Huskers Open Outdoor Season in Texas

After a three-week break, the Nebraska track and field team returns to action with the beginning of its outdoor season on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Texas. 

The Huskers will be split between two meets this weekend. Half of the squad will compete at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, hosted by Texas at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The other half will participate in the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Texas State University at the Texas State Track and Field Complex in San Marcos. 

Start times for the Texas Relays are 11 a.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Start times for the Bobcat Invitational are 10 a.m. all three days. 

2023 Indoor Season Recap

The Huskers are coming off a record-breaking indoor season under first-year head coach Justin St. Clair. Nebraska had 10 indoor All-Americans, while the men had their best national finish (eighth) since 2009 and the women had their best national finish (14th) since 2006. Axelina Johansson (second, women’s shot put), Jonah Wilson (second, men’s shot put) and Darius Luff (third, 60m hurdles) all took home NCAA medals. 

Nebraska’s five Big Ten indoor champions included Luff (60m hurdles), Nick Bryant (600m), Mayson Conner (high jump), Wilson (men’s shot put) and Johansson (women’s shot put). The men finished second in the team standings while the women finished eighth. 

The Huskers also had five new school records set during the indoor season: Luff (60m hurdles), Bryant (600m), Till Steinforth (heptathlon), Johansson (shot put) and Taylor Latimer (weight throw). NU athletes also combined for 22 new top-10 marks in school history. 

2022 Outdoor Season Recap 

The Huskers collected six Big Ten titles at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Minneapolis. Maddie Harris repeated as the Big Ten javelin champion, while Jenna Rogers won the high jump title as a freshman. Mayson Conner won the men’s high jump crown, as he and Rogers won all four Big Ten high jump crowns in 2022. Maxwell Otterdahl was the Men’s Field Athlete of the Championships after sweeping the shot put and discus titles. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Jacob Hyde, Alex Nelson, Cory Berg and Nick Bryant also won gold in a surprising upset. 

At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Harris finished second in the javelin while Johansson placed third in the shot put. The Huskers finished with eight All-Americans. 

New Huskers to Watch in 2023

Kavian Kerr (Kansas State) finished fourth in the long jump and 200m at the 2022 Big 12 Indoor Championships. His 200m PR of 20.99 would be the fourth-fastest time in Nebraska school history. 

Tanessa Morris (Montana) was a two-time Big Sky champion in the hammer throw and her PR of 210-4 (64.14m) at Montana would rank as the second-best throw in Husker history. 

Rhema Otabor (Florida International) placed fourth in the javelin at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn first-team All-America honors. Her personal best of 184-6 (56.25m) would rank second in Nebraska school history. 

Arthur Petersen (UT Arlington) was a two-time All-American and Sun Belt champion in the javelin. Petersen was sixth at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 11th in 2021. His personal best of 262-2 (79.90m) would be a Nebraska school record. 

Rhianna Phipps (Kansas State) finished 12th in the triple jump at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 17th at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She has a personal best of 44-4 1/4 (13.52m), and she finished third at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in 2023. 

Omar Rodgers (Southern Illinois) was the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles champion at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. 

Brithton Senior (South Dakota) was an All-American in the 60m hurdles in 2021 after finishing 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. During the 2023 indoor season, Senior was the Big Ten runner-up in the 60m hurdles and qualified for the NCAA Championships with the No. 5 time in school history. 

Velecia Williams (Kansas State) finished 17th in the long jump at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman. Her outdoor long jump personal best of 21-0 3/4 (6.42m) would put her on Nebraska’s all-time top-10 chart at No. 10. 

Jonah Wilson (Washington) was a three-time All-American in the shot put for the Huskies. Wilson was eighth at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, ninth at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 16th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In his lone indoor season at Nebraska in 2023, Wilson won the Big Ten shot put title, finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships, was the Big Ten Men’s Field Athlete of the Championships and of the Year, and he posted the No. 2 throw in school history (68-7 1/4, 20.91m). 

2023 Nebraska Track & Field Captains

Mayson Conner, Senior, High Jump

Michael Hoffer, Senior, Jumps

Lishanna Ilves, Junior, Jumps

Johanna Ilves, Junior, Sprints/Hurdles

Micaylon Moore, Junior, Jumps

Jenna Rogers, Sophomore, High Jump

Bailey Timmons, Senior, Distance

Madison Yerigan, Senior, High Jump