Latimer, Luff Set School Records on Day One at NCAAs

The Nebraska track and field team secured one first-team All-America honor and a pair of second-team All-America honors on the first day of the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. on Friday.

Taylor Latimer garnered first-team All-America honors in the women’s weight throw, re-breaking her own school record with a distance of 75-1 3/4 (22.90m). That throw put Latimer at fifth place and marked her fifth time breaking Nebraska’s weight throw record this season.

Darius Luff clocked the fastest 60m hurdles time in school history, 7.54, to enter Saturday’s final as the top seed. Luff ran his previous best time (7.63) at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, but his 7.54 on Friday topped the charts.

Lishanna Ilves leaped 19-9 (6.02m) in the women’s long jump to finish 14th. That placement earned Ilves second-team All-America honors. Maxwell Otterdahl was named a second-team All-American with a 14th-place finish in the men’s weight throw, throwing 68-5 3/4 (20.87m).

Till Steinforth tabbed two personal-best efforts on Friday, bringing him to fourth overall in the heptathlon with 3,495 points after the first four events. 

With a mark of 25-6 3/4 (7.79m) in the heptathlon long jump, Steinforth finished fourth and moved up to 10th on Nebraska’s all-time list. Adding his second personal-best of the day, Steinforth cleared 6-8 (2.03m) in the heptathlon high jump. He surpassed his previous best jump by almost an entire four inches. In the heptathlon 60m, Steinforth clocked a 6.88 to finish sixth and threw for 46-1 1/2 (14.06m) in the heptathlon shot put.

Steinforth will look to challenge his heptathlon school record of 6,082 and contend for an NCAA medal on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. (CT) with the 60m hurdles. Field events are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (CT) and Luff will race in the 60m hurdles final at 8:40 p.m. (CT).