2009 Outlook
Todd Gulizia (pronounced GUH-litz-EE-uh) is expected to make a big impact on the Huskers this season if he can stay healthy. “Todd has been on the verge of greatness since he arrived on campus,” Coach Jay Dirksen said. “Unfortunately he has suffered several setbacks at inopportune times.”
2008 (Sophomore)
Gulizia was one of the Huskers’ top runners in 2008, before late-season back problems kept him out of the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Gulizia opened the year at the BYU Invitational, finishing 17th with a time of 21:59.6. He followed with a pair of top-10 finishes, coming in 10th (25:53.1) at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational and sixth at the South Dakota State Classic (25:47). The Omaha, Neb., native was shut down for the year after the NCAA Pre-Nationals, where he finished 205th with a time of 25:45.6.
2007 (Freshman)
Gulizia made a strong impact on the Nebraska cross country team in his freshman year, finishing among the top three Husker runners at each of his six meets, while being the first Husker to cross the finish line twice (Creighton/UNO Classic and Roy Griak).
At the Roy Griak, NCAA Pre-Nationals and Big 12 Championships, Gulizia was the first or second Husker to finish, trailing senior Peter van der Westhuizen at the NCAA Pre-Nationals and Big 12 Championships. In his first Big 12 Championships he ran a 26:01.3 to finish 38th. Gulizia ended his season at the NCAA Midwest Regional where he finished 52nd with a time of 31:45 on the 10K course.
Gulizia competed in five meets during the indoor track season, setting personal bests in the mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs. His outdoor season came to an abrupt halt after he was diagnosed with mononucleosis following his first meet at the Stanford Invitational where he ran the 10,000 meters.
High School (Millard South)
Gulizia led Millard South High School to the 2006 Class A state championship with his individual title, blowing away the field by nearly 30 seconds (15:28.19) to claim the All-Class gold medal. He was third in his two other appearances at the state meet in 2004 and 2005 under coaches Scot Rainbolt and Dustin Llewellyn.
The 2007 Nebraska Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Gulizia swept the All-Class gold medals by winning the Class A titles in both the 1,600 (4:18.84) and 3,200 (9:16.36). He qualified for the same two events as a junior and sophomore, placing fourth in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200 in 2006 and seventh in the 1,600 in 2005. Gulizia’s best performance was saved for his final high school race at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., where he ran a time of 9:07.90 for the full two mile, the second-best performance in Nebraska prep history.
Personal
Todd was born on Aug. 10, 1988, in Omaha, Neb. The son of AJ and Jolene Gulizia, he has a twin brother, Matt. Todd is majoring in international business at Nebraska.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
