Mavericks Visit South Dakota This Week
Feb 6, 2014 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team will travel to Vermillion, South Dakota to take part in the Dakota Realty Alumni Meet. The meet begins at 11:30 a.m. from the Dakota Dome.
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 3rd Worldwide
After last week's performance at the Jack Jennett Invitational, senior Sami Spenner now ranks third worldwide in the pentathlon. Spenner won all five events scored towards the pentathlon, including a new school record in the long jump. The 2014 rankings released by iaaf.org list Spenner's score of 4,406 only 2 points behind second place and more than 100 points ahead of the next competitor. Spenner's score ranks sixth all-time as a collegian athlete and third all-time for American Collegian athletes.
Last Week's Action
At the Jack Jennett Invitational last weekend, Sami Spenner set two new school records on her way to winning all six events she competed in. Spenner crushed her previous school record of 4,271 points in the pentathlon by finishing with 4,406 points, which currently ranks third in the world and sixth all time as a collegiate.
In the process, Spenner set a new school record in the long jump with a leap of 20-09, and set new PR's in the high jump (5-08), shot put (41-04 1/4), and 60 meter hurdles (8.62).
Kathie-Lee Laidley won the non-pentathlon long jump with a leap of 19-03 1/2, while teammates Denneil Shaw (3) Payton Horacek (5), and Nicole Liske (7) all finished in the top eight.
On Saturday, Spenner continued her dominance by winning the triple jump with a leap of 40-06 1/4, with Shaw jumping 36-07, finishing fourth.
Ashley Kildow finished third in the mile run with a time of 5:14.28 in her only event of the day while Alyssa Thavanet just missed out on a top eight finish in the 3,000 meter run, finishing ninth with a time of 2:22.50.
Other notable performances included: Laidley qualifying and finishing sixth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.17, and Amanda Conlin coming in seventh in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet.
Where Maverick Athletes Rank In The Summit League
In meets through Feb. 1, 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 sixth in the 60 meter dash, and Zarudnaya ranks third 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) . They also have two runners ranked in the top eight for the 5,000 meter run with Lindsey Bruns and Kristin Rogers.
In field events, Spenner ranks first in both long jump and triple jump with Laidley second in the long jump. Maverick triple jumpers hold four of the top eight spots in the conference as Spenner (1), Denneil Shaw (5), Nicole Liske (6) and Jessica Ripp (8) all rank in the top eight standings. Spenner is third in the high jump and now ranks first overall in the Summit in the pentathlon.
Up Next For The Mavericks
Next weekend, the Mavericks are in Ames, Iowa to compete in the Iowa State Classic on Friday, Feb. 14-15. Competition from the Leid Recreation Athletic Center will start at 11 a.m. on both days.
The Omaha track & field team will travel to Vermillion, South Dakota to take part in the Dakota Realty Alumni Meet. The meet begins at 11:30 a.m. from the Dakota Dome.
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 3rd Worldwide
After last week's performance at the Jack Jennett Invitational, senior Sami Spenner now ranks third worldwide in the pentathlon. Spenner won all five events scored towards the pentathlon, including a new school record in the long jump. The 2014 rankings released by iaaf.org list Spenner's score of 4,406 only 2 points behind second place and more than 100 points ahead of the next competitor. Spenner's score ranks sixth all-time as a collegian athlete and third all-time for American Collegian athletes.
Last Week's Action
At the Jack Jennett Invitational last weekend, Sami Spenner set two new school records on her way to winning all six events she competed in. Spenner crushed her previous school record of 4,271 points in the pentathlon by finishing with 4,406 points, which currently ranks third in the world and sixth all time as a collegiate.
In the process, Spenner set a new school record in the long jump with a leap of 20-09, and set new PR's in the high jump (5-08), shot put (41-04 1/4), and 60 meter hurdles (8.62).
Kathie-Lee Laidley won the non-pentathlon long jump with a leap of 19-03 1/2, while teammates Denneil Shaw (3) Payton Horacek (5), and Nicole Liske (7) all finished in the top eight.
On Saturday, Spenner continued her dominance by winning the triple jump with a leap of 40-06 1/4, with Shaw jumping 36-07, finishing fourth.
Ashley Kildow finished third in the mile run with a time of 5:14.28 in her only event of the day while Alyssa Thavanet just missed out on a top eight finish in the 3,000 meter run, finishing ninth with a time of 2:22.50.
Other notable performances included: Laidley qualifying and finishing sixth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.17, and Amanda Conlin coming in seventh in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet.
Where Maverick Athletes Rank In The Summit League
In meets through Feb. 1, 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 sixth in the 60 meter dash, and Zarudnaya ranks third 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) . They also have two runners ranked in the top eight for the 5,000 meter run with Lindsey Bruns and Kristin Rogers.
In field events, Spenner ranks first in both long jump and triple jump with Laidley second in the long jump. Maverick triple jumpers hold four of the top eight spots in the conference as Spenner (1), Denneil Shaw (5), Nicole Liske (6) and Jessica Ripp (8) all rank in the top eight standings. Spenner is third in the high jump and now ranks first overall in the Summit in the pentathlon.
Up Next For The Mavericks
Next weekend, the Mavericks are in Ames, Iowa to compete in the Iowa State Classic on Friday, Feb. 14-15. Competition from the Leid Recreation Athletic Center will start at 11 a.m. on both days.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
ATH
/ Cross Country
Throws
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Multi-Events
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & FieldWednesday, August 26
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Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
