Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney track & field team had 33 top four finishes at its
own indoor invitational and recorded some more top times at the
Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational Saturday in Cushing Coliseum in Lincoln.
A rare scored home meet, both the men (137 points) and women (161 points) "won" the UNK Indoor Invitational. Other schools with student-athletes in attendance were Fort Hays State, Hastings College, Pratt C.C. (Kan.), Northwest Tech (Kan.) and Nebraska Wesleyan.
To start the day, California senior
Bevan Wemhoff won the heptathlon by scoring 4,907 points. Provisionally qualifying Friday night in the high jump (6-8.25), this career-high point total also places him on the national list.
Next, Texas senior
Preston Foley won the 60 meter dash in a career-low 6.93, which ties him for sixth on
Brooke Frederick
UNK's all-time list. Right behind him was graduate assistant coach
Quinton Harley (6.99) and Bellevue senior
Enrique Alvarez (7.01).
Also winning on the men's side was Fairfield junior
Bailey Stapleman in the pole vault (15-9.25), Scottsbluff senior
Tayler James in the 800 (2:05.07) and Omaha junior
Thomas Stopak in the long jump (22-5.25). Not surprisingly, current assistant coach and eight-time All-American
Dane Tobey led the pack in the shot put (53-5).
Finally, Elm Creek sophomore
Jacob Bartling tossed the shot 51-7.75 to place second, one of four Lopers to do so on the day.
Crofton senior
Dani Riesberg was a double winner as she turned in a 26.89 in the 200 meter dash and ran anchor for the winning 4x4 relay team (4:10.35). Competing unattached, Utica junior
Mackenzie Crowder led the way in the shot (46-4.25).
The other women's winners were Hershey senior
Brooke Frederick in the pole vault (12-3.50), O'Neill junior
Emily Everitt in the high jump (5-4.50) and Holdrege junior
Julianna Burr in the 60 hurdles (9.37). Frederick's effort was just shy of her school record (12-4.75) and places her in the top 10 nationally at the moment.
Also, Kansas junior
Abagayle Spilinek provisional qualified in the weight throw with a career-best toss of 54-2, good for a runner up finish. The heave also ranks eighth best in UNK lore. In the shot, Lincoln sophomore
Emily Rohrer provisionally qualified thanks to a toss of 44-7.50.
At UNL, three Lopers ran in the men's 3,000, led by Rushville senior
Cole Wellnitz (5th/8:22.83) and Fremont
Trevor Wiegert (21st/8:34.11). Wellnitz's time is second fastest in school history and provisionally qualifies him while Wiegert moves up to eighth on the UNK top 10.
Finally, Kearney senior
Cody Wirth ran a season-low 1:54.23 to finish 10th in the 800 meter run.
UNK heads to South Dakota State next weekend.