Huskers Head to Minnesota for B1G Championships

The Nebraska track and field team will compete at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., this weekend. The three-day meet begins on Friday at Noon, Saturday at 10 a.m., and Sunday at 11 a.m. Live stream coverage will be provided at BTNPlus.com. 

Maddie Harris is back to defend her Big Ten javelin title from 2021. As a freshman last season, Harris dominated the competition with a personal-best throw of 183-10 (56.05m), the No. 2 throw in school history. Harris earned the Husker women’s fifth javelin title in the last seven seasons and will look to make it six out of eight this year as she leads the conference with a throw of 178-2 (54.31m), nine feet better than the next closest mark from fellow Husker Mirta Kulisic. 

Lishanna Ilves was the Big Ten outdoor long jump champion, adding to her 2021 Big Ten indoor title in the same event. She enters the weekend ranked third in the Big Ten in the event. 

While Harris and Ilves are the only two Huskers looking to defend Big Ten outdoor titles this weekend, the Huskers have a handful of gold medal contenders who performed well at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this season and rank highly in their outdoor events. Four Huskers who won Big Ten indoor titles in February will be looking for more this weekend. 

Jenna Rogers won the Big Ten indoor high jump crown and was a first-team All-American and ranks tied for first in the Big Ten this outdoor season. Mayson Conner also won the Big Ten indoor high jump title on the men’s side and enters the meet seeded second. 

Burger Lambrechts Jr. was the Big Ten indoor shot put champion and although he has just the seventh-best throw in the Big Ten this outdoor season, he’s finished in the top four at six straight conference championship meets and took fourth place at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. 

Graduate transfer Alex Talley, who broke the hammer throw school record in his second outdoor meet as a Husker, ranks second in the event and will look to add another gold medal to his Big Ten indoor weight throw title. 

Other Huskers currently ranking in the top three of an event entering the meet are: Maxwell Otterdahl (No. 2, shot put), Axelina Johansson (No. 2, shot put), Mirta Kulisic (No. 2, javelin), Darius Luff (No. 3, 110-meter hurdles), Ashley McElmurry (No. 3, triple jump) and Reid Nelson and Tyus Wilson (T-3, high jump).

The Husker men finished fourth at last year’s Big Ten Outdoor Championships, while the women were ninth. Both squads will be looking to improve on those finishes this outdoor season after the men finished third and the women seventh at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in February. 

Racking Up Weekly Awards

The Huskers have combined for four Big Ten weekly honors this outdoor season:

• Freshman Jenna Rogers has twice been named Big Ten Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 6 and 13) for standout high jump performances. Rogers was the Big Ten indoor high jump champion and a first-team All-American after finishing seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships. 

• Darius Luff was the Big Ten Men’s Track Athlete of the Week on April 6 after winning the 110-meter hurdles at the Pepsi Florida Relays in 13.70. Luff was a first-team All-American indoors in the 60-meter hurdles after finishing seventh. 

• Mayson Conner was tabbed Big Ten Men’s Field Athlete of the Week on April 6 after a high jump clearance of 7-1 (2.16m) at the Pepsi Florida Relays. Conner won the Big Ten indoor high jump title and placed 13th at nationals in March. 

Huskers Moving Up the Charts

A number of Huskers have cracked the all-time Nebraska outdoor top 10 charts through two weeks of the outdoor season:

• Erika Freyhof moved up one spot to No. 2 on the 10,000 meters chart with a new PR of 33:50.38 at the Stanford Invitational. In the same event on the men’s side, Ryan Martins ran 29:44.24 to move to No. 6 all-time, and Mark Freyhof set a new best of 30:09.72 to rank ninth in school history.

• Jenna Rogers, the Big Ten indoor high jump champion and a first-team All-American as a freshman, already cracked the outdoor top 10 chart at No. 4 with a best mark of 6-1 1/4 (1.86m) at the John McDonnell Invitational. 

• Hannah Godwin ran the ninth-fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase in school history (10:39.87) at the John McDonnell Invitational, while Taya Skelton comes in at No. 10 (10:42.86) after her Drake Relays performance. 

• Darius Luff’s 110-meter hurdles PR of 13.59 at the John McDonnell Invitational ranks No. 7 in school history. 

• Till Steinforth scored 7,473 points in the decathlon at the Jim Click Multis, the No. 6 total in school history.

• Alex Talley shattered the hammer throw school record at the Sooner Invitational with a PR of 234-1 (71.36m). He also ranks No. 8 in the outdoor shot put with a throw this season of 63-5 (19.33m). 

• Maxwell Otterdahl joined the ranks of the all-time best shot put marks with a throw of 65-6 3/4 (19.98m) at the Drake Relays, the No. 5 throw all-time. 

• Henry Zimmerman has worked his way up to No. 4 among the all-time hammer throw performances with a best of 213-1 (64.95m). 

• Axelina Johansson jumped up the women’s shot put chart to No. 3 with a throw of 58-4 (17.78m) at the Michael Johnson Invitational. 

• Ryan Martins climbed the 5,000 meters chart to No. 4 with a PR of 14:06.35 at the Drake Relays.

Big Ten Leaders at a Glance

A number of Huskers have positioned themselves among the Big Ten event leaders with one week left until the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

Men

2. Mayson Conner, High Jump, 7-1 (2.16m)

2. Maxwell Otterdahl, Shot Put, 65-6 3/4 (19.98m)

2. Alex Talley, Hammer Throw, 234-1 (71.36m)

3. Darius Luff, 110m Hurdles, 13.59

3. Reid Nelson, High Jump, 6-11 3/4 (2.13m)

3. Tyus Wilson, High Jump, 6-11 3/4 (2.13m)

5. Cory Berg, 400m Hurdles, 51.32

5. Alex Talley, Shot Put, 63-5 (19.33m)

5. Till Steinforth, Decathlon, 7473

Women

1. Jenna Rogers, High Jump, 6-1 1/4 (1.86m)

1. Maddie Harris, Javelin, 178-2 (54.31m)

2. Axelina Johansson, Shot Put, 58-4 (17.78m)

2. Mirta Kulisic, Javelin, 169-2 (51.57m)

3. Lishanna Ilves, Long Jump, 20-9 (6.32m)

3. Ashley McElmurry, Triple Jump, 42-4 (12.90m)

3. Erika Freyhof, 10,000m, 33:50.38

4. Riley Masten, High Jump, 5-10 1/2 (1.79m)

5. LaQwasia Stepney, Long Jump, 20-7 3/4 (6.29m)

5. Brooklyn Miller, Javelin, 151-4 (46.14m)

Huskers in the NCAA Rankings

In addition to the Huskers’ Big Ten event leaders, a handful of Nebraska track and field athletes rank in the top 25 nationally:

Men

6. Alex Talley, Hammer Throw, 234-1 (71.36m)

8. Maxwell Otterdahl, Shot Put, 65-6 3/4 (19.98m)

15. Darius Luff, 110m Hurdles, 13.59

18. Alex Talley, Shot Put, 63-5 (19.33m)

20. Till Steinforth, Decathlon, 7473

23. Mayson Conner, High Jump, 7-1 (2.16m)

Women

4. Axelina Johansson, Shot Put, 58-4 (17.78m)

7. Jenna Rogers, High Jump, 6-1 1/4 (1.86m)

13. Maddie Harris, Javelin, 178-2 (54.31m)

21. Mirta Kulisic, Javelin, 169-2 (51.57m)