohio with a runner-up team finish on the men’s side and an eighth-place finish on the women’s side behind four Husker titles.
The men went down to the wire, trailing Wisconsin by just eight points entering the final event. They ended with 118 team points compared to the Badgers’ 122.
Tyus Wilson jumped over a personal-best height, clearing 7-3 (2.21m) to secure the high jump title and move up to fifth in the NCAA. Wilson’s previous best was 7-1 (2.16m), a mark he’s achieved multiple times this season. Reid Nelson claimed an eighth-place finish, clearing a personal-best 6-11 ½ (2.12m). Jenna Rogers cleared a height of 6-2 ¼ (1.89m) in the women’s high jump final to grab a runner-up finish. This marks her fifth time finishing among the top two high jumpers at a conference meet.
Nebraska’s horizontal jumpers had another big day, claiming four of the top eight spots in the triple jump. Micaylon Moore took the gold, bringing in his first Big Ten title with a leap of 52-11 ½ (16.14m). Terrol Wilson went 52-0 ½ (15.86m) to earn the bronze medal, Jeremiah Charles jumped 50-6 ¾ (15.41m) to place fifth and Jaylen Lloyd finished seventh with a distance of 50-0 (15.24m). In the women’s triple jump, NU put three athletes in the top eight. Rhianna Phipps led the charge with a 43-8 ½ (13.32m) to place second and move up to sixth on Nebraska’s all-time list. Lotavia Brown took the bronze with a leap of 42-11 ½ (13.09m). Ashley McElmurry jumped 41-9 ¼ (12.73) to take home seventh.
Mine De Klerk was named the Big Ten Shot Put Champion with a mark of 56-2 1/2 (17.13m) in her first throw of the meet. Kalynn Meyer (54-6 ½, 16.62m) and Amelia Flynt (54-2, 16.51m) added scoring finishes, placing fifth and sixth in the event. Kevin Shubert earned silver in the men’s shot put, hitting a mark of 65-3 ¼ (19.89m) to tie his personal-best distance. Cade Moran threw his career-best mark on his final throw of the day with a 62-9 ½ (19.14m) to move up to fourth.
In the men’s 600m final, Nick Bryant covered the track in 1:16.39 to finish as the runner-up.
In the women’s mile, Berlyn Schutz improved her personal-best time to break her own school record with a 4:37.37. The freshman from Lincoln, Neb. ran to a third-place finish in the final.
Darius Luff (7.72) and Brithton Senior (7.75) provided back-to-back finishes in the 60m hurdles, placing third and fourth. Johanna Ilves ran a 8.32 in the women’s 60m hurdles to come away with a sixth-place finish.
Entering the second day of the heptathlon, Matthias Algarin was in fifth with 3039 points and Kolby Heinerikson was in ninth with 2840 points. Algarin posted an 8.34 and Heinerikson ran an 8.47 in the 60m hurdles to begin the day. The pole vault pushed both athletes up in the standings, as they both were among the top-three finishers. Heinerikson cleared 15-5 (4.70m) and Algarin went 15-1 (4.60m) to move up to fourth and fifth with one event remaining. In the 1000m, Heinerikson ran a 2:43.70 and Algarin clocked a 2:49.45 to close the heptathlon. With 5498 points, Algarin finished in fourth while Heinerikson placed fifth with 5359 points.
Jeremiah Smith tied his personal-best time from yesterday’s prelims when he ran in today’s final. His 6.74 was good for sixth. In the men’s 200m final, Garrett Kaalund ran a 21.18 to take sixth in just his second 200m of the indoor season, while Kavian Kerr came away with eighth running a 21.22.
In the women’s 3000m, Brynna McQuillen was NU’s top finisher running a 9:34.30 to come in 17th. On the men’s side, Sam Kircher finished 21st after running a personal-best 8:19.21.
The men’s 4x400m relay team (Tyrell Pierce, Till Steinforth, Niko Schultz, Bryant) ran a 3:08.37 to come in fourth. In the women’s 4×400, Nebraska (Abrielle Artley, Ilves, Arianna Walker, Meghan Walker) finished eighth with a 3:43.36.
The NCAA Indoor Championships on March 8-9 in Boston, Mass. are next up for Nebraska, with participants being released this Tuesday, Feb. 27.
