Nebraska track and field competed at its annual intrasquad meet on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track, with the red team edging the white team, 131-118.
On the women’s side, the white outscored the red 63-60. During the first throw of the meet, Axelina Johansson managed an outstanding 20.79m (68-2 1/2), securing a weight throw win for the red team. She went on to win the shot put with a mark of 59-7 3/4 (18.18m). Both marks were meet record distances.
Johansson far surpassed her best weight throw mark thrown in a meet, 64-10 1/2 (19.77m). Last season, Johansson finished ninth in the event at the Big Ten Indoor Championships with a distance of 61-7 1/2 (18.78m).
The white team owned the vertical jumps with Jenna Rogers clearing a solid 6-2 3/4 (1.90m) in the high jump and Jessica Gardner clearing 13-3 3/4 (4.06m) in the pole vault. Rogers’ best mark in competition is at the 2023 Big Ten Indoor Championships, where she finished as runner-up with a 6-2 1/4 (1.89m).
Darby Thomas brought in a pair of wins for the white team, crossing the line first in the 60m with a meet record 7.45. In the long jump, Thomas leaped to victory with a mark of 18-10 (5.74m). Velecia Williams jumped 40-3 1/4 (12.27m) to earn a triple jump win for the red.
The white team won the first three running events, sparked by Berlyn Schutz winning the mile in 4:55.92. Meghan Walker took the 300m with a meet record 39.93 and Johanna Ilves crossed the line first in the 60m hurdles, clocking an 8.44.
Lindsey Blehm and Brynna McQuillen provided red wins in the 800m and the 3000m with times of 2:15.63 and 9:58.26.
A 4x400m relay of Abrielle Artley, Marie Pfannenstiel, Arianna Walker and Favour Wanjoku secured a win for the red.
On the men’s side, the red outscored the white 71-55. The white team swept the throws, powered by a meet record distance of 71-4 1/4 (21.75m) in the weight throw for Henry Zimmerman and a mark of 62-8 3/4 (19.12m) in the shot put for Kevin Shubert.
Erik Snell pulled ahead at the last second to win the mile for the white team in 4:19.70, with Sam Kirchner right in step, taking second for the red (4:19.70). In the 300m, Kavian Kerr claimed the men’s race for the red.
Till Steinforth grabbed the 60m hurdles win for the red in 7.96. He pitched in another victory in the long jump with a mark of 24-8 1/4 (7.52m).
In the 60m, Garrett Kaalund (red team) crossed the line first in 7.45, the fastest time ran in intrasquad history.
Niko Schultz cruised to a 600m victory in 1:18.46 for the white and Gabe Nash gave the red a boost in the 800m, winning with a time of 1:52.66. In the 3000m, Trevor Acton added a red win in 8:34.31.
The teams split the vertical jumps with Tyus Wilson clearing 7-0 1/4 (2.14m) in the high jump for the red and Nick Loibl clearing 15-1 (4.60m) in the pole vault for the white. Terrol Wilson leaped 48-10 1/4 (14.89m) in the triple jump to win the event for the red.
To close the night, Cory Berg, Schultz, Lorenzo Paissan and Joseph Clifford secured a 4x400m relay win for the white.
Nebraska hosts the Graduate Classic Jan. 12-13 at the Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track with events beginning at 12:30 p.m. (CT) on Friday.
