Nebraska track and field junior George Kusche broke his own mile school record to highlight the second day of action at the SPIRE Big Ten Invitational on Saturday. The Huskers were split between the meet at the SPIRE Institute and the Hawkeye B1G Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa. 

Kusche won the mile race with a time of 3:57.74 on the oversized track at the SPIRE Institute. It was his third-career sub-four-minute mile and topped his previous school record of 3:57.93, set on Feb. 1, 2020 in Seattle. 

"It was a very good race today and I ran well and came away with a new personal best, which I'm pleased with," Kusche said. "The season is off to a good start so far and I'm going to keep working hard to get ready for the upcoming conference meet."

Kusche, who won the Big Ten cross country title two weeks ago, wasn't the only distance runner to shine on Saturday. Junior Dais Malebana - who already owns the third-fastest 5,000 meters in school history - ran the third-fastest 3,000 meters in school history on any size of track on Saturday. Malebana's time of 8:00.46 put him at second in the event on the day and ranks only behind Kusche (7:50.93) and David Adams (7:58.62) in NU indoor history. 

Meanwhile in Iowa City, Burger Lambrechts Jr. was the shot put champion at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with a throw of 64-4 (19.61m), his best of the season so far. Kevin Shubert took third place for the Huskers at 60-8 1/2 (18.50m). 

Ieva Turke and the Husker women dominated the triple jump at Iowa. Turke jumped 41-11 1/4 (12.78m) to lead four Huskers in the top seven. Ashley McElmurry was the runner-up at 40-1 1/2 (12.23m), an indoor personal best, and Darby Thomas was sixth with a mark of 39-3 1/4 (11.97m), another indoor PR. Zionn Pearson placed seventh at 39-0 1/2 (11.90m). For the men in the triple jump, Terrol Wilson took second place with a new indoor personal best, 51-0 3/4 (15.56m). Passmore Mudundulu also set an indoor PR, 47-9 1/4 (14.56m), to finish fifth. Micaylon Moore was sixth at 47-8 (14.53m), also an indoor personal best. 

Papay Glaywulu was the triple jump runner-up at the SPIRE Big Ten Invitational with a jump of 51-9 3/4 (15.79m). On the track, the men's 4x400-meter relay of Tony Nou, Alex Nelson, Cory Berg and Bryce Barrett finished fourth in Ohio with a time of 3:14.35.

Emma Bresser (1:35.55) placed fifth in the 600 meters, and Emma Algarin (24.79) finished eighth in the 200 meters at Iowa. Garrison Hughes placed sixth in the pole vault at 16-6 3/4 (5.05m), while Tyler Loontjer was the runner-up competing unattached, clearing 17-4 1/2 (5.30m). 

Zach Morrison recorded an eighth-place finish in the weight throw with a new personal best of 61-9 1/2 (18.83m). Maddie Harris threw a personal-best 57-9 1/2 (17.61m) in the weight throw to finish 10th. Marika Spencer finished eighth in the shot put at 46-7 1/2 (14.21m). 

The Huskers will take next weekend off before competing at the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio on Feb. 25-27.

Huskers Fall to Army

West Point, N.Y – The sixth-ranked Nebraska rifle team dropped to 4-3 on the season with a 4,689-4,677 loss to No. 10 Army West Point on Saturday.

The match was highlighted the 1-2 finish by Elena Flake and Cecelia Ossi in the air rifle as the Huskers won the event by a score of 2,363-2,356. Flake earned her first event title of the year with a score of 596, while Ossi garnered runner-up honors with a score of 594. Senior Emily Cheramie (587) and freshman Madelynn Erickson (586) rounded out the Huskers' scoring lineup.

Army took the top three places in the smallbore, winning the event by a score of 2,333-2,314.  Cheramie paced the Huskers with a mark of 581 to finish fourth. Flake (579) and Ossi (578) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while Erickson rounded out the scoring lineup with a ninth-place showing (576).

The Huskers will now begin preparing for the 2021 NCAA qualifier at Murray State on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Huskers Win Big Against Minnesota

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska men's gymnastics team had an impressive home opener outscoring Minnesota 407.700-397.800. 

The Huskers were led by freshman Taylor Christopulos who earned two individual titles and notched the highest score on vault in the NCAA this season. 

NU also took home the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars titles. 

Rotation One
The Huskers started off strong on floor. Having all six routines score in the 14s, senior Jake Bonnay led the team with a score of 14.50. Sophomore Sam Phillips followed with a career-high score of 14.40. Freshman Taylor Christopulos also hit a career-high with a 14.30. Both senior Zach Peters and sophomore Moritz Mueller notched a 14.10. Junior Charlie Giles rounded out the rotation with a 13.90. NU moved to the second rotation leading the meet with a team score of 71.400.  

The Golden Gophers competed on pommel horse for the first rotation where they scored a 65.700. 

Rotation Two
NU competed on pommel horse second where junior Evan Kriley led the team with a score of 13.85. Sophomore Khalil Jackson followed with a 13.40 while junior Charlie Giles earned a 13.35. Sophomore Cooper Giles scored a 13.30. Freshman Yanni Chronopoulos notched a personal best of 12.95. Sam Phillips finished the rotation off with a 12.50. 

Minnesota competed on floor for the second rotation and earned a 64.100. 

The Huskers went into the third rotation leading 138.250-131.300. 

Rotation Three
Nebraska moved to rings where Taylor Christopulos led the team with a score of 13.40. Senior Evan Hymanson followed closely with a 13.30. Moritz Mueller earned a career-high score after notching a 13.10. Dylan Young earned a 13.05 while junior Dylan LeClair finished with a 12.95. Yanni Chronopoulos rounded out the rotation with a 12.95. 

Minnesota competed on vault where they finished with a team score of 71.300, their best of the season. 

Rotation Four
The Huskers continued to vault where they had a team score of 71.500. Nebraska was led by Taylor Christopulos who notched a 14.95 earning him the event title and a career-high. Charlie Giles followed closely with the second highest score of the meet with a 14.75. Dylan LeClair and Dyaln Young both notched a career-high with scores 14.50 and 14.15, respectively. Evan Kriley scored a 13.15 while Zach Peters finished out the rotation with a 13.00. 

The Golden Gophers finished rotation four on rings with a team score of 64.750. 

Rotation Five
Dillan King led the team on parallel bars with a score of 13.80 during the fifth rotation. Dylan LeClair and Evan Hymanson followed closely with a 13.50 and 13.45, respectively. Dylan Young earned a 12.50 while Evan Kriley notched a 12.00. Sam Phillips ended the rotation with a 12.00. 

Nebraska went into the final rotation ahead of Minnesota 340.900-331.800. 

Rotation Six
NU finished on high bar where they had a team score 66.80. Evan Hymanson led the team with a score of 13.50. Taylor Christopulos and Jake Bonnay followed, both scoring a 13.35. Dillan King and Sam Phillips both earned a 13.30. Evan Kriley finished the rotation with a 12.85.  

Minnesota finished the final rotation on parallel bars where they scored a 66.00. 

The Huskers outscored the Golden Gophers to win 407.700-397.800. 

Up Next
The Huskers return to competition next Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2:00 p.m. CT at Illinois in a tri-meet with Michigan and Illinois.

Huskers Finish First Day of Competition in Illinois

The Nebraska men's tennis team competed against Northwestern and No. 4 Michigan in a total of 10 matches on Saturday in Evanston, Ill. 

The Huskers faced Northwestern, who ended last season ranked No. 31, in three singles matches and two doubles matches. Most notably, junior William Gleason battled against Chris Ephron, taking the second set 7-6, but ultimately lost the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-1. Junior Victor Moreno Lozano competed against Nick Brookes, finishing the match 6-2, 6-3. Wrapping up the singles competition against the Wildcats was junior Patrick Cacciatore with a two-set loss to Gleb Blekher 6-2, 6-0. On the doubles side, sophomore Albert Sprlak-Puk and Cacciatore played Trice Pickens and Presley Thieneman, and Gleason and Lozano competed against Chris Ephron and Gleb Blekher. Both doubles matches ended in 8-5 losses. 

Nebraska also played four singles matches and one doubles match against No. 4 Michigan. Sprlak-Puk fought hard against Nino Ehrenschneider in the second set, but ultimately lost both of his singles matches against the Wolverines. Also playing Michigan was sophomore Shunya Maruyama, losing his match due to retirement for injury, and freshman Nic Wiedenhorn, finishing his day 0-2. The lone doubles match with the Wolverines featured Wiedenhorn and Maruyama taking on Nick Beaty and Styler, resulting in an 8-4 loss. 

Although there was no team score kept on Saturday, Nebraska will face the Wildcats and Wolverines again tomorrow before returning home Friday evening for the Big Ten season opener against Purdue. 


Evanston, Ill.
Saturday, Feb. 13 Results
Singles Matches vs. Northwestern
Nick Brookes (Northwestern) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (Nebraska), 6-2, 6-3
Chris Ephron (Northwestern) def. William Gleason (Nebraska), 6-3, 6-7, 6-1
Gleb Blekher (Northwestern) def. Patrick Cacciatore (Nebraska), 6-2, 6-0

Doubles Matches vs. Northwestern
Trice Pickens/Presley Thieneman (Northwestern) def. Albert Sprlak-Puk/Patrick Cacciatore (Nebraska), 8-5
Chris Ephron/Gleb Blekher (Northwestern) def. William Gleason/Victor Moreno Lozano (Nebraska), 8-5
 
Singles Matches vs. Michigan
No. 28 Ondrej Styler (Michigan) def. Albert Sprlak-Puk (Nebraska), 6-1, 6-3
Nino Ehrenschneider (Michigan) def. Albert Sprlak-Puk (Nebraska), 6-1, 7-6
Jacob Bickersteth (Michigan) def. Shunya Maruyama (Nebraska), 5-7, 3-0 (retired-injury)
Mattias Siimar (Michigan) def. Nic Wiedenhorn (Nebraska), 6-1, 6-0
 
Doubles Match vs. Michigan
Nick Beaty/Ondrej Styler (Michigan) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (Nebraska), 8-4