The Nebraska track and field team picked up five more individual Big Ten titles on day two of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Saturday, bringing their two-day total to eight at the Haugh Track and Field Complex in Bloomington, Ind.
With the final day of action remaining on Sunday, the Husker men are in first place with 84 points and the women are in first place with 68 points.
Just like on Friday, the Huskers dominated the throwing events, sweeping the men’s and women’s shot put to make it five gold medals in six throwing events thus far at the Big Ten Championships.
Axelina Johansson turned in an all-time performance to win the women’s shot put and sweep the indoor and outdoor titles. Five of her six throws would have won her the gold medal, but it was her final attempt of 64-1 1/4 (19.54m) that stamped her name in the record books. Her mark is a Nebraska school record, a Swedish national record, the top mark in the NCAA this season, the No. 2 throw in NCAA outdoor history and the No. 2 throw in the world in 2023.
Jonah Wilson also made it a sweep of the indoor and outdoor shot puts by winning a thrilling back-and-forth battle with fellow Husker Maxwell Otterdahl. Wilson came out on top with the final throw of the competition, 69-11 1/2 (21.32m). That was a Big Ten meet record and facility record, as well as the No. 2 throw in school history. And Wilson needed every bit of it to beat Otterdahl, who moments earlier had taken the lead from Wilson with a personal-best throw of 69-7 1/2 (21.22m), which is now the No. 3 throw in school history.
Otterdahl started the competition with a personal best (68-7, 20.90m) on his first throw, and Wilson answered on his second throw with a personal best (68-9 3/4, 20.97m). Wilson held that lead until Otterdahl’s final attempt, and after Otterdahl topped it, the senior came right back to grab the gold. They now rank second and third nationally in the event.
Till Steinforth was a double champion on Saturday. Steinforth won the decathlon with a school-record 8,064 points, which is the No. 4 score in the NCAA this season. Steinforth won the 110m hurdles (14.16) to start the day on Saturday and was second in the pole vault with a personal-best 16-4 3/4 (5.00m).
Immediately after the decathlon pole vault concluded, Steinforth made his way over to the long jump pit, and on his first attempt put forth a personal-best 25-7 1/4 (7.80m), which held up through the entire competition to earn him the gold medal in that event as well. It was also the No. 9 mark in school history.
Mayson Conner and Tyus Wilson put on a show in the men’s high jump to finish 1-2. Conner won his sixth career Big Ten high jump title and has now won the high jump title at the last four Big Ten meets (indoor and outdoor). Conner cleared 7-2 1/2 (2.20m) on his first attempt. Wilson also cleared that height, a personal best, but on his second attempt. They were the only two over that bar. Wilson cracked the all-time NU top 10 chart with his clearance.
Micaylon Moore finished fourth in the long jump after a jump of 24-7 3/4 (7.51m). Ashley McElmurry was also fourth in the long jump, leaping 20-1 (6.12m) to add five team points for the Husker women.
Kevin Shubert was sixth in the shot put with a personal-best 64-11 1/2 (19.80m), the No. 8 throw in school history. His performance, along with Wilson and Otterdahl’s 1-2 finish, earned the NU men 21 team points. Taylor Latimer was sixth in the women’s shot put at 56-4 3/4 (17.19m).
Madi Scholl finished the pentathlon in sixth place to score three team points for the Husker women. Scholl had a career-best 5,177 points, thanks in part to personal bests in the javelin and 800m on Saturday. Scholl threw the javelin 130-1 (39.64m) to win that event and finished the day with a time of 2:33.12 in the 800m.
Kolby Heinerikson added a team point with an eighth-place finish in the decathlon by scoring a career-high 6,980 points. Ashriel Dixon finished eighth at 6-9 3/4 (2.08m) to secure a team point with a personal best.
On the track, Taya Skelton placed eighth in the 3,000m steeplechase with a personal-best time of 10:18.86, the No. 6 time in school history. And five more Huskers qualified for finals on Sunday: Nick Bryant, 400m (46.29 PR and No. 9 at NU), Darius Luff, 110m hurdles (13.44), Brithton Senior, 110m hurdles (13.59), Johanna Ilves, 100m hurdles (13.46 PR and No. 9 at NU) and Sam Easley, 800m (1:49.37).
Sunday’s action gets underway with field events at 10 a.m. (CT) and running events at 11:45 a.m. (CT).
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