Mavs Back in Action This Weekend
Jan 15, 2014 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team resumes its 2013-14 season at the Holiday Inn Invitational on Friday, Jan. 17 in Lincoln, Neb. The meet begins at 4 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center and resumes on Saturday at noon.
The Coaches
Chris Richardson is in his eighth season with the Omaha track & field program, his first as its head coach after seven seasons as an assistant. Richardson helped guide the Mavericks through some of their most successful years including three conference championships and three top-five NCAA finishes. The highlight of that stretch included a fourth-place finish at the 2010 indoor championship prior to the Mavericks' reclassification to Division I. In 2011, he was named the USTFCCCA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
Richardson is assisted by Marc Bierbaum and Ryan Finley. Bierbaum is in his fourth season coaching the distance events in addition to coaching the cross country team. Finley is in his first season, coaching both sprints and jumps.
Pre-Season Picks
The Mavericks were picked to finish third in this year's Summit League Indoor Championship in the annual pre-season poll of the league's coaches. The Mavericks earned 26 points in the voting, ranking behind six-time defending champion North Dakota State (35 points/five first-place votes) and South Dakota (32/2), the team they edged by four points for last year's runner up finish. South Dakota State (21), Western Illinois (16), Fort Wayne (9) and IUPUI (8) rounded out the poll.
Outstanding in a Crowd
Sami Spenner was a clear standout for the Mavericks during the last indoor season, accounting for 40 points at the Summit League championship while winning the pentathlon, long jump and triple jump and competing in two other individual events and both relays. The Mavericks were a surprise runner-up in the indoor championship after being picked seventh in the pre-season poll. She was named the Summit League's Field Athlete of the Year, its Field Championship MVP and a member of the Summit's Academic All-League Team. Spenner also won the league's field athlete of the week honor a record six times. She twice set the school record in the pentathlon and the long jump and tied her long jump mark later in the season. Between indoor and outdoor track, she owns five school records.
Not The Only Weapon
Spenner will not be the only Maverick who is a threat to score at this year's Summit League Championship. Three other seniors look to build on their impressive resumes before graduation.
Kathie-Lee Laidley finished second in the Summit in the long jump last season and tied for second in the high jump. She owns the school record in the high jump at 1.78 (5-10).
Denneil Shaw will challenge for points at the league championship in the triple jump after
placing second in the league championship a year ago with a personal best of 38-07, finishing behind Spenner.
Katarina Zarudnaya will be among the league's elite in the short distance events after taking third in the 800 meters at last year's league championship.
The Mavericks also will count on junior Lauren Psota for continued improvement. She finished eighth in the Summit League in the 800 meters at last year's indoor championship and followed that with a runner-up finish in the event at the outdoor championship.
The Mavericks will look for other athletes to provide depth following the graduation of seniors Maja Mihalinec (Summit Champion in the 60 m, runner up in the 200 m) and Amanda Vorthmann (school records in the 3,000 m and 5,000 m).
Up Next For The Mavericks
The Mavericks head to Lincoln for the second straight weekend to compete in the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational on Friday January 24th. Action from the Bob Devaney Sports Center will start at 11:30 a.m.
