Huskers Capture Women's Wildcat Invitational
Jan 18, 2003 | Track & Field
Jan. 18, 2003
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Shelley-Ann Brown of Nebraska scored a double-victory in both the 60-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles to lead Nebraska to the team victory on Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational women's indoor track and field meet held at Ahearn Field House.
The Cornhuskers finished with 137 points, with host Kansas State in second with 117 and Wyoming in third at 69.
For Kansas State, junior Rebekah Green dominated an outstanding field to win the shot put, smashing personal, school and meet records in the process. In a field that had the top four finishers each hit NCAA provisional-qualifying marks, Green won at 56 feet, 8 inches, beating the field by 5 feet, 7 inches.
Green's mark was 11 inches past the previous school record of 55-9, set by Austra Skujyte at last year's NCAA Indoor Nationals. Green's previous career best indoors was 54-3.25 set last season. Green's effort was also a meet record, beating the mark of 54-11.25 set by Nebraska's Tressa Thompson in 1997.
Nebraska won 10 of the 17 events contested in the meet, which included the pentathlon held Friday.
Brown hit and missed meet records by 0.01 seconds in the sprint events. She missed the record in the hurdles, winning in 8.51 seconds. She came back and got her meet record just minutes later by winning the 60-meter dash at 7.54.
Amy Mortimer of Kansas State opened her indoor season with a victory in the 800 meters. Mortimer finished in 2:13.58, beating the rest of the field by six seconds. Other Wildcat individual winners were Trish Culbertson (5:16.87 in the mile) and Morgan High (5-9.75 in the high jump).
This meet was a lot like yesterday, said K-State head coach Cliff Rovelto, referring to the men's second-place finish Friday in the Wildcat Invitational. The field events were really good, and on the track we have a way to go.
Rebekah's mark in the shot was really good. That's the caliber of athlete that she is. We're not really surprised and we think she will be able to continue to throw at that level.
In the second day of the Wildcat Heptathlon for men, Clifford Caines lost the lead he had at the end of the first day, then regained it in the final event to win the two-day competition. Caines, representing the Winnipeg Optimists, finished with 5,271 points, winning over former K-Stater Pat Pyle, who finished with 5,206.
Caines outscored Pyle by 158 points by winning the 1,000 meters in 2:41.08 and moving back into first place. Pyle opened the second day of the seven-event competition by winning the 60-meter hurdles in 8.60. Pyle, Casey Thom of Nebraska and Erik Sienty each cleared 13-11.25 in the pole vault to win that event.
Kansas State next competes in a triangular meet at Kansas with Missouri next Friday. The Wildcats' next home event is on Feb. 15 when they host the Wildcat Power Classic.
MEET NOTES
? Former Wildcat Vanitta Kinard broke her own meet record in the triple jump by winning in 44 feet, 0.75 inches. Her old mark of 43-3.75 was set in 1998. Kinard, who competes for Nike, is now on the K-State staff as the director of track & field operations.
? Sophomore JaNelle Wright moved into sixth place on K-State's all-time list in the 60-meter hurdles. Wright finished third in 8.91 seconds, the best mark of her career.
??Samantha Murillo set the best time of the season by a Wildcat in the 400 meters, finishing second in 57.45. Murrillo led a 2-3-4 finish by K-State.
? Christi Lehman and Alissa Koerner of Nebraska tied for the win in the pole vault, each matching the meet record of 12-1.50 set in 1999 by Erin Anderson of Kansas State. Wildcat freshman Annika Haedt went 11-7.75 to finish fourth in the best mark of a season by a Wildcat thus far.
? Morgan High and JaNelle Wright finished 1-2 in the high jump for Kansas State. Both cleared 5-9.75, but High cleared on her first attempt and Wright made the mark on her second. They were the only two athletes to clear that mark.
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