(gettyimages, credit C. Morgan Engel)
Nebraska track and field secured six USTFCCCA First-Team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday.
Axelina Johansson highlighted the day by winning her third career national championship in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.55m (64-1 ¾), over a meter farther than second place. Johansson claimed her sixth career medal and eighth All-America award.
The senior from Hok, Sweden has now won back-to-back indoor shot put national titles and owns the NCAA record (19.72m, 64-8 ½).
Senior Mine De Klerk added fifth place in the women’s shot put, throwing 17.86m (58-7 ¼) for her best career NCAA finish. The South African earned first-team All-America honors for the second time in her career. Amelia Flynt finished 16th, securing second-team honors with a throw of 15.16m (49-9).
On the men’s side, Cade Moran used a monster personal best of 20.40m (66-11 ¼) to earn a bronze medal and first-team All-America honors at his first career NCAA Championship.
The sophomore women’s high jump duo of Karsyn Leeling and Ela Velepec showed out, tying for seventh after both clearing 1.85m (6-0 ¾) on their second attempts. The pair earned first-team All-America honors for the first time in their careers.
Rhianna Phipps added a seventh-place finish of her own in the women’s triple jump final, jumping 13.37m (43-10 ½). Phipps earned first-team All-America honors for the second time in her career.
The senior from St. Thomas, Jamaica won the Big Ten triple jump title with a mark of 13.62m (44-8 ¼) in February.
Berlyn Schutz rounded out the day with a ninth-place finish in the women’s mile final, running 4:42.35. Schutz claimed second-team All-America honors at her first career NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Huskers will be back in action at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational (March 27-28) for the beginning of the outdoor season. Events will begin at 11 a.m.
