Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney track and field team racked up the All-American honors (seven) on the first day of the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Pittsburg, Kan.
The two-day meet is being hosted by MIAA-member Pittsburg State and runs until Saturday night. Individuals finishing one trough eight are first-team AA’s with places 9-12 garnering second-team accolades. In relays, one through eight is first-team with ninth and 10th being second-team picks.
First, Stamford sophomore Brianna Russell tied for fourth in the women’s high jump by clearing 5-7.75. She got past 5-3.75, 5-5.75 and 5-7.75 on her first attempts before bowing out at 5-8.75. Her career best is a 5-8. Russell joins Abby and Emily Everitt as recent UNK women’s high jump All-Americans (indoors or outdoors) with her fourth-place effort the highest since Lesley Crutcher won the national title in 2006. Juliane French of Texas-Tyler also went 5-7.75 with Pitt State’s Erica Schamel (5-10) winning the national title on her final attempt.
Next, Giltner graduate Alex Goracke had a top toss of 64-3 to be 12th in the weight throw. The heave came on his second attempt with his other two efforts being fouls. The MIAA went one and two here as Missouri Southern’s Peyton Barton (74-6.50) led with Washburn’s Braden Rose next (72-2.25). This is Goracke’s first AA honor and the Lopers first weight throw AA since Derek Frese in 2005.
In the 800-prelims, Fremont senior Wes Ferguson won the third heat (1:51.45) and will be an eight-time All-American. That ties the men’s school-record, set by current throws coach Dane Tobey. Ferguson ranks sixth overall with Lake Erie’s Harry-Ross Hughes the leader (1:5011). Also in this event, Cortland junior Zach Van Brocklin finished 15th overall and fourth in the second heat (1:52.90).
He also ran on the distance medley relay team that rallied on the final leg to finish ninth (9:54.41). The Lopers were 12th over the first three legs but David City junior Payton Davis ran a strong anchor leg to help UNK earn AA accolades in the is event for a third straight year. Adams State won the national title going away (9:37.94).
Van Brocklin was the lead with Sidney sophomore Mitchell Deer and Hastings redshirt sophomore Landon Eckhardt replacing Ferguson and Gothenburg senior Micah Swedberg on the qualifying foursome. Swedberg is battling an ailment while today’s race was the first for Ferguson since Feb. 9. He was runner up in the 800 last year after winning the national title in 2022.
