LINCOLN, Neb. – On the final day of the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, two Nebraska school records were shattered as Axelina Johansson broke the women’s shot put record and Till Steinforth set a new men’s heptathlon mark. Both were also Devaney Center facility records. The Huskers finished the two-day meet with nine event titles.
Johansson set a new shot put school record on her second throw, only to break it again on her third throw with a winning mark of 63-4 (19.30m). The previous indoor school record was 60-7 3/4 (18.48m) by Tressa Thompson in 1997. Johansson’s career mark vaulted her to No. 1 in the NCAA this season, and it’s the second-best shot put throw worldwide in 2023. She is now the Swedish indoor national record-holder, and her throw is the second-best collegiate indoor throw of all-time.
Steinforth’s 6,082 points in the heptathlon is the third-best score in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Big Ten this season, and it topped the previous school record of 5,894 by Bjorn Barrefors in 2012. On Friday, Steinforth won the heptathlon 60m in 6.87 and the long jump with a mark of 24-11 (7.59m). He completed the historic effort on Saturday with two additional first-place finishes in the 60m hurdles (7.96) and the pole vault (17-0 3/4, 5.20m), which was a personal best.
Mayson Conner also had a career day, making it over 7-4 1/4 (2.24m) in the high jump, a new personal best. Conner won the high jump competition and moved into ninth place by himself in school history. He improved his Big Ten-leading and No. 2 NCAA mark as well.
Nebraska brought the 1-2 punch in the men’s 60m hurdles final, with Darius Luff claiming the win in 7.74 and Brithton Senior placing second in 7.77. In the women’s 60m hurdles, Johanna Ilves clocked an 8.48 to finish fifth.
Jonah Wilson threw a distance of 66-6 (20.27m) to be named men’s shot put champion. Kevin Shubert added a third-place finish with a mark of 62-2 1/4 (18.95m), while Nick Ronnfeldt was fourth at 56-6 3/4 (17.24m).
In addition to Johansson’s shot put win, Taylor Latimer took runner-up honors with a throw of 53-7 1/2 (16.34m), while Kalynn Meyer was fifth at 52-6 3/4 (16.02m).
The Husker men claimed spots 3-5 in the men’s high jump standings behind Conner’s win. Tyus Wilson cleared a PR 7-0 1/2 (2.15m) to finish third, Michael Hoffer cleared 6-11 (2.11m), and Ashriel Dixon made it over an indoor personal-best 6-9 (2.06m). Brooklyn Miller (5-8 1/2, 1.74m) and Madi Scholl (5-7, 1.70m) pitched in top-five finishes in the women’s high jump, placing second and fourth, respectively.
Rhianna Phipps and Lotavia Brown finished second and third for the Big Red in the women’s triple jump. Phipps jumped 40-6 1/4 (12.35m), while Brown had a mark of 40-2 1/4 (12.25m).
The Huskers took second place in both the men’s and women’s 800m, as both Niko Schultz (1:50.13) and Lindsey Blehm (2:13.59) ran personal bests. Lorenzo Paissan placed third in the men’s 60m with a time of 6.81, and he was also third in the 200m in 21.83. Jacob Hyde was the runner-up with a personal-best time of 21.80. Cami Merickel finished third in the 3,000m with a time of 10:14.60, a new PR.
Matthias Algarin finished fifth in the men’s heptathlon with a personal-best score of 5,398. His top finish was in the 60m, taking third in 6.99.
The Husker men (Julian Watson, Nick Bryant, Schultz, Garrett Kaalund) won the 4×400 relay title with a time of 3.10.36. In the women’s 4×400 relay (Karlie Moore, Ilves, Ramonia Clarke, Meghan Walker), Nebraska finished third in 3:47.51.
The Huskers are set to travel to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invitational, Feb. 10-11. Events will begin at 2:15 p.m. on Friday at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track.
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