July 10, 2003

Trio Leads Track at KU

Day Two of Kansas Relays

            Kearney, NE – Senior Clark Spanel, junior Kate Semin and freshman Sara Wagner were the standout performers for the Nebraska-Kearney track team on day two of the Kansas Relays in Lawrence.

            Both Spanel and Wagner provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the long jump while Semin ran one of the fastest 400-meter dashes in school history.

            A Bellwood native, Semin qualified for the 400 finals tomorrow by running a blistering 54.98 in the prelims, good for fifth place in a field of 25 runners. Not only was the time the third fastest in Division II this year but it also is the second fastest time in school history.

            Danis Gerdes ran a 54.60 way back in 1977 to set the school record. Lileith Simms of Lincoln (Mo.) turned in a 54.30 today to win the prelims and now has the best time in D2 this spring. 

            In the long jump, Wagner (Culberston) finished 10^th in a field of 35 competitors with a leap of 18-04.25. Unattached Austra Skyute won the event with a super jump of 20-04.25.

            On the men's side, Spanel (Grand Island) had a top jump of 23-8 to finish eighth in a field of 30. He is the 10^th different Loper (five men, five women) to provisionally qualify so far this year.

            Lexington senior John Laux also competed in the event but fouled. Unattached Deandre Free won the long jump with a leap of 25-4.50.

            Also for the Lopers, senior Nate Wheat (Lakin, Kans.) and freshman Chase Beideck (Kearney) had top 10 finishes in the shot put. Wheat was fifth (55-6.25) with Beideck eighth (53-3.50). Kansas freshman Gavin Ball had the event's top throw at 59-9.50.

            Bertrand junior Mike Ford was 18^th in the pole vault (15-5) while Ansley senior Derek Bailey and Brady sophomore Craig O'Dell ran in the 400 hurdles. While they had top 20 finishes, neither Bailey (11^th/54.01) or O'Dell (16^th/55.42) qualified for the event finals tomorrow. 

            Springfield junior Denise Kolar also ran in the 400 meter hurdles, placing 17^th (1:05.93) in the prelims.