Mavericks Travel To Drake Relays, Kip Janvrin
Apr 24, 2014 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team will trek east to take part in two meets this week. Some athletes will take part in the Drake Relays on April 25-26 in Des Moines, Iowa while the field athletes and throwers will participate in the Kip Janvrin Invitational in Indianola, Iowa on April 25. Action in Des Moines will start at 8 a.m. on Friday while the Kip Janvrin Invitational will start at 2 p.m. on Friday.
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.
Previous Action
Sami Spenner broke three school records en route to a third-place finish in the heptathlon at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. last week. Spenner broke the school record in the 100 meter hurdles (14.00) and 200 meters (23.54) before breaking the heptathlon record with 6,003 points. Spenner's marks in the high jump (5-07 3/4), shot put (39-04), long jump (20-04 1/4), javelin throw (121-09) and 800 meters (2:11.93) during the heptathlon helped her finish third.
The rest of the Maverick track and field team stayed closer to home, competing in the Doane Relays April 18-19. Multiple Maverick athletes set new personal records, including Kathie-Lee Laidley who led the Mavericks with wins in the 100 meter hurdles (14.46) and long jump (19-05 1/4). Nicole Liske set a new PR in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.49 in the preliminaries before finishing second in the finals with a time of 12.54. The Maverick 4x800 meter relay team consisting of Ashley Kildow, Lauren Psota, Alyssa Thavenet and Katarina Zarudnaya won with a time of 9:20.58 while Zarudnaya finished second in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:42.95.
Where Maverick Athletes Rank in the Summit League
In meets through April 19, many Maverick athletes are tops in the Summit League for individual events. Kristin Rogers ranks fourth in the 10,000 meter run while Spenner ranks second in 200 meters and third in the 100 meters. Katarina Zarudnaya ranks fifth in the 1,500 meters and Terri Armstrong ranks eighth in the 100 meter dash.
The Maverick 4x100 meter relay team ranks third and the 4x400 meter relay team ranks fifth. Lindsey Bruns is sixth in the 10,000 meter run and Spenner is second in the 100 meter hurdles.
In field events, Spenner is first in the heptathlon while Amanda Alexander ranks seventh.
Omaha has three athletes ranked in the top 10 of the long jump as Sami Spenner (1), Laidley (5) and Denneil Shaw (7) all rank in the top 10. The Mavericks also have three of the top 10 triple jump athletes in Spenner (1), Shaw (5) and Jessica Ripp (6). Liz Thompson is sixth in the shot put and eighth in the discus. Omaha has three athletes ranked in the top 10 in the javelin throw as Spenner (5), Macy Woitzel (7) and Alexander (9) have all posted top 10 marks.
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.
Up Next For The Mavericks
Omaha will take part in the Howard Wood Relays hosted by the city of Sioux Falls on May 2-3. The meet will take place at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, S.D. and will start at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 2. Action will resume at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 3.
The Omaha track & field team will trek east to take part in two meets this week. Some athletes will take part in the Drake Relays on April 25-26 in Des Moines, Iowa while the field athletes and throwers will participate in the Kip Janvrin Invitational in Indianola, Iowa on April 25. Action in Des Moines will start at 8 a.m. on Friday while the Kip Janvrin Invitational will start at 2 p.m. on Friday.
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.
Previous Action
Sami Spenner broke three school records en route to a third-place finish in the heptathlon at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. last week. Spenner broke the school record in the 100 meter hurdles (14.00) and 200 meters (23.54) before breaking the heptathlon record with 6,003 points. Spenner's marks in the high jump (5-07 3/4), shot put (39-04), long jump (20-04 1/4), javelin throw (121-09) and 800 meters (2:11.93) during the heptathlon helped her finish third.
The rest of the Maverick track and field team stayed closer to home, competing in the Doane Relays April 18-19. Multiple Maverick athletes set new personal records, including Kathie-Lee Laidley who led the Mavericks with wins in the 100 meter hurdles (14.46) and long jump (19-05 1/4). Nicole Liske set a new PR in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.49 in the preliminaries before finishing second in the finals with a time of 12.54. The Maverick 4x800 meter relay team consisting of Ashley Kildow, Lauren Psota, Alyssa Thavenet and Katarina Zarudnaya won with a time of 9:20.58 while Zarudnaya finished second in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:42.95.
Where Maverick Athletes Rank in the Summit League
In meets through April 19, many Maverick athletes are tops in the Summit League for individual events. Kristin Rogers ranks fourth in the 10,000 meter run while Spenner ranks second in 200 meters and third in the 100 meters. Katarina Zarudnaya ranks fifth in the 1,500 meters and Terri Armstrong ranks eighth in the 100 meter dash.
The Maverick 4x100 meter relay team ranks third and the 4x400 meter relay team ranks fifth. Lindsey Bruns is sixth in the 10,000 meter run and Spenner is second in the 100 meter hurdles.
In field events, Spenner is first in the heptathlon while Amanda Alexander ranks seventh.
Omaha has three athletes ranked in the top 10 of the long jump as Sami Spenner (1), Laidley (5) and Denneil Shaw (7) all rank in the top 10. The Mavericks also have three of the top 10 triple jump athletes in Spenner (1), Shaw (5) and Jessica Ripp (6). Liz Thompson is sixth in the shot put and eighth in the discus. Omaha has three athletes ranked in the top 10 in the javelin throw as Spenner (5), Macy Woitzel (7) and Alexander (9) have all posted top 10 marks.
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.
Up Next For The Mavericks
Omaha will take part in the Howard Wood Relays hosted by the city of Sioux Falls on May 2-3. The meet will take place at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, S.D. and will start at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 2. Action will resume at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 3.
Players Mentioned
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
ATH
/ Cross Country
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Multi-Events
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Multi-Even
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Multi-Events
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & FieldTuesday, September 01
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Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
