NU Track & Field 2012

[Red Ghost]

The Nebraska track and field team will open the indoor season with both the men's and women's teams ranked in the USTFCCCA Top 25, released Tuesday.

The Husker men will start the season ranked No. 5 while the women's squad is No. 25.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120110/BIGRED/701109862

We should be able to dominate Big Ten track and field for the foreseeable future - - both men's and women's - - unless the conference drags us down to their level.

[Red Ghost]

Gary Pepin is probably one of the greatest University of Nebraska coaches ever.  It is too bad he does not really receive the recognition he deserves.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120112/BIGRED/701139931

He's had 56 individual national champions, 476 All-Americans, won every useful coaching award there is, been inducted into the Hall of Fame of his sport and held his own in the ultra-competitive Big 12 when several Nebraska sports programs did not.

Entering his 32nd season, Nebraska track and field coach Gary Pepin has nothing left to prove.

....Gary Pepin, entering his 32nd season as Nebraska track and field coach, has led his teams to 67 conference titles.

[Capn Krunch]

I loved going to the indoor meets when I was at NU. We have been fortunate to have Pepin all of these years.

[Red Ghost]

I loved going to the indoor meets when I was at NU. We have been fortunate to have Pepin all of these years.

Yes, indeeed.  At some point Pepin is going to retire.  And we can only hope that the AD can find someone who can fill his shoes.

[AlbqHusker]

My one and only link to NU Track and Field from the Land of Enchantment...I'll try and keep it short.

My father and I have a long standing tradition of attending the NM Sate HS Basketball Tournment at "The Pit" in Albuquerque.  At last year's tournament, I'm wearing a Nebraska shirt and cap, and a guy sits down in front of us, sees my shirt and asks if I went to NU.  I explain I grew up there blah blah blah...and he says his son just received a track scholarship from NU as a high jumper, and is playing in the next game.  His son is Carlos Hernandez, and played bball at Santa Teresa also.  Well, about midway through the second quarter a pass is deflected and his son gets a breakaway...and he freakin jumps out of the gym and thunder dunked it!  We're are all high fiving his dad, who is just beaming with pride.  He had another monster dunk in the second half when he found the lane open in traffic.  This thin, 5'11" maybe 140 lb hispanic kid had the "Pit" crowd in a frenzy that day!  He has high jumped 7ft in high school, hope he is doing well at NU.  Anyone heard of him up there?

[Capn Krunch]

His whereabouts are kept secret. Pepin doesn't want Sadler anywhere near him.

[Red Ghost]

Season update:  The women won the Big Ten indoor crown while the men were a disappointing 3rd.  The meet was in Lincoln so I am actually kind of shocked we didn't sweep.

[Red Ghost]

The Big Ten outdoor championships start today, at Wisconsin.  This is probably our last chance to win a men's conference title in any sport this year (baseball looks really doubtful right now).  The women already have two conference championships (indoor track and gymnastics).

The Nebraska men's team is currently ranked 17th in the nation.  There are five Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25:
8 - Indiana (they won the Big Ten indoor championship)
15 - Wisconsin (the home field advantage is bound to help them this weekend)
17 - Nebraska
21 - Iowa (last year's champion)
25 - Minnesota (2nd last year)

On the women's side, only Ohio State is ranked....#24.  But Nebraska is #26 so there isn't much difference there.

I would love to see a sweep for Nebraska.  It is a long shot, but it could happen.

[Red Ghost]

After Day 2 of the Big Ten T&F championships (one more day to go).....

The 'Braska men are in 3rd with 42.5 points, trailing Wisconsin (62 points) and Indiana (44 points).

The 'Braska women are a distant seventh with 22 points.  Wisconsin leads with 52 points.

It is looking like cheese may be the new training breakthrough.   

By the way.  I had a bumper sticker when I was in college that said:

Track and Field
The Only Sport

 

[Red Ghost]

Both the men and women had good days on Sunday but it wasn't quite enough.  Both teams finished second.

Men
Wisconsin - 121 points
Nebraska - 115.5 points
Indiana - 115 points
Penn State - 86 points

Women
Ohio State - 117 points
Nebraska and Illinois (tie) - 110 points
Penn State - 87 points

Nebraska had 5 event champions on Sunday, with Ashley Miller the definite standout:

Nebraska had five gold-medal performances, two coming from Ashley Miller. She started the day by winning the 1,500 in 4:16.53 before winning the 800 in 2:06.67.   Miller also picked up three more points with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 after her two victories.  “That was a warrior’s effort,” Pepin said. “That was a tough triple for her. She really wanted to win that team title because this was her senior year.”

Anna Weigandt and Marusa Cernjul also took first in their specialties. Weigandt won the triple jump by one inch over teammate Mara Griva with a leap of 42 feet, 6 inches.  Cernjul got the day started right for the Huskers by clearing a personal best 6-0 to become Nebraska’s first outdoor conference high jump champion since 2008.

Miles Ukaoma was the lone men’s champion on the final day by winning the 400 hurdles in 49.23, more than one second better than his previous career best of 50.52.

More here:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20120513/BIGRED/705149927/-1#miller-nu-women-tie-for-second-men-also-second

And we can't forget to mention Bjorn Barrefors, who earlier had won the men's decathlon.

Congratulations to them all, and also to each and every Nebraska athlete who scored at the meet or had a personal best performance.

[Red Ghost]

By the way, you have to wonder how much longer that Gary Pepin is going to continue as head coach.  It will be a HUGE loss when he retires, but it would be completely understandable if he so chooses given the health issues he has faced this year:

On Sept. 15, Pepin tore a rotator cuff during practice when one of his jumpers accidentally collided with him. Pepin had his back to the jumper, who himself was running backward.

“I didn't know how bad it was, but I had surgery April 6 to repair four tears,” Pepin said in an interview from his home in Lincoln. “During the recovery period I came down with inflammation throughout my body.”

Pepin has been battling foot, knee and stomach problems as well because of the post-surgical complications. He said he hasn't been able to travel to any of the Huskers' outdoor meets since the surgery.

“There were times I was on crutches and had a boot on one foot,” Pepin said. “I was able to get to some practices, but I couldn't even get in and out of bed for a while because I had so many problems.”

Pepin, who is in his 32nd season at Nebraska.....

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120512/BIGRED/705129804#decathlon-record-is-nu-highlight

[Red Ghost]

My one and only link to NU Track and Field from the Land of Enchantment...I'll try and keep it short.

My father and I have a long standing tradition of attending the NM Sate HS Basketball Tournment at "The Pit" in Albuquerque.  At last year's tournament, I'm wearing a Nebraska shirt and cap, and a guy sits down in front of us, sees my shirt and asks if I went to NU.  I explain I grew up there blah blah blah...and he says his son just received a track scholarship from NU as a high jumper, and is playing in the next game.  His son is Carlos Hernandez, and played bball at Santa Teresa also.  Well, about midway through the second quarter a pass is deflected and his son gets a breakaway...and he freakin jumps out of the gym and thunder dunked it!  We're are all high fiving his dad, who is just beaming with pride.  He had another monster dunk in the second half when he found the lane open in traffic.  This thin, 5'11" maybe 140 lb hispanic kid had the "Pit" crowd in a frenzy that day!  He has high jumped 7ft in high school, hope he is doing well at NU.  Anyone heard of him up there?

He finished 19th at the Big Ten outdoor championships, with a jump of 2.01 meters (around 6'-7").

[Red Ghost]

BTN is broadcasting the Big Ten outdoor meet tonight (Sunday) at 10 pm EDT / 9 pm CDT.