UNK Track (Sunday): Busy Week Starts with Nine Wins in Crete

Lopers Compete in Four Different Meets Later this Week

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney track and field team had 25 (11 men and 14 women) two top finishes at the annual Jim Dutcher Memorial Sunday in Crete. Due to weather, the meet was pushed back with the men's and women's discus held Thursday night. The multi-event meet went on as scheduled (Thursday/Friday).

Kearney redshirt freshman Lily Novacek continues her strong spring by winning both the hammer (180-7) and discus (150-1) with Kearney senior Brayden Sorensen placing first in the high jump with an effort (7-0.50) just shy of his school-record (7-1.50). Next, Stamford freshman Brianna Russell, Kansas sophomore Brooklyn Staab and O'Neil junior Abby Everitt each cleared 5-5 in the women's high jump with Russell winning by tie breaker. This was one of several events where the Lopers dominated. They also had four of the top six finishers in the women's 1,500 and men's 800, went second through fourth in the women's vault and had three of the top six in the men's discus. UNK's other winners were Funk redshirt senior Baylee Alstrom (1,500/4:42.01), St. Libory redshirt senior Noah Bruggeman (vault/15-7), Gothenburg junior Hannah Anderson (800/2:15.12), Kansas redshirt junior Evan Prohaska (javelin/201-2), Aurora redshirt sophomore Kyla Carlson (400 hurdles/1:03.31) and David City redshirt sophomore Gabrielle Oborny (vault/12-03.50). Among the runners up were Kearney senior Haley Schall (long jump/career-best 18-11.25), Kearney junior Nicole Messbarger (200/25.79; 400/56.73), Omaha redshirt junior Hannah Pollan (5,000/18:11.52), Scottsbluff redshirt freshman Turner Scow (discus/156-9) and St. Paul freshman Conner Wells (800/1:52.15). Schall moves into ninth place in school-history with Kearney redshirt junior Courtney Thee having a career-best 11-7.75 in the vault to move up to seventh in Loper lore. Finally, Kansas freshman Kenyon Forest was third in the vault (189-5) with Holdrege sophomore Samantha Schemper also reaching 11-7.75 on the women's side. UNK will be in Iowa (Drake Relays & Kip Janvrin Open), Kansas (Alex Francis Classic) and Lincoln (Prairie Wolf Invite) next weekend.