Meet the Huskers. Isabel Andrade Junior, Co-Captain

Transcription

1 Meet the Huskers Isabel Andrade Junior, Co-Captain

2 24 nebraska Cross Country 2012 Husker Women Begin Rebuilding for Future A young Nebraska women s cross country team will begin a new era with Coach David Harris at the helm in 2012 with the challenge of replacing four talented seniors from the 2011 squad. Ashley Miller, Jessica Furlan, Erica Hamik and Katie White made up the nucleus of Nebraska s team for the past several seasons, helping the Huskers to a sixth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Midwest Regional and a seventh-place showing in their first Big Ten Championships. In addition to the losses of four strong 2011 seniors, the Huskers also will be challenged by the loss of junior Martina Barinova. One of Nebraska s top runners as a freshman in 2010, Barinova battled to overcome injuries during the 2011 cross country season and the 2012 track season. She competed in only two cross country meets a year ago. This season she is expected to redshirt while trying to recover completely from the injuries that sidelined her a year ago. With the heavy losses among Nebraska s top runners, Isabel Andrade is expected to be a leader for the Huskers in The junior from Petaluma, Calif., lettered for NU as a sophomore and competed at the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Regional championships. She also performed well in the classroom, earning academic All-Big Ten honors. She notched a career-best sixth-place finish in a time of 19:54.72 at the UNO/Creighton Invitational, before posting a career-best time of 18:38.7 at the South Dakota State Classic. She closed the year by finishing 70th at the Big Ten Championships and 85th at the Midwest Regional in DeKalb, Ill. Isabel has a tremendous work ethic and will be a great benefit as a captain this cross country season to the young athletes we have on our team, Harris said. It is now her time to step up and lead the team as an upper-class runner. Fellow junior Sarah Plambeck is expected to be another key returner for the Huskers. The Lincoln Christian High School graduate will join Andrade as a captain for the 2012 squad after earning her first cross country letter as a sophomore a year ago. Plambeck, who finished 80th at the 2011 Big Ten Championships and 135th at the NCAA Midwest Regional, posted a season-high fifth-place finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic last season. She Sarah Plambeck is one of five returning letterwinners for the Huskers in The junior from Lincoln will serve as one of Nebraska s three co-captains on the women s side this season Returning Runners (5) Isabel Andrade, Martina Barinova, Hannah Edwards, Sarah Larson, Sarah Plambeck Returning Letterwinners (5) Isabel Andrade (1), Martina Barinova (1), Hannah Edwards (1), Sarah Larson (1), Sarah Plambeck (1) 2012 Newcomers (7) Jelena Andjelkovic, Ellen Dougherty, Sarah Dweikat, Tess Keller, Anna Minnick, Morgan Woitzel, Jessica Wright 2011 Departed Runners (5) Jessica Furlan, Erica Hamik, Ashley Miller, Sam Morabe, Katie White also performed well in the classroom, joining Andrade on the academic All- Big Ten squad. Sarah will be one of our women s captains this year, Harris said. Her dedication during her junior season should result in some nice performances as one of the upper-class runners on our team. Sophomores Sarah Larson and Hannah Edwards will also look for improvement while providing leadership for the younger Huskers. Larson, a Lincoln native, demonstrated her talent in her first season of competitive cross country at any level in A Nebraska all-state softball player at Lincoln Northeast High School, Larson s softball commitments limited her distance training to the track in high school. However, she made a quick adjustment to collegiate cross country training as a freshman. After a top- 10 finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic to open the season, she posted a career-best time of 19:00.0 to take 23rd at the SDSU Classic. Although she did not compete at the Big Ten Championships, she finished 137th at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet to close her freshman season. Edwards, a native of Whittier, Calif., competed in three meets as a freshman, making her final appearance at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational. With just four healthy returning cross country runners on the roster, Nebraska will rely heavily on incoming freshman runners who will make a difference in their first year of competition. Sophomore transfer Jessica Wright will be eligible to compete in her first season for NU this year. A native of Bellevue, Neb., Wright spent last fall at Marquette University. She earned All-Metro cross country and track and field honors while in high school, and has a bright future for the Huskers. Tess Keller, a native of Sparta, N.J., will also be a force for NU this season. Keller recorded numerous top-10 finishes in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group Championships in track and cross country. Sarah Dweikat will also be a freshman contributor this season. Dweikat, a Lincoln native and Lincoln East graduate, has competed in the Nebraska track and field championships, and recorded a sixth-place finish at the 2011 Nebraska cross country championships. Nebraska s young team will face the challenge of going head-to-head with a talented Big Ten Conference. Five Big Ten teams finished among the top 30 in the nation in 2011, led by Michigan State, which closed the year in 12th at the NCAA Championships. Michigan added a top-15 NCAA finish, while Penn State (22nd), Wisconsin (28th) and Minnesota (30th) lead the list of talented Big Ten foes. Before competing against the best the runners the conference has to offer at the Big Ten Championships in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 28, the young Huskers will begin laying their foundation for success with the season-opening Creighton/UNO Classic in Omaha on Sept. 1. Two weeks later the Huskers will play host to the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational at Pioneers Park in Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. Nebraska returns to the road for the KU Rim Rock Farm Classic on Sept. 29, before competing at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational on Oct. 12. Following Nebraska s second appearance at the Big Ten Championships, the NCAA Midwest Regional will be held in Springfield, Mo., on Nov. 9. The NCAA Championships are set for Nov. 17 in Louisville, Ky. I think that it s a must that we schedule low key at the start of the season before we hit the meat of our schedule, Harris said. We are trying to build momentum going into the Big Ten Championships in East Lansing. Meet The Huskers l Women s Runners

3 Isabel Andrade Junior Tiburon, Calif. (Petaluma) One Letter HUskers.com 25 Andrade s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Cross Country Co-Captain (2012) Academic All-Big Ten (2011) Big 12 Commissioner s Fall Honor Roll (2010) Big 12 Commissioner s Spring Honor Roll (2011) Isabel Andrade (pronounced On-DRAH-day) will be a leader on the women s cross country team during the 2012 season. The junior from California performed at a high level during her sophomore season for the Huskers and will be looked upon to do the same this year. Isabel is hard-working and will be a great benefit as a captain this cross country season to the young athletes we have on our team, Nebraska Coach David Harris said. It is now her time to step up and lead the team as an upperclass runner (Sophomore) Andrade continued to excel for the Huskers during her sophomore year, earning her first cross country letter in 2011 after a strong season. In her first meet of the year, Andrade finished sixth overall at the Creighton/UNO Classic (19:54.72) to help Nebraska to its first team title of the season. Andrade continued to perform at a high level, placing 35th overall at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational (22:57.0) and then 15th at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D. (18:36.7). In her last regular-season meet, Andrade placed 262nd overall after running a time of 22:31 at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational. Andrade ran well in the postseason, placing 70th (22:14) at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill. She closed her cross country campaign by placing 85th (22:54.07) at the NCAA Midwest Regional in DeKalb, Ill. Andrade also performed well in the classroom, capturing academic All-Big Ten accolades for the Huskers (Freshman) Andrade took to the cross country course for her first collegiate season without much summer training. She made her Husker debut by placing 15th at the Creighton/UNO Classic with a time of 20: Andrade followed with a 35th-place finish at the Woody Greeno/ Nebraska Invitational. in the 3,000 meters at the Nebraska Tune-Up, running a personal-best time of 10:16.42 Before Nebraska (Petaluma HS) Andrade came to Nebraska after completing her prep career at Petaluma High School under Coach Jim Lynch. A two-time qualifier for California s state cross country meet in Division 3, Andrade finished ninth at the state meet in She returned as a senior in 2009 to finish 19th and contribute to the Trojans 17th-place team finish. Andrade produced her best season on the track as a junior, before missing most of her senior season with a stress fracture, which only allowed her to run until the end of March. She ran a personal-best 11:06.47 in the 3,200 meters at the 2009 Redwood Empire Area Finals, then set a personal best in the 1,600 meters six days later at the NCS Meet of Champions with a time of 4: Isabel is the daughter of Francisco and Helen Andrade. She was born on Dec. 4, She is an elementary education major at Nebraska and claimed academic All-Big Ten honors in Andrade continued to improve during the 2011 track and field season by setting personal-bests both indoors and outdoors. She competed Women s Runners l Meet The Huskers

4 26 nebraska Cross Country 2012 Martina Barinova Junior Prerov, Czech Republic (Placky University/ Gymnazium Jana Blahoslava) One Letter Barinova s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Cross Country Co-Captain (2012) All-Midwest Region (2010) Academic All-Big Ten Spring (2012) Big 12 Commissioner s Fall Honor Roll (2010) Big 12 Commissioner s Spring Honor Roll (2011) Martina Barinova (pronounced BEAR-uh-nova) is expected to redshirt in her third cross country season at Nebraska while recovering from a series of injuries. Despite her injuries, Barinova will still be counted on to provide leadership to a young Husker squad. Barinova will serve as a Husker co-captain alongside Isabel Andrade and Sarah Plambeck, while Barinova rehabilitates her injuries for a return to the course in (Sophomore) Barinova battled injuries early in the season before ultimately being forced out of competition (Freshman) Barinova made an immediate impact as one of Nebraska s top runners during the 2010 cross country season. She made her debut at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational by finishing second with a time of 21:29.7. Following a 28th-place finish at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, Barinova placed 44th at the Indiana State Pre-Nationals. Barinova continued to improve during the postseason, placing 21st at the Big 12 Championships. She added All-Midwest Region honors by finishing 25th with a time of 20:54.3 at the NCAA Midwest Regional. She continued to build momentum during the 2011 track season by earning All-Big 12 honors both indoors and outdoors. She set a personal-best time of 9:25.55 in the 3,000 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championships to help the Husker women capture the school s sixth Big 12 indoor title. She was also one of four NU distance runners to earn All-Big 12 honors at the outdoor meet, when she finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Before Nebraska (Gymnazium Jana Blahoslava/Placky University) Barinova joined the Huskers as a redshirt freshman after one year at Placky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. A graduate of Gymnazium Jana Blahoslava in Prerov, Barinova thrived in the distance events, holding the Czech Republic national junior record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:17.86, which would rank as the third-best performance all-time at Nebraska. 3,000 meters came at the Czech Republic National Championships, where she placed second. During her career she captured Czech Republic Junior national titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase ( :20.15) and the 1,500 meters (2008-4:33.52). Martina is the daughter of Vladimar and Alena Barinova. She was born on Jan. 28, 1990 and is a Spanish major at Nebraska. She earned academic All-Big Ten honors in the spring of In 2010, Barinova established three personal bests, including the indoor 3,000 meters (9:36.77), outdoor 3,000 meters (9:32.44) and outdoor 5,000 meters (16:47.06). Her personal best in the indoor Meet The Huskers l Women s Runners

5 Sarah Plambeck Junior Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Christian) One Letter HUskers.com 27 Plambeck s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Cross Country Co-Captain (2012) Academic All-Big Ten (2011) Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2011, Spring 2012) Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll (Fall 2010, Spring 2011) Lincoln native Sarah Plambeck will be looked to as a leader for Nebraska on the course during the 2012 season. After earning her first letter as a sophomore in 2011, the Lincoln Christian graduate will be one of NU s captains for a young team in Her dedication during this upcoming junior season should result in some nice performances as one of the upperclass runners on our team, Nebraska Coach David Harris said (Sophomore) After transitioning into collegiate cross country as a freshman, Plambeck was a regular competitor and earned her first letter for the Huskers as a sophomore. Plambeck opened the season by placing fifth (19:40.22) at the Creighton/UNO Classic. Plambeck was one of six NU runners in the top 10 and helped the Huskers claim the team title. The Lincoln Christian product followed that performance with two top-20 finishes, including 18th (22:35.1) at the Woody Greeno/ Nebraska Invitational at Pioneers Park. She added a 20th-place finish (18:54.5) at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D. Plambeck finished off her regular season at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational by settling for 276th (22:52). In her second postseason with the Huskers, Plambeck finished 80th at the Big Ten Championships in a time of 22:41. She closed the year by finishing 135th (23:40.91) at the NCAA Midwest Regional in DeKalb, Ill. Off the course, Plambeck performed well in the classroom by earning academic All-Big Ten honors. She also earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll during both the fall and spring semesters of (Freshman) Plambeck was an accomplished runner at Lincoln Christian High School and made her freshman debut at the Creighton/UNO Classic, where she finished eighth with a time of 19: She continued to contribute at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, placing 18th to help the women win their sixth consecutive team title. Plambeck continued to make strides during the 2011 track and field season, setting personal bests both indoors and outdoors. She competed in the 1,500 meters at the Nebraska Open, running a personal-best time of 4: Before Nebraska (Lincoln Christian HS) Plambeck joined Nebraska after a prep career at Lincoln Christian High School under Coach Lynn Wilson. A four-year qualifier for the Nebraska state track and field meet in Class C, Plambeck did not compete in cross country until her senior year. She made an immediate impact, as she finished third in the Class D race, which led the Crusaders to a sixth-place finish in the team standings. As a freshman at the state track meet, Plambeck captured three medals with a fifth-place finish in the 3,200 meters, a sixth-place finish in the 1,600 meters, and as a member of the eighth-place 4x800-meter relay. She earned four more medals as a sophomore, including her first state championship as the anchor of the 4x800-meter relay. Along with the state title, Plambeck placed second in the 1,600 meters, third in the 3,200 meters and fourth in the 800 meters. Plambeck brought home three more gold medals as a junior, including individual titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, while the Crusaders defended their title in the 4x800-meter relay with Plambeck as the anchor. A foot injury slowed Plambeck during her senior season, but she still captured four medals at the state meet with third-place finishes in the 800 and 4x800, a fourth-place finish in the 3,200 meters and a seventh-place showing in the 1,600 meters. Sarah is the daughter of Bob and Martha Plambeck. She was born on April 1, Plambeck is a nutrition, exercise and health science major at Nebraska and earned academic All-Big Ten honors in She also claimed spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters of Women s Runners l Meet The Huskers

6 28 nebraska Cross Country 2012 Hannah Edwards Sophomore Whittier, Calif. (La Serna) One Letter After adjusting to the longer distances covered in collegiate cross country in her freshman season for NU, Californian Hannah Edwards will look to help lead the Huskers in the 2012 season. Edwards will look to provide depth for the Huskers in 2012, and will likely be a top-seven runner for NU (Freshman) One of three Californians on the 2011 Husker women s team, Edwards worked to make the adjustment to the longer distances of collegiate cross country as a freshman. Edwards, who earned her first cross country letter, competed in three meets for the Huskers during her freshman campaign while increasing her training base. Edwards competed for the first time collegiately at the Creighton/ UNO Classic, where she placed 26th overall and seventh among the Huskers with a time of 21: Edwards competed at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational at Pioneers Park in Lincoln, where she finished 102nd overall (24:13.7). Her final meet of the year came at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D., where she placed 43rd with a season-best time of 19:39.0. Before Nebraska (La Serna HS) Edwards was a standout in both cross country and track at La Serna High School in Whittier, Calif. Her senior cross country season was highlighted by a ninth-place finish at the Sunny Hills Wayne Walker Invitational, when she covered the 5K course in 19:36 to finish ninth. She posted her personal-best 5K time with a 19:35 to take fifth place at the Clovis Invitational as a junior in Later her junior year, she placed 21st at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Preliminaries in November. On the track, Edwards produced a personal best of 5:14.80 in the 1,600 meters. She established her personal best of 11:42.37 in the 3,200 meters at the 2010 Trabuco Hill Invitational. Edwards ran in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the 2010 CIF-SS Divisional Finals. The daughter of Mitch and Jan Edwards, Hannah was born Aug. 14, Hannah is majoring in nutrition, exercise and health science at Nebraska. Meet The Huskers l Women s Runners

7 Sarah Larson Sophomore Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Northeast) One Letter HUskers.com 29 Larson s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2011) Nebraska Class A State Champion (3,200 meters, 2010) Nebraska Class A Honorable-Mention All-State (Softball, 2010) Lincoln native Sarah Larson will continue the process of learning collegiate cross country during her sophomore season. Larson, who did not compete in cross country at Lincoln Northeast High School, will be looked upon to be a top-five runner for NU, after performing at a high level in (Freshman) Larson lettered in her first season at Nebraska, after competing throughout the regular season for the Huskers and making appearances at the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Regional championships. Although Larson did not compete in high school cross country, her experience as a distance runner in track and field helped ease the transition to the longer distances of collegiate cross country. She opened her freshman campaign with a top-10 finish at the Creighton/ UNO Classic. She placed 10th (20:14.72) in Omaha and was one of six NU runners who finished in the top 10, helping the Huskers win the team title. After the strong performance in her first cross country meet, Larson placed 41st (23:06.4) at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational. She added a 23rd-place effort (19:00.0) at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D. Competing in her first postseason as a Husker, Larson placed 96th at the Big Ten Championships. She closed out her freshman campaign by finishing 137th (23:40.91) at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet in DeKalb, Ill. In the classroom, Larson earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar- Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of Before Nebraska (Lincoln Northeast HS) Larson did not compete in cross country during her high school career, but she was a multi-sport standout at Lincoln Northeast. Larson captured the Nebraska Class A state 3,200-meter championship as a junior in Larson claimed her first state title in a personalbest time of 11: She added a third-place showing in the 1,600 with a personal-best time of 5:20.42 for Coach John Snoozy. She made her first appearance at the state track and field meet as a freshman, when she ran a leg on the Rockets sixth-place 3,200-meter relay team. Larson earned her first individual medal at the Class A state track meet as a sophomore in 2009, when she finished seventh in the 3,200 (11:59.32). She also competed in the 1,600. In addition to her success on the track, Larson was an accomplished softball player at Lincoln Northeast. The Rockets ace in the circle, she also played shortstop and third base when she was not pitching. She was Northeast s top pitcher and hitter during her junior season in , and was a Class A honorable-mention all-state selection as a senior in Sarah is the daughter of Mike and Traci Larson. Sarah was born Feb. 28, She is majoring in business administration at Nebraska and earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of She added a fifth-place finish in the 3,200 (11:36.001) as a senior. She also ran the opening leg of the Rockets sixth-place 3,200-meter relay. Women s Runners l Meet The Huskers

8 30 nebraska Cross Country 2012 Ellen Dougherty Sophomore Moville, Iowa (Sioux City East) Jessica Wright Sophomore Bellevue, Neb. (Marquette/Bellevue West) Ellen Dougherty (pronounced DOOR-ih-tee) joins the Husker cross country team after competing for the NU track and field team during the season. Dougherty expects to use this season to expand her training base for indoor and outdoor track season. Before Nebraska (Sioux City East HS) A 14-time state medalist and four-time state champion in Iowa s Class 4A, Dougherty finished her senior season at Sioux City East High School ranked among Iowa s all-time top 10 in the 400 (55.41), 800 (2:08.92) and 400 hurdles (1:01.25). She earned three state medals as a freshman in 2007, as she placed second in the 400 meters (57.39), third in the 800 meters (2:15.97) and ran the anchor leg of the sixth-place 4x400-meter relay. Dougherty returned to anchor the second-place 4x400-meter squad in 2008, while adding third-place finishes in the 400 (56.07) and 800 (2:11.69) meters. She raised her game as a junior, setting a state meet record in the 400 meters with a time of 55.41, while finishing third in the 400 hurdles (1:01.25). Dougherty also placed fourth in the 800 meters (2:11.40) and anchored the 4x400-meter relay team that set the Iowa state record with a time of 3:48.39 to top the Waukee s 1981 record of 3: She took second as a senior in both the 400 (56.30) and 400 hurdles (1:02.15), while adding two more state titles in the relays. Dougherty ran the 400-meter anchor leg of the Black Raiders 800-meter sprintmedley team with a split of 54.9 to complete the squad s winning time of 1: Later the same day, she ran the anchor leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay to win the Black Raiders second straight state title in the event. Nationally, she swept the 400 and 800 meters at the 2006 USTF Junior Olympics in Baltimore, Md. Dougherty capped the 2009 outdoor season with a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters (2:11.24) at the USA Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore. She returned to the USA Junior Championships in 2010 at Drake Stadium, where she took eighth in the 800 (2:12.29). The daughter of Jim and Mary Dougherty, Ellen was born March 10, She is a business administration major at Nebraska. After spending her freshman year at Marquette, Jessica Wright will try to make an impact on the Nebraska women s cross country team in Wright, a native of Bellevue, Neb., brings her distance talents to a young Husker roster that does not have any seniors this season. Before Nebraska (Marquette/Bellevue West HS) Wright spent the 2011 season at Marquette before electing to transfer to Nebraska. The Bellevue West High School graduate produced a successful running career for the Thunder Birds. She earned Lincoln Journal Star Super-State honors in 2008 and Wright finished fourth at the Nebraska Class A High School Championships in A standout in the classroom as well, Wright was the valedictorian of Bellevue West s 2011 senior class The daughter of Jack and Jacki Wright, Jessica was born Oct. 8, She has a younger sister, Laura, and a younger brother, Kevin. She is a psychology and pre-medicine major at Nebraska. Jelena Andjelkovic Freshman Belgrade, Serbia (College of Sport & Health/ 2nd Economic) Andjelkovic s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Spring 2012) Freshman Jelena Andjelkovic (pronounced YELL-uh-nuh AN-jell-ko-vitch) joins the Nebraska cross country team after competing with the NU track and field team in Andjelkovic will use her first season to get used to the longer distances covered in collegiate cross country. Before Nebraska (College of Sport & Health/2nd Economic) Andjelkovic came to Nebraska after recording personal bests of in the 400 meters and 2:07.19 in the 800 meters. She competed for the Serbian National Team at the European Cup, where she placed fifth in the 400 meters. The daughter of Zoran Andjelkovic, Jelena was born April 23, She is majoring in sociology at Nebraska. Meet The Huskers l Women s Runners

9 Sarah Dweikat Freshman Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln East) Anna Minnick Freshman Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Burke) HUskers.com 31 Freshman Sarah Dweikat (pronounced DWY-kot) hopes to adjust quickly to the longer distances covered in collegiate cross country after a strong prep career at Lincoln East High School. The 2011 Nebraska Class A state runner-up, Dweikat could make an immediate impact for the young Huskers. Before Nebraska (Lincoln East HS) Dweikat joined the Huskers after an impressive prep career at Lincoln East High School. She captured Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star as both a junior and senior, and posted a second-place finish at the 2011 Nebraska Cross Country State Championships. Dweikat finished sixth in the 3,200 meters at the 2011 Nebraska Class State Track and Field Championships with a time of 11: She also competed at the state meet in 2010, finishing the 1,600 in a time of 5: The daughter of Sally Mackenzie and Ismail Dweikat, Sarah was born May 6, She is a biochemistry major at Nebraska. Tess Keller Freshman Netcong, N.J. (Pope John XXIII) Minnick s Collegiate Honors Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2011, Spring 2012) Freshman Anna Minnick joins the Husker cross country team after competing with the NU track and field team in A native of Omaha, Neb., Minnick will use her first season to adjust to the longer distances covered in collegiate cross country. Before Nebraska (Omaha Burke HS) Minnick came to Nebraska after taking fifth as a member of the All-Class 4x400-meter relay team at the 2009 Nebraska State Track and Field Championships. She was also a member of the eighth-place All-Class 4x400 team in Minnick captured academic all-state awards and helped Omaha Burke to the 2009 district title. She ran a personal-best time of in the 400 meters in high school. The daughter of Richard and Michelle Minnick, Anna was born Feb. 19, She is majoring in art education with a minor in dance with a coaching endorsement at Nebraska. Morgan Woitzel Freshman Omaha, Neb. (Millard South) Tess Keller hopes to make a major impact in her first season with the Nebraska cross country team in The freshman from Netcong, N.J., was one of the top prep runners in the state of New Jersey last year and an inexperienced Husker team could rely heavily on Keller s talents, according to Coach David Harris. Before Nebraska (Pope John XXIII HS) Keller posted impressive times and earned numerous state medals during her high school career at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, N.J. Keller was the 2011 New Jersey Catholic Conference cross country champion, while also placing third at the cross country state group competition (non-public A). The daughter of Nancy and Greg Keller, Tess was born Feb. 25, She is a psychology major at Nebraska. Freshman Morgan Woitzel (pronounced WITTS-zull) joins the Nebraska cross country team after an excellent career at Millard South High School. A two-time Nebraska high school champion on the track, Woitzel could help the Huskers in her first season of collegiate cross country. Before Nebraska (Millard South HS) Woitzel was a standout at Millard South, capturing the Class A state title in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.22 in She added a fourth-place finish in the 400 at the 2010 state meet in a time of 1: Woitzel helped Millard South s 1,600-meter relay to the 2011 Class state championship with a winning time of 3: The daughter of Todd and Michell Woitzel, Morgan was born Nov. 27, She is a biological sciences major at Nebraska. Women s Runners l Meet The Huskers

10 32 nebraska Cross Country 2012 Meet The Huskers l Women s Runners