Mavericks Return To Action at Wayne State
Mar 27, 2013 | General, Track & Field
Weekly Release
This Week
The Omaha track & field team gets back to competition following a week off, traveling in-state to the Wildcat Classic at Wayne State. The Mavericks will compete on Saturday, March 30 beginning at 11 a.m.
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.
Outdoor Season Opener
The Mavericks kicked off the outdoor season at the Tulsa Duels on March 16. Amanda Vorthmann picked up UNO's lone first-place finish of the day, winning the 3,000 meters in a personal best time of 10:03.11. MiKayla Peck was eighth at 10:47.80. Katarina Zarudnaya was second in the 800 meters in a time of 2:14.91. In the mile, Ashley Kildow set a new PR with a time of 4:52.49, good for sixth place.
Nicole Behm finished in the top eight in two different races. She was fourth in the 2,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 7:20.52. Teammate Karo Garcia was seventh 8:03.54. Behm also finished fifth in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best time of 1:08.51. Madeline Glesinger was right behind in sixth with a time of 1:08.90. Lauren Psota took sixth in the 400 meters in a time of 58.95.
In the field events, Liz Thompson threw a personal best in the shot put with a mark of 39-10 ½, good for fifth place. Laidley was fifth in the long jump, the event in which she owns the school record outdoors, in a distance of 19-05 ½.
Teamwork
One year after not fielding a relay team in either the 4 x 100 meters or the 4 x 400 meters, the Mavericks put teams in motion in both events in the outdoor season opener at Tulsa. UNO hastily assembled a 4 x 100 meter relay team and practiced baton handoffs 15 minutes prior to the race.
Then, the quartet of Terri Armstrong, Sami Spenner, Kathie-Lee Laidley and Maja Mihalinec finished second with a time of 46.62, a time that ranks eighth all-time in school history. UNO's 4 x 400 meter relay team of Armstrong, Vorthmann, Zarudnaya and Psota took third with a time of 4:00.86.
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. In the Summit League, several Mavericks do rank in the top eight in the league. UNO has the league's best 4 x 100 meter relay time and its third-best 4 x 400 meter relay time. Armstrong ranks second in the 100 meters while Zarudnaya is second in the 800. Martin is sixth in the 800 while Michelle Gatewood is eighth (2:31.03). Kildow's 1,500 meter time is fifth. Behm and Glesinger are 6-7 in the 400 meter hurdles. Psota's time in the 400 is eighth. Laidley is second in the long jump. The full Summit League outdoor performance list is available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks will head north to compete in the Dakota Duals hosted by South Dakota State in Yankton, S.D. on Saturday, April 6 at 11 a.m.
This Week
The Omaha track & field team gets back to competition following a week off, traveling in-state to the Wildcat Classic at Wayne State. The Mavericks will compete on Saturday, March 30 beginning at 11 a.m.
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.
Outdoor Season Opener
The Mavericks kicked off the outdoor season at the Tulsa Duels on March 16. Amanda Vorthmann picked up UNO's lone first-place finish of the day, winning the 3,000 meters in a personal best time of 10:03.11. MiKayla Peck was eighth at 10:47.80. Katarina Zarudnaya was second in the 800 meters in a time of 2:14.91. In the mile, Ashley Kildow set a new PR with a time of 4:52.49, good for sixth place.
Nicole Behm finished in the top eight in two different races. She was fourth in the 2,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 7:20.52. Teammate Karo Garcia was seventh 8:03.54. Behm also finished fifth in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best time of 1:08.51. Madeline Glesinger was right behind in sixth with a time of 1:08.90. Lauren Psota took sixth in the 400 meters in a time of 58.95.
In the field events, Liz Thompson threw a personal best in the shot put with a mark of 39-10 ½, good for fifth place. Laidley was fifth in the long jump, the event in which she owns the school record outdoors, in a distance of 19-05 ½.
Teamwork
One year after not fielding a relay team in either the 4 x 100 meters or the 4 x 400 meters, the Mavericks put teams in motion in both events in the outdoor season opener at Tulsa. UNO hastily assembled a 4 x 100 meter relay team and practiced baton handoffs 15 minutes prior to the race.
Then, the quartet of Terri Armstrong, Sami Spenner, Kathie-Lee Laidley and Maja Mihalinec finished second with a time of 46.62, a time that ranks eighth all-time in school history. UNO's 4 x 400 meter relay team of Armstrong, Vorthmann, Zarudnaya and Psota took third with a time of 4:00.86.
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. In the Summit League, several Mavericks do rank in the top eight in the league. UNO has the league's best 4 x 100 meter relay time and its third-best 4 x 400 meter relay time. Armstrong ranks second in the 100 meters while Zarudnaya is second in the 800. Martin is sixth in the 800 while Michelle Gatewood is eighth (2:31.03). Kildow's 1,500 meter time is fifth. Behm and Glesinger are 6-7 in the 400 meter hurdles. Psota's time in the 400 is eighth. Laidley is second in the long jump. The full Summit League outdoor performance list is available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks will head north to compete in the Dakota Duals hosted by South Dakota State in Yankton, S.D. on Saturday, April 6 at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & FieldTuesday, September 01
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Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
