Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney track & field team had 28 top three finishes, including 10 1st place efforts, at the Scott Nisely Memorial Track Classic Saturday at Doane College in Crete.

The non-team scoring meet included athletes from the host Doane Tigers, Hastings, Nebraska Wesleyan, Concordia, Midland Lutheran, York and Tabor College.

Leading the way were senior Sam Murphy (Franklin) and junior Jessie Golden (Sidney). Murphy won the shot put with a season-best throw of 46-2 with Golden finishing runner up in the 55 hurdles in a time of 8.37. That converts to an 8.94 for the 60 hurdles which tops Golden's previous best time of 8.99.

Golden now ranks 15th nationally with Murphy ninth in the shot.

Also winning on the women's side were freshmen Karley Piper (800 meters/2:20.08) and sophomore Amy Long (mile/5:18.47) and the 4 x 400 relay team (4:03.86). That foursome consisted of Piper (Lincoln Southeast), sophomores Erica Pirog (Imperial) and Kylie Hauer (Merino, Colo.) and freshman Shelby Hamilton (Broken Bow).

Finally for the Loper women, runners up included Sargent senior Tracie Chanady (weight throw/54-2.50), Pirog (400/1:0085) and Dickens sophomore Brooke Harris (800/2:22.68).

The UNK men won three field events; York senior Spencer Huff in the long jump (23-6.75), Kearney redshirt freshman Marty Molina in the triple jump (48-2.75) and Waco senior Dane Tobey in the shot put (59-7.50).

On the track, Grand Island sophomore Brandon Wissing (4:24.74) and Bayard sophomore Nick Kizzire (4:27.43) went 1-2 in the mile with Syracuse junior Thomas Neeman placing 1st at 3,000 meters (8:53.95).

And like the women's 4 x 400 relay team, the Loper men's squad was the fastest as well.  Sophomores Alex Paul (Gothenburg) and D.J. Hurst (Doniphan) and freshmen Scott Nannen (York) and Cornell Leffler (Lincoln Southeast) came in at 3:26.90, almost seven seconds ahead of the runners up.

UNK will be in Lincoln next weekend and will also send some athletes to the Chadron State Open as well.