Nebraska track and field combined for five titles at the Drake Relays on Saturday, while adding an NCAA-leading mark. The Huskers totaled six total event wins over the weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
Darius Luff won the highest division of the 110m hurdles with a personal-best and record-breaking 13.25. On top of breaking his own school record, that time currently leads the NCAA.
NU swept the top three spots of the championship division of the women’s javelin. Mirta Kulisic secured the title with a 169-3 (51.58m), Eniko Sara finished second with a 162-10 (49.65m) and Emanuela Casadei finished third with a 162-3 (49.45m). In the WACT (World Athletics Continental Tour) shot put, Axelina Johansson claimed runner-up honors with a 58-11 1/2 (17.97m) and Mine De Klerk placed fourth with a 57-6 1/2 (17.54m).
Niko Schultz used a diving finish to seal the sprint medley relay title after teaming up with Tyrell Pierce, Terrol Wilson and Nick Bryant to clock a 3:17.26. The women (Bariborve Deebom, Arianna Walker, Meghan Walker, Berlyn Schutz) finished second in a school record time of 3:48.54. The men’s 4x400m relay (Pierce, Garrett Kaalund, Schultz, Bryant) went down to the wire, but finished in second place with a 3:03.31. That time is tied for third in school history.
Dash Sirmon won the men’s championship javelin with a 242-8 (73.97m), while Tyler Brown placed third with a 211-8 (64.53m). Henry Zimmerman went 221-6 (67.52m) on his final hammer throw attempt to finish third in the championship division. In the university division, Josh Marcy went 197-9 (60.27m) to place eighth and Max Herman threw 196-3 (59.82m) to finish ninth. Hillevi Carlsson bettered her mark that’s No. 2 all-time with a personal-best 207-6 (63.25m) in the hammer throw. She took fifth in the championship division, while Cammy Garabian placed eighth with a 195-2 (59.50m).
Brooklyn Miller captured a flag in the high jump, winning with a height of 5-8 (1.73m).
Johanna Ilves clocked a personal-best 13.45 in the 100m hurdles final to claim fourth. That improved upon her No. 9 all-time mark. Brithton Senior added a fourth-place finish in the 110m hurdles final with a time of 13.82.
Lishanna Ilves used a 20-6 ¼ (6.25m) to take second in the championship division of the women’s long jump, while Ashley McElmurry finished fourth with a 19-9 ½ (6.03m). Micaylon Moore jumped 23-4 ¾ (7.13m) in the championship division of the men’s long jump to take sixth.
The Husker women (Bariborve Deebom, LaQwasia Stepney, J. Ilves, Rebecca Pecora) placed third in the shuttle hurdles with a time of 57.84. In the 4x100m relay, Ashley McElmurry, Arianna Walker, L. Ilves and J. Ilves teamed up to finish sixth with a 46.18.
Next up, Nebraska heads to the Shocker Open in Wichita, Kan. on Friday, May 3. Events begin in Cessna Stadium at 1:30 p.m. (CT).