Mavericks End Season at Summit Championship
Feb 26, 2014 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team finishes their 2013-14 indoor season at the Summit League Indoor Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind. Competition from the IPFW Athletics Center Fieldhouse will start at 9:30 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
The Coaches
Chris Richardson is in his eighth season with the Omaha track & field program, his first as 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.
Spenner Ranks 7th Worldwide
After her performance at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 21, senior Sami Spenner ranks seventh worldwide in the pentathlon. Spenner broke the school record in the 60 meter hurdles (8.52) and long jump (20-09 3/4) on her way to setting the highest ever score by an American collegian. The 2014 rankings released by iaaf.org list Spenner's score of 4,498 the second best score put up by an American athlete, and more than 100 points ahead of the next collegiate athlete. Spenner's score ranks sixth all-time as a collegiate athlete ranking behind four Oregon athletes and an Arkansas athlete.
Last Week's Action
Sami Spenner finished runner-up in the pentathlon at the USA Indoor Track and Field Champonships in Albuquerque, N.M. with 4,498 points. Spenner won the long jump with a school record breaking leap of 20-09 3/4, while also breaking the school record in the 60 meter hurdles (8.52) and pentathlon. (4,498). She finished runner up in the pentathlon to current Olympian Sharon Day-Monroe, while posting the top collegiate score and breaking the American collegiate record.
Maverick distance runners took part in the Nebraska Tune-Up, highlighted by Kristin Rogers setting a new PR in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 18:14.51, finishing second. Katarina Zarudnaya finished second and set a new PR in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:10.40, while both Alyssa Thavenet (2:16.84) and Jackie Mezick (2:27.46) both set PR's in the event.
The rest of the Mavericks were in Vermillion, S.D. to compete in the USD Open, where Nicole Liske finished second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.02. Megan Adams set a new PR in the weight throw with a toss of 43-09, and Denneil Shaw finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 37-08.Where Maverick Athletes Rank In The Summit League
In meets through Feb. 21, many Maverick athletes are tops in the Summit League for individual events. Sami Spenner ranks first in the 60 meter dash while Katarina Zarudnaya ranks second in the 800 meter run. Terri Armstrong ranks eighth in the 60 meter dash, and Zarudnaya ranks fourth in the mile.
The Mavericks hold two of the top three spots in the 60 meter hurdles with Spenner (1) and Kathie-Lee Laidley (3) . The Mavs also have the top distance medley relay time posted earlier this year by the team of Ashley Kildow, Spenner, Lauren Psota and Zarudnaya.
In field events, Spenner ranks first in both long jump and triple jump with Laidley second in the long jump. Maverick triple jumpers hold three of the top eight spots in the conference with Spenner (1), Denneil Shaw (5) and Nicole Liske (8). Spenner is third in the high jump and ranks first overall in the Summit in the pentathlon.
Up Next For The Mavericks
The Mavs will have three weeks off before starting their 2014 outdoor season at the Tulsa Duals in Tulsa, Okla. A start time has yet to be announced.
