Mavs Head to No. Iowa, USD This Week
Jan 23, 2013 | General, Track & Field
Weekly Release
This Week
The Omaha track & field team will take part in two events this week. Its multi-eventers will compete in the Jack Jennett Invitational at Northern Iowa on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26. The Mavs also will compete in the South Dakota Alumni Meet on Jan. 26.
The Coaches
Steve Smith is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Omaha track & field program. Smith was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Indoor Coach of the Year in 2009 after guiding the Mavericks to the MIAA Indoor Championships and repeated the feat the following year. Overall, Smith has guided the Mavericks to three conference championships and three top-five finishes at the NCAA Division II Championship including a fourth-place finish indoors in 2010.
Smith is assisted by Chris Richardson (jumps and multi-events), who was named the USTFCCCA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2011. Marc Bierbaum is in his third season coaching the distance events in addition to coaching the cross country team.
Athlete of the Week...Again!
For the second week in a row and the third time already this season, junior Sami Spenner has been named the Summit League's Woman Athlete of the Week for Track & Field. Spenner shares the award with Oakland's Brittni Hutton. Spenner set a new school record in winning the long jump (20-02 1/2) last week at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational, besting a mark that had stood for almost eight years. She took first in the high jump with a personal best mark of 5-07 1/2 and was fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.92, also a PR.
Last Week's Action
Spenner's school record in the long jump was not the only school record set last Friday at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational. Amanda Vorthmann broke her own school record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:38.19. She set the previous mark at the Cyclone Holiday Preview on Dec. 7. Kristin Rogers came in fourth with a time of 18:35.66, her new personal best.
In fact, the Mavericks had a parade of first-place finishes and personal bests last week. Ashley Kildow took first in the mile run with a time of 5:11.52, her second personal best in the event this season. Nicole Behm was seventh in the event with a time of 5:25.67, also a new personal best. Maja Mihalinec, competing this season after losing last year to injury, won the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.58. Lauren Psota had a personal best in the 600 meters, posting a time of 1:35.43, good for fourth. Liz Thompson had a new personal best in the weight throw with a mark of 46-06 3/4. Full results of the meet can be found at OMavs.com.
High Marks
Because the Mavericks do not qualify for NCAA championships during their four-year reclassification to Division I, their marks do not appear on the national performance list. However if included, Spenner would rank fifth in the country and is first in the Summit League with her long jump mark of 20-02 1/2 at Nebraska Wesleyan on Jan. 18. Her league-leading triple jump mark of 41-01 3/4 earned at Iowa State on Dec. 7 ranks 14th nationally. In addition, Vorthmann's school record 5,000 meter time of 17:38.19 run at Nebraska Wesleyan would rank 24th in NCAA Division I and is second in the Summit.
In addition, Mihalinec leads the Summit League with her 60 meter dash time of 7.52 set in the prelims on Jan. 18 at NWU. Ashley Kildow (5:11.52) and Vorthmann (5:12.19) are 5-6 in the league in the mile. Vorthmann's time of 10:12.29 in the 3,000 run at Dordt on Jan. 12 ranks fourth. Spenner's 60 meter hurdle time of 8.92 is tied for fourth in the Summit while she's third in the high jump with last week's mark of 5-07 1/4. Kathie-Lee Laidley is fourth at 5-07. The full Summit League performance list is available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
Next weekend, the Mavericks travel to Wichita State to take part in the Varsity Apartments Invite on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and 2.
This Week
The Omaha track & field team will take part in two events this week. Its multi-eventers will compete in the Jack Jennett Invitational at Northern Iowa on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26. The Mavs also will compete in the South Dakota Alumni Meet on Jan. 26.
The Coaches
Steve Smith is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Omaha track & field program. Smith was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Indoor Coach of the Year in 2009 after guiding the Mavericks to the MIAA Indoor Championships and repeated the feat the following year. Overall, Smith has guided the Mavericks to three conference championships and three top-five finishes at the NCAA Division II Championship including a fourth-place finish indoors in 2010.
Smith is assisted by Chris Richardson (jumps and multi-events), who was named the USTFCCCA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2011. Marc Bierbaum is in his third season coaching the distance events in addition to coaching the cross country team.
Athlete of the Week...Again!
For the second week in a row and the third time already this season, junior Sami Spenner has been named the Summit League's Woman Athlete of the Week for Track & Field. Spenner shares the award with Oakland's Brittni Hutton. Spenner set a new school record in winning the long jump (20-02 1/2) last week at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational, besting a mark that had stood for almost eight years. She took first in the high jump with a personal best mark of 5-07 1/2 and was fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.92, also a PR.
Last Week's Action
Spenner's school record in the long jump was not the only school record set last Friday at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational. Amanda Vorthmann broke her own school record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:38.19. She set the previous mark at the Cyclone Holiday Preview on Dec. 7. Kristin Rogers came in fourth with a time of 18:35.66, her new personal best.
In fact, the Mavericks had a parade of first-place finishes and personal bests last week. Ashley Kildow took first in the mile run with a time of 5:11.52, her second personal best in the event this season. Nicole Behm was seventh in the event with a time of 5:25.67, also a new personal best. Maja Mihalinec, competing this season after losing last year to injury, won the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.58. Lauren Psota had a personal best in the 600 meters, posting a time of 1:35.43, good for fourth. Liz Thompson had a new personal best in the weight throw with a mark of 46-06 3/4. Full results of the meet can be found at OMavs.com.
High Marks
Because the Mavericks do not qualify for NCAA championships during their four-year reclassification to Division I, their marks do not appear on the national performance list. However if included, Spenner would rank fifth in the country and is first in the Summit League with her long jump mark of 20-02 1/2 at Nebraska Wesleyan on Jan. 18. Her league-leading triple jump mark of 41-01 3/4 earned at Iowa State on Dec. 7 ranks 14th nationally. In addition, Vorthmann's school record 5,000 meter time of 17:38.19 run at Nebraska Wesleyan would rank 24th in NCAA Division I and is second in the Summit.
In addition, Mihalinec leads the Summit League with her 60 meter dash time of 7.52 set in the prelims on Jan. 18 at NWU. Ashley Kildow (5:11.52) and Vorthmann (5:12.19) are 5-6 in the league in the mile. Vorthmann's time of 10:12.29 in the 3,000 run at Dordt on Jan. 12 ranks fourth. Spenner's 60 meter hurdle time of 8.92 is tied for fourth in the Summit while she's third in the high jump with last week's mark of 5-07 1/4. Kathie-Lee Laidley is fourth at 5-07. The full Summit League performance list is available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
Next weekend, the Mavericks travel to Wichita State to take part in the Varsity Apartments Invite on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and 2.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Distance
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