Mavericks Travel to Northern Iowa This Weekend
Jan 28, 2015 | Track & Field
This Week
The Omaha track & field team is back in action this week at the Jack Jennet Invitational hosted by Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Jan. 30-31 with both days beginning at 11 a.m. The meet will take place at the UNI Dome.
The Coaches
Chris Richardson is in his ninth season with the Omaha track & field program, his second 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 fifth season coaching the distance events in addition to coaching the cross country team. Finley is in his second season, coaching both sprints and jumps. Cliff Cisar and former UNO standout and multiple record holder Sami Spenner are volunteer assistant coaches.
The Previous Meet
Senior Ashley Kildow ran the third-best mile time in school history at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational at South Dakota State on Jan. 24.
Kildow's time of 4:58.99 puts her a little more than two seconds behind Amanda Vorthmann who ran the Mavericks' second-best time back in 2013. The time came one week after she ran UNO's second-best time in the 3,000 meters.
UNO's freshmen were among the other notable performances at the event. Maddie Buller took second in the rarely-run 300 meter hurdles, finishing in a time of 44.84.
In the field events, Stephanie Ahrens was second in the high jump with a mark of 5-06 ½ while teammate Taryn Derickson finished in a seven-way tie for fourth with a leap of 5-02 ½.
In the triple jump, Noni Henderson had a new season-best in the triple jump with a leap of 35-10.
Mavericks Ranking in the Summit League
In meets through Jan. 27, the Mavericks are ranked in eight different events.
In the 60 meters, senior Terri Armstrong holds eighth place (7.87).
Ashley Kildow is sixth in the mile run (4:58.99) and third in the 3,000 meter run (9:55.57). In the 5,000 meter run, junior Karo Garcia ranks fifth (18:59.10).
For the relays, the Maverick 4X400 team is sixth (4:00.32), and the distance medley is second (12:44.02).
The high jump has three Mavs in the rankings. Stephanie Ahrens holds the second-place spot (5'10 3/4'') while Taryn Derickson and Emily Everitt are tied for fourth place (5' 4 1/2'').
Ahrens is also ranked eighth in the triple jump (36' 2 1/4'').
The “Last” Season
This is the final season for Omaha track & field in its four-year reclassification from Division II to Division I. The Mavericks, who have never finished lower than fourth in the Summit League indoor or outdoor championships, are eligible for NCAA competition beginning with the 2015-16 season.
Up Next For The Mavericks
On Feb. 7, the Mavericks will compete in the USD Alumni meet in Vermillion, S.D. The event will begin at noon at the Dakota Dome.
