GENEVA, Ohio – Burger Lambrechts Jr. repeated as the Big Ten indoor shot put champion, and Darby Thomas won the women’s long jump gold medal for the first time as the Huskers began competition at the Big Ten Track & Field Indoor Championships at the SPIRE Institute on Friday.
With five of 18 events scored, the Nebraska men are in first place with 33.5 points and the Husker women are in third place with 27.5 points.
Lambrechts Jr. posted a season-best shot put throw of 66-3 (20.19m) on his final attempt, though he had already clinched the gold medal by that point in the competition. Five of Lambrechts’ six throws would have won him his second straight Big Ten indoor gold medal. The three-time All-American ranks seventh in the nation and No. 2 in NU history and will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships in two weeks in Birmingham, Alabama.
Darby Thomas captured her first Big Ten crown by winning the women’s long jump on her first attempt of 20-11 3/4 (6.39m). Thomas led throughout the competition and will also compete at nationals as she ranks seventh in the NCAA. Thomas had previously earned two Big Ten bronze medals in the long jump, but the sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa reached the top of the podium for the first time and carried over the momentum from her PR of 21-5 1/2 (6.54m) at the Nebraska Tune-Up last week that ranks third in school history.
Alex Talley found himself on the podium with Lambrechts Jr., as he earned the silver medal in the shot put. Talley recorded a throw of 64-1 1/4 (19.54m) on his second attempt. Talley finished third in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year while at North Dakota State, and he ranks one spot behind Lambrechts Jr. nationally in eighth heading into this year’s NCAA meet. Kevin Shubert also scored team points for the NU men, placing sixth with a season-best throw of 62-3 1/4 (18.98m).
Freshman Axelina Johansson also earned a shot put medal, taking third on the women’s side with a throw of 56-8 (17.27m). Johansson ranks third nationally in the shot put and will join fellow throwers Lambrechts Jr. and Talley at nationals.
The women’s long jump was a strength for the NU women as all five Huskers scored team points. In addition to Thomas’ win, defending champion Lishanna Ilves finished fourth at 20-5 (6.22m), LaQwasia Stepney was sixth at 20-2 1/4 (6.15m), Ashley McElmurry was seventh at 19-10 1/4 (6.05m), and Ieva Turke placed eighth at 19-3 1/2 (5.88m).
In the men’s long jump, Michael Hoffer took fourth place with a jump of 24-6 1/2 (7.48m), and Clayton Keys also registered team points with a leap of 23-10 1/4 (7.27m) to finish in a tie for seventh.
Garrison Hughes placed sixth in the men’s pole vault, clearing 16-8 3/4 (5.10m) on his first attempt. The men’s distance medley relay team ran a time of 9:49.00 to place sixth.
In preliminary action, the top-ranked 60-meter hurdler in the Big Ten, Darius Luff, ran the fastest time of 7.69 to automatically qualify for tomorrow’s final. Tyler Drew also claimed a spot among the final nine in tomorrow’s final with a personal-best time of 7.99. Winsome Harris will race for the NU women in the 60-meter hurdles final after a personal-best time of 8.36 won her heat and was fourth overall.
Nick Bryant advanced in the men’s 600 meters with a personal-best time of 1:18.26 to finish with the sixth-fastest time in qualifying. Dais Malebana qualified in the men’s mile with a time of 4:04.44.
Till Steinforth is in scoring position for the Huskers in the heptathlon in sixth place with 3,033 points with three of the seven events remaining on Saturday.
Tomorrow’s action begins at 11 a.m. (CT) with the hepthatlon and the women’s high jump starting things off.
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