Mavericks Open Outdoor Season at Tulsa Duels
Mar 20, 2014 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team will open its 2014 outdoor season at the Tulsa Duels in Tulsa, Okla. The meet will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. with the hammer throw and javelin before resuming on Saturday at 9 a.m. The hammer throw will be completed at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. with the rest of the meet taking place at the Hurricane Track Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.
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 Outdoor Championship in the annual pre-season poll of the league's coaches. The Mavericks earned 24 points in the voting, ranking behind six-time defending champion North Dakota State (35 points/five first-place votes) and South Dakota (32/2). South Dakota State (23), Western Illinois (16), Fort Wayne (11) and IUPUI (6) rounded out the poll.
Spenner Named to Bowerman Watch List
Sami Spenner was named to the pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Bowerman Award watch list following her performance at the Summit League Indoor Championships. During the 2013-14 indoor season, Spenner was named National Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA on two separate occasions (Feb. 3, March 3) in addition to being named the Summit League Athlete of the Month for the months of January and February. Spenner set the school record in the pentathlon (4,498), long jump (20-09 3/4) and the 60 meter hurdles (8.52) and accounted for 60 of the Mavericks 109 points at the Summit League Indoor Championships. At the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque,
N.M., Spenner finished runner-up in the pentathlon with 4,498 points, breaking the American collegiate record. It is the sixth best score all-time for a collegiate athlete. The annual award is given to the top male and female collegiate track athlete each year.
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 fourth in the league championship a year ago with a jump of 38-00 1/4.
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 runner-up in the Summit League in the 800 meters at last year's championship and was named to the Summit League All-League team.
Newcomers Payton Horacek and Amanda Conlin will both look to make contributions this season as Horacek finished eighth in the Summit League Indoor Championships in the 60 meter dash (8.04) and long jump (17-09 3/4) while Conlin finished ninth in the shot put (42-01 1/2).
Up Next For The Mavericks
The Mavericks have a week off before travelling to Yankton, S.D. to compete in the Dakota Duals April 4-5. A start time for the meet is yet to be announced.
The Omaha track & field team will open its 2014 outdoor season at the Tulsa Duels in Tulsa, Okla. The meet will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. with the hammer throw and javelin before resuming on Saturday at 9 a.m. The hammer throw will be completed at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. with the rest of the meet taking place at the Hurricane Track Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.
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 Outdoor Championship in the annual pre-season poll of the league's coaches. The Mavericks earned 24 points in the voting, ranking behind six-time defending champion North Dakota State (35 points/five first-place votes) and South Dakota (32/2). South Dakota State (23), Western Illinois (16), Fort Wayne (11) and IUPUI (6) rounded out the poll.
Spenner Named to Bowerman Watch List
Sami Spenner was named to the pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Bowerman Award watch list following her performance at the Summit League Indoor Championships. During the 2013-14 indoor season, Spenner was named National Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA on two separate occasions (Feb. 3, March 3) in addition to being named the Summit League Athlete of the Month for the months of January and February. Spenner set the school record in the pentathlon (4,498), long jump (20-09 3/4) and the 60 meter hurdles (8.52) and accounted for 60 of the Mavericks 109 points at the Summit League Indoor Championships. At the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque,
N.M., Spenner finished runner-up in the pentathlon with 4,498 points, breaking the American collegiate record. It is the sixth best score all-time for a collegiate athlete. The annual award is given to the top male and female collegiate track athlete each year.
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 fourth in the league championship a year ago with a jump of 38-00 1/4.
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 runner-up in the Summit League in the 800 meters at last year's championship and was named to the Summit League All-League team.
Newcomers Payton Horacek and Amanda Conlin will both look to make contributions this season as Horacek finished eighth in the Summit League Indoor Championships in the 60 meter dash (8.04) and long jump (17-09 3/4) while Conlin finished ninth in the shot put (42-01 1/2).
Up Next For The Mavericks
The Mavericks have a week off before travelling to Yankton, S.D. to compete in the Dakota Duals April 4-5. A start time for the meet is yet to be announced.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & FieldTuesday, September 01
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Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
