2009 Nebraska Cross Country

Transcription

1 2009 Nebraska Cross Country Husker Men 2009 nebraska Cross Country 27

2 Scouting the 2009 Husker Men 2009 Returnees 2009 Newcomers Returning Letterwinners 2008 Departures David Adams Tommy Brinn David Adams (One Letter) Kyle Custer (Two Letters) Jesse Adams Brett Grieb Jesse Adams (One Letter) Matt Conahan Matt Shipp Brad Doering (One Letter) Brad Doering Trevor Vidlak Peter Falcon (Two Letters) Peter Falcon Anthony Oberle (One Letter) Todd Gulizia Bryce Somer (One Letter) Ethan Luebbe Mikel Thomas (Two Letters) Adam Mitteis Anthony Oberle Jon Ronhovde Bryce Somer Eric Thies Mikel Thomas The Husker men return a deep team in 2009, only losing 2008 team co-captain Kyle Custer. However, the team will once again be a young, with only two seniors out of 17 runners. The men s squad will look to team captain David Adams to lead it in 2009, after the sophomore led the Huskers at all but one race as a redshirt freshman last season. Following a stellar first season on the course, Adams continued to improve during the 2009 track and field season. A native of York, Neb., Adams ended the year at the NCAA Championships, where he placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. I expect to see David among the top cross country runners in the Big 12 this season, Coach Jay Dirksen said. Adams will be joined by two seniors in Ethan Luebbe and Bryce Somer. Somer has been a constant for the Huskers over the past three seasons, running on the past three Big 12 Championships and past two NCAA Midwest Regional teams. Junior - Todd Gulizia Look for him (Somer) to continue to show major improvements this season, Dirksen said. For Luebbe, he has been bothered by injuries the past two seasons. He was only been able to compete in two meets in 2007 and missed every meet in One of the largest classes of talent on the 2009 squad is the team s six juniors, as all have had postseason experience at Nebraska. Junior Todd Gulizia was expected to contribute at the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional Championships last season, but was held out with back problems. Prior to injury, Gulizia was one of the Huskers top runners and is expected to help carry the team in Despite some lower back trouble this summer, Todd is starting to round back into shape and should be ready to challenge the team leaders, Dirksen said. Last season as sophomores, Mikel Thomas, Brad Doering and Peter Falcon all competed at both the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional. Thomas had the most impressive postseason of the bunch, as the Clovis, Calif., native was the team s No. 2 runner at the conference meet and No. 3 runner at the regional. Following a strong summer of training, Thomas is expected to be one of the team s top runners in Mikel is a very talented runner who at times has looked like he could be one of the better runners in the Big 12, Dirksen said. His second-place time of 8:58.56 in the steeplechase at the 2008 USA Junior Championships indicates that he has great natural ability. Doering, who was named the team s Most Improved Runner last season, and Falcon have each been training hard throughout the summer and look to be strong candidates for top-seven spots on the team. Do not be surprised to see Brad battling for one of the top positions on the team, Dirksen said. Peter will not surprise anyone if he is a major performer this season, Dirksen said. The junior class is rounded out by Matt Conahan and Eric Thies. Both should push for top-seven spots, as Conahan has competed at the past two Big 12 Championships, while Thies ran at the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional as a freshman in The four Husker sophomores are led by Sioux City, Iowa, native Anthony Oberle. A redshirt freshman last season, Oberle emerged as one of the toughest runners on the team in Even with a large group of more seasoned runners on the team, it will not be a surprise to see Oberle on the postseason roster. Anthony s training has been very consistent since he arrived on campus and this cross country season we should see the results of all his hard work, Dirksen said. Along with Oberle, sophomore Jesse Adams, Adam Mitteis and Jon Ronhovde got their first taste of collegiate running last season as true freshman, especially Adams, who ran on the Big 12 Championships team. All three are expected to take a big step forward in 2009 after a full year under Dirksen. Junior - Mikel Thomas The men will also welcome four newcomers to the team in redshirt freshman Matt Shipp, as well as true freshmen Tommy Brinn, Brett Grieb and Trevor Vidlak. Shipp did not compete in cross country last season, but was a member of the Husker track and field team. As for the true freshmen, Grieb and Vidlak are expected to redshirt as they make the transition from high school to collegiate running. Brinn, who was ranked fourth nationally among preps last year in the 800 meters with a time of 1:49.27, could be a wild card on the 2009 team. If he can develop stamina to go along with his speed, he could make an impact on the team in his first season nebraska Cross Country 28

3 David Adams Sophomore York, Neb. (York) Team Captain (2009) NU Men s Most Valuable Runner (2008) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008) 1,000 Meters - 2:26.9 1,500 Meters - 3:51.27 Mile Run - 4: ,000-Meter SC - 8: ,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 14:38.75 Following a stellar first season at Nebraska, David Adams will be expected to lead the Husker men in David really stepped up to a much higher level as a redshirt freshman during the 2008 cross country season, Coach Jay Dirksen said. During the track season David showed his great potential by improving enough to make the NCAA Championships in the 3,000 steeplechase, just missing the finals by one place (Redshirt Freshman) After redshirting in 2007, Adams made the most of his first collegiate cross country season by leading the Huskers in six of his seven meets, earning him the team s Most Valuable Runner honor. Adams won his first career meet with a 6K time of 19:06 at the Creighton/UNO Classic to open the year, leading the men to the team title. Following an 11th-place finish at the BYU Invitational, Adams led the men to their third straight Woody Greeno/ Nebraska Invitational title with an eighth-place time of 25:34.8. Adams then took fourth at the South Dakota State Classic, leading the Husker men to their third team championship of the season. Adams placed 26th at his first Big 12 Championship meet, running a time of 25:16.2 on the 8K course. Behind Adams performance, the team finished seventh, its top finish at the conference meet since At the NCAA Midwest Regional, Adams came in 43rd with a time on 32:23.7, helping the team finish 10th, its best showing since Adams continued to excel during the 2009 track and field season, capping the year with a trip to the NCAA Championships. Midway through the outdoor season at the Payton Jordan Invitational, Adams set a personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:43.79, the sixth-best performance in Husker history. During the postseason, he took third at the Big 12 Championships and then 15th at the NCAA Championships with a time of 8: Adams redshirted his first year of cross country at Nebraska following a stress fracture he suffered during the spring of his senior year of high school. Adams competed both indoors and outdoors for the track and field team. He excelled outdoors, w i n n i n g t h e 3, m e t e r steeplechase at the Concordia Invitational (9:18.05), Kansas Relays (9:20.64) and Ward Haylett Invitational (8:57.87). He capped his freshman year by finishing fifth at the Big 12 Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and qualifying for the NCAA Midwest Regional meet. At the USA Junior Championships in Columbus, Ohio, Adams finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:07.16). Husker teammate Mikel Thomas finished second. High School (York) Adams was the 2005 and 2006 Nebraska Class B state cross country champion. His winning time of 15:55.18 in 2005 was the fastest of the meet, earning him the All-Class gold medal. In 2006, Adams time of 15:47.79 was good for second, trailing Husker teammate Todd Gulizia. Adams was coached by Tom Brink and former Husker distance standout Eric Rasmussen. On the track, Adams competed in the 2005 and 2006 state meets, but missed the 2007 meet his senior year due to a stress fracture in his foot. As a junior, he won the All-Class gold medal in the 1,600-meter run by 19 one-hundredths of a second (4:23.50) over Husker teammate Matt Conahan. Adams also won the Class B 3,200-meter run (9:32.29) and was the anchor on the runner-up 4x800-meter relay team. At the 2005 state meet, he was the Class B 3,200-meter champion. The son of Ron and Ruth Adams, David was born in Fremont, Neb., on Jan. 4, He has one sister, Janelle, and two brothers, Tim, and Alex. David is majoring in electrical engineering at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 29

4 Ethan Luebbe Senior Waco, Neb. (Centennial) Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2007) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2006, 2007, 2008) 800 Meters - 1: Meters - 1: ,000 Meters - 2:27.18 (2:26.83o) 1,500 Meters - 3:59.12 Mile Run - 4:12.95 Ethan Luebbe (pronounced LU-bee) has performed well for the Huskers on the track and will look to transition that success onto the course in When healthy, Ethan has performed at a very high level on the track, Coach Jay Dirksen said. He is very tough competitor, however, he has had to deal with several severe injuries to his hamstrings and to his Achilles tendon (Junior) Luebbe did not compete in any meets in 2008, but was a member of the team (Sophomore) After a strong freshman season, Luebbe returned for his sophomore campaign with high expectations. A chronic hamstring injury prevented him from running at full strength and he only competed in two meets. He finished 35th at the Woody Greeno, running a time of 26:30.0, nearly two minutes faster than his time in He then ran at the Roy Griak, where he finished 138th with a time of 26:29.5, just under a minute faster than his 2006 time (Freshman) Luebbe finished in the Huskers top-seven in every meet, while improving his 8K time by 1:31 from the start of the season. Luebbe was the third Nebraska runner at the Big 12 Championships (76th overall). He continued his freshman season with a strong fourth-place finish in the 1,000-meter run (2:26.83, oversize track) at the Big 12 Championships. High School (Centennial) Luebbe was a four-time top-10 finisher at the Nebraska Class C State Cross Country Championships, finishing fifth as a senior, runner-up as a junior, sixth as a sophomore and 10th as a freshman. Centennial won the 2002 Class C team title and was runner-up during Luebbe s sophomore year. On the track, Luebbe qualified for the Class B state meet his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He did not compete for Centennial as a senior, although he did run unattached in several races. His best time in the 800-meter run (1:55.29) came at the 2006 Concordia Twilight, while his best performance at the state meet was winning the 2004 Class B 800-meter run (1:55.77) as a sophomore. His high school cross country coach was Dean Davis. The son of Daniel and Gladys Luebbe, Ethan was born Feb. 5, He is the youngest of four children, with sisters Jeana and Bethany and a brother, Jesse. Luebbe is a mechanical engineering major. Bryce Somer (pronounced Summer) will be looked to for leadership on a young 2009 team, as he has been a solid contributor for the Huskers since he arrived on campus. Somer has run on the past three Big 12 Championships teams and the past two NCAA Midwest Regional teams. Bryce is one of the hardest workers on the team and he just loves to run, Coach Jay Dirksen said. Last season he made great strides and performed at a much higher level throughout the season (Junior) Somer continued to make improvements during his junior season. He started the year with an eighth-place finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic, four spots higher than his 12th-place showing in Somer then moved up 12 spots at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, bettering his 34th-place finish from a year before with a 22nd-place time of 26:16.3. In the postseason, Somer improved 18 places at the Big 12 Championships with a 67th-place time of 26:37.3. He ended the year at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a 98th-place time of 33:41.9, 28 places higher than he finished in (Sophomore) Somer began the year on the right foot by finishing 12th at the Creighton/UNO Classic with a time of 29:20, 31 seconds faster than he ran the previous year. Somer made drastic improvements at both the Woody Greeno and Roy Griak meets, finishing 34th and 128th, respectively, after finishing 114th and 225th in He finished 85th at the Big 12 Conference meet with a time of 27:28.5 on the 8K course. He competed in his first NCAA Regional in 2007, finishing 126th in the 10K race with a time of 34:06. Bryce Somer Senior Yankton, S.D. (Yankton) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2007, 2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2006, 2007, 2008) 3,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 32: (Freshman) In his first season with the Huskers, Somer finished in Nebraska s top seven in three of the six meets he competed. In his home state at the South Dakota State Classic, Somer finished 46th overall in 27:15.50, a large improvement from his season-opening 8K time of 29:51 at the Creighton/UNO Classic. His best finish among NU runners came at the Big 12 Championships when he was sixth on the team and 102nd overall. High School (Yankton) Somer qualified for the South Dakota Class AA State Cross Country Championships his last three years, with his best performance being a sixth-place finish as a senior. At the Nike Team National, an invitational cross country team race for the top 20 high school teams in the nation, the Yankton team ran as the Yankton 3-D Running Cross Country Club and finished 18th. Somer was the third runner on the team and finished in 94th place in extremely muddy conditions. The son of Hal and Cindy Somer, Bryce was born on Aug. 15, Somer has two sisters, Tara, and twin Becky. He is majoring in nutrition, health and exercise science.

5 Matt Conahan has good speed and will look to continue to add stamina in Matt is a very hard worker but is a little more effective at the 800-1,500-meter racing distances, Coach Jay Dirksen said. He has been set back with mononucleosis and viral infections on several occasions which hurt his consistency in training (Sophomore) Conahan got a late start to his sophomore season, not running until the fourth meet of the season. He opened with a 25th-place finish at the South Dakota State Classic, running a time of 26:49 to contribute to the men s team winning the meet title. Conahan finished 79th at the Big 12 Conference Championships with a time of 26:58.5, assisting the men s team to a seventh-place finish, its best showing since At the season-opening Creighton/UNO Classic, Conahan finished sixth with a time of 28:28 on the 8K course. The following week at home, he ran a time of 26:16.8 at the Woody Greeno. He finished 108th at his first NCAA Regional meet with a time of 33:17 on the 10K course. Conahan helped out immediately on the track, producing the team s second-best time during the indoor season in the 800 meters (1:52.86), 1,000 meters (2:27.48) and mile run (4:10.75). He only competed in one meet, the Jim Click Shootout, during the outdoor season before being diagnosed with mononucleosis, which ended his season. High School (Millard North) Conahan competed at the Nebraska Class A State Cross Country Championships all four years under Coach Mike Neeman. Conahan won the 2005 Class A state title and All-Class gold medal as a junior. Conahan also earned two All-Class gold medals for his efforts at the state track meet. His first came from his 800-meter (1:53.81) at the 2006 state meet, while the second was as the anchor leg of the winning 4x800- meter relay team in He repeated his 800-meter win at the 2007 meet, where he also anchored the runnerup 4x400-meter relay team. In 2005, Conahan won the boys intermediate 2,000-meter steeplechase (6:28.28) at the USA Youth Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. His personal-best time of 6:21.46 earned him the young men s bronze medal at the 2006 national meet. He also won the intermediate boys 1,500 and 2,000-meter steeplechase at the 2004 USA Youth Championships. Matt was born in Omaha, Neb., on March 1, He is the son of Timothy and Jennifer Conahan, and has one sister, Kristen. Conahan is majoring in criminal justice at Nebraska. Matt Conahan Junior Omaha, Neb. (Millard North) 800 Meters - 1: Meters - 1: ,000 Meters - 2:27.48 Mile Run - 4:10.75 (4:10.46o) Brad Doering (pronounced DOOR-ing) saw big improvement in 2008 and is expected to be a strong contributor to the 2009 squad. Brad made outstanding improvements last season, Coach Jay Dirksen said. Brad possesses above average speed and he is an excellent competitor. This summer his training has risen to another level, which puts Brad in a position to make a major impact for the team (Sophomore) Doering opened his sophomore campaign with a ninthplace finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic, improving on his 13th-place finish from Doering then finished 47th (22:46.3) at the BYU Invitational and 29th (26:32.3) at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, contributing to the men s third straight team title at the Woody Greeno. Doering broke back into the top 20 with an 18th-place showing at the South Dakota State Classic, running a time of 26:34 to contribute to the men s third team title of the season. The Yuba City, Calif., native ended the season at his first Big 12 Championships, where he finished 46th with a time of 25:37.8. From his performance in 2008, Doering was named the team s Most Improved Runner. Brad Doering Junior Yuba City, Calif. (Yuba City) NU Men s Most Improved Runner (2008) HERO Award (2009) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008) 1,000 Meters - 2: Meters - 1:56.45 Mile Run - 4: ,500 Meters - 3: ,000 Meters - 8: ,000-Meter SC - 9:34.63 Freshman (2007) Doering worked on making the transition to the competitive Big 12 Conference in his freshman year. He opened the season at the Creighton/UNO Classic where he finished 13th with a time of 29:29. Out of 269 runners at the Woody Greeno, he finished 58th (26:59.1) on the 8K course. His final meet of the year came at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., where he suffered an injury and was unable to compete the rest of the season. Still recovering from an injury after the cross country season, Doering redshirted the indoor track season. He rebounded to compete during the outdoor season, running in seven meets. Doering s best performance of the year came at the Stanford Invitational where he ran a personal-best time of 3:55.76 in the 1,500-meter run. High School (Yuba City) Doering qualified for the California Division I State Cross Country Championships three years in a row under Coach Mike Buzbee. He was 42nd as a senior, 74th as a junior and 49th as a sophomore for Yuba City High School. On the track, Doering qualified for the California state meet as a sophomore in the 3,200-meter run and as a junior in the 1,600-meter run. As a senior, he was knocked down during the Sac Joaquin Section Masters Finals and fell short of the state meet after an outstanding regular season. Doering had prep personal-best times of 1:56.48 in the 800, 4:18.19 in the 1,600, 8:43.98 in the 3,000 and 9:23.25 in the 3,200. Brad was born in Yuba City, Calif., on Dec. 1, He is the son of Mark and Sheri Doering and has one sister, Stacy, and one brother, Mark. Doering is a secondary education major at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 31

6 Peter Falcon Junior Bellevue, Neb. (West) Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008) Mile Run - 4: ,500 Meters - 4: ,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 14: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 32:23.93 Peter Falcon took a big step forward in 2008 and will be expected to be one of the Huskers top runners in Peter really made his presence felt during the 2008 cross country season, Coach Jay Dirksen said. His improvement from his freshman season was impressive and he was in the top five team runners in most of his competitions (Sophomore) Falcon started 2008 on a high note, finishing fifth at the Creighton/UNO Classic with a time of 19:18, helping bring home the men s team title. He followed with a 25th-place finish at the BYU Invitational, running a time of 22:13.6 on the four-mile course. Falcon improved 15 spots from 2007 at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational with a 15th-place time of 26:05.2. The Bellevue, Neb., native then made a huge gain at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, jumping 54 spots from 2007 with a 164th-place showing (25:26.6). Falcon ended the year running on both the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional Championship teams, finishing 75th and 73rd, respectively. Falcon made steady progress during his freshman year, capping it off with a 67th-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. At his first collegiate meet he placed 11th at the Creighton/UNO Classic with a time of 29:10. At the NCAA Pre-National meet he placed 218th in the blue division with a time of 25:53.3. Falcon was the fifth Husker to cross the finish line at the Big 12 Championships, running a time of 26:49.3. Falcon ran in five meets during the indoor track season and missed the outdoor season due to a knee injury. During the summer, Falcon was runner-up in the young men s 5,000 meters at the USATF National Junior Olympics with a personalbest time of 15: High School (Bellevue West) Falcon was a rare four-time qualifier to the Nebraska Class A State Cross Country Championships under Coach Craig Christians. Falcon s best finish came in 2007 (sixth), helping lead his team to a third-place finish. In the 2007 Nebraska State Track and Field Championships, Falcon produced personal-best performances to finish fourth in both the 1,600 (4:26.07) and 3,200 (9:42.86). He also ran the anchor leg on the fifth-place 4x800-meter relay team. At the 2006 state meet, Falcon placed fifth in the 3,200. During the summer, he ran a 5,000-meter time of 16:00.55 to finish 10th in the young men s division at the USATF Junior Olympic Championships in Walnut, Calif. The son of Manuel and Maggie Falcon, Peter was born on Sept. 13, 1989, in Wichita, Kan. He has two brothers, Simon, and Nick. Peter is majoring in biology at Nebraska. Todd Gulizia Junior Omaha, Neb. (Millard South) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008) 3,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 14: ,000 Meters - 15:00.51 (14:38.94o) 10,000 Meters - 31:44.35 Todd Gulizia (pronounced GUH-litz-EE-uh) is expected to make a big impact on the Huskers this season if he can stay healthy. Todd has been on the verge of greatness since he arrived on campus, Coach Jay Dirksen said. Unfortunately he has suffered several setbacks at inopportune times (Sophomore) Gulizia was one of the Huskers top runners in 2008, before late-season back problems kept him out of the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Gulizia opened the year at the BYU Invitational, finishing 17th with a time of 21:59.6. He followed with a pair of top-10 finishes, coming in 10th (25:53.1) at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational and sixth at the South Dakota State Classic (25:47). The Omaha, Neb., native was shut down for the year after the NCAA Pre-Nationals, where he finished 205th with a time of 25:45.6. Gulizia made a strong impact on the Nebraska cross country team in his freshman year, finishing among the top three Husker runners at each of his six meets, while being the first Husker to cross the finish line twice (Creighton/UNO Classic and Roy Griak). At the Roy Griak, NCAA Pre-Nationals and Big 12 Championships, Gulizia was the first or second Husker to finish, trailing senior Peter van der Westhuizen at the NCAA Pre-Nationals and Big 12 Championships. In his first Big 12 Championships he ran a 26:01.3 to finish 38th. Gulizia ended his season at the NCAA Midwest Regional where he finished 52nd with a time of 31:45 on the 10K course. Gulizia competed in five meets during the indoor track season, setting personal bests in the mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs. His outdoor season came to an abrupt halt after he was diagnosed with mononucleosis following his first meet at the Stanford Invitational where he ran the 10,000 meters. High School (Millard South) Gulizia led Millard South High School to the 2006 Class A state championship with his individual title, blowing away the field by nearly 30 seconds (15:28.19) to claim the All-Class gold medal. He was third in his two other appearances at the state meet in 2004 and 2005 under coaches Scot Rainbolt and Dustin Llewellyn. The 2007 Nebraska Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Gulizia swept the All-Class gold medals by winning the Class A titles in both the 1,600 (4:18.84) and 3,200 (9:16.36). He qualified for the same two events as a junior and sophomore, placing fourth in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200 in 2006 and seventh in the 1,600 in Gulizia s best performance was saved for his final high school race at the Nike Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., where he ran a time of 9:07.90 for the full two mile, the second-best performance in Nebraska prep history. Todd was born on Aug. 10, 1988, in Omaha, Neb. The son of AJ and Jolene Gulizia, he has a twin brother, Matt. Todd is majoring in international business at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 32

7 One of six juniors on the team, Eric Thies will be looked to for leadership, while he also pushes for a spot in the Huskers top seven. Eric loves to run and has been very consistent in his training, Coach Jay Dirksen said. One of the hardest workers on the team, Eric should see results from all the hard work he has done this summer (Sophomore) Thies started his sophomore campaign at Nebraska with an 18th-place finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic, running a 6K time of 20:31. Thies then made major strides from 2007 at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, improving from 163rd in 2007 to 104th with a time of 27:58.4. Following a 64thplace finish at the South Dakota State Classic, Thies ended the season at the Chile Pepper Festival with a 164th-place time of 33:45.2. Thies earned a spot to compete at the Big 12 Championships and was one of seven Huskers to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional in his freshman year. Thies started the year with a 15th-place finish at the Creighton/UNO Classic on the 8K course. He was the seventh Husker to cross the finish line at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 27:17.1. Thies ended his freshman campaign at the NCAA Midwest Regional where he finished 91st with a time of 32:49 on a 10K course. On the track, Thies competed both indoor and outdoor. His top finish of the year came at the Ward Haylett Invitational, when he won the 5,000 meters in a time of 15: Eric Thies Junior Arlington, Minn. (Sibley East) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008) 3,000 Meters - 8:58.87 (8:56.70o) 5,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 32:58.61 High School (Sibley East) Thies was a four-time qualifier to the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Championships with a career-high finish of sixth as a senior under Coach Mike Vrklan. He also placed 24th (junior), 12th (sophomore) and 76th (freshman) at the state competition. On the track, Thies qualified for the Minnesota Class A state meet five straight years. His first trip was to the 2003 state meet when he was only an eighth grader. He scored as a sophomore in 2004 (sixth) and as a junior in 2005 (third) in a personal-best 3,200-meter time of 9: His personal-best 1,600 time of 4:23.78 was a record-setting performance to win the Minnesota Section 1A Championship. Thies was the vice president of his National Honor Society chapter. The son of Kevin and Kathleen Thies, Eric was born on Jan. 17, 1989, in Glencoe, Minn. He has two brothers, Andrew and Sam. Eric is majoring in finance at Nebraska. Mikel (pronounced Michael) Thomas stood out as one of the Huskers top runners in 2008 and will be expected to help carry the team in Mikel is a very talented runner, who at times has looked like he could be one of the better runners in the Big 12, Coach Jay Dirksen said. His progress has been slowed by illness and injury but this summer he has run more miles than any previous year. Big things are expected from Mikel this season (Sophomore) Thomas opened the year with a sixth-place time of 19:19 at the Creighton/UNO Classic, followed by a 30th-palce showing at the Woody/Greeno Nebraska Invitational, running a time of 26:43.2. After placing ninth at the South Dakota State Classic, Thomas competed in his first Pre-Nationals meet, running a time of 25:33.2 to finish 181st. The Clovis, Calif., native opened the postseason with a 33rd-place time of 25:21.8 at the Big 12 Championships, 32 spots higher than his 65th-place finish in Thomas then jumped seven spots from 2007 at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing 44th with a time of 32:25.3. Mikel Thomas Junior Clovis, Calif. (Clovis) Mile Run - 4: ,000 Meters - 14: ,000 Meters - 8:36.16 (8:31.13o) 3,000-Meter SC - 8:58.67 Thomas became one of Nebraska s top runners at the end of the 2007 season. He started his collegiate career at the Creighton/UNO Classic where he finished ninth with a time of 28:33. After finishing 154th at the Roy Griak, Thomas elevated his game at the Big 12 Championships where he was the fourth Husker to finish and the 65th runner overall at 26:45.4. He improved even more at the NCAA Midwest Regional as the second Husker to cross the tape and 51st runner overall with a time of 31:41 on the 10K course. On the track, Thomas qualified for the Midwest Regional in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. At the USA Junior Championships, he finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best time of 8: High School (Clovis) Thomas was the 2006 California Division II state cross country champion and 2005 runner-up under Coach Rob Brenner. Thomas qualified for the Footlocker High School Cross Country Championships in San Diego, where he finished 19th in a field of 40 of the nation s top prep cross country runners. Thomas qualified for the California State Track and Field Championships three times in the 3,200-meter run. His best finish was fourth (9:04.56) as a junior, followed by a fifth-place finish as a senior (9:11.30), despite nursing a quadricep injury much of the spring. His personal-best time of 4:14.86 in the 1,600 was set at the 2007 Azusa Pacific Distance Meet of Champions. In 2006 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational, Thomas ran a career-best time of 8:59.81 in the 3,200. Mikel was born in Pensacola, Fla., on April 8, He is the son of Dennis and Yolanda Boyles, and has three sisters, Alyssa, Shayna and Katie. Mikel is majoring in sociology at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 33

8 Jesse Adams Sophomore Ogallala, Neb. (Ogallala) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008) 3,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 15:32.81 Jesse Adams made good progress last season while he transitioned to collegiate running. He is expected to push the more seasoned runners this season for a spot in the top seven. Jesse started out slow last season but made good steady progress throughout the entire year, Coach Jay Dirksen said. Like any freshman, he just needed time to make the transition from high school to college (Freshman) Adams started his collegiate cross country career with an 11th-place finish at the Creighton/ UNO Classic, contributing to a team title for the men s squad. Adams then finished 60th (27:13.1) at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational and 33rd (27:01) at the South Dakota State Classic, helping the men s team bring home two more team titles. The Ogallala, Neb., native ended the year at the Big 12 Championships, running a time of 27:00.6 to finish 82nd. High School (Ogallala) Adams earned three Nebraska Class B state championships at Ogallala High School under Coach Shane Fruit. Adams made trips to the state cross country meet in 2005, 2006 and 2007, helping Ogallala capture a team title in 2006 along with a pair of third-place finishes. Adams also excelled on the track, as he earned two gold and three silver medals at the state meet. As a sophomore in 2006, he finished second in the 3,200-meters (9:58.29). He returned as a junior in 2007 to win the event (9:34.28), and then defended his title (9:36.52) in He also earned runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2008 in the 1,600 meters. The son of Chad and Barbara Adams, Jesse was born on Jan. 26, Jesse has three siblings, Rebecca, Harry and Sam. Jesse is majoring in finance at Nebraska. Adam Mitteis (pronounced (MET-us) started to make the transition to collegiate running last year, but was slowed during cross country and track and field season with injury. Adam developed back trouble during his first cross country race last fall, Coach Jay Dirksen said. s he hurt his knee in the first indoor race of the season which ended his year. During the outdoor season when he was able to return to full training, he began a slow buildup in his training and has been injury free since that time and has had a great summer (Freshman) Mitteis finished 30th in his first collegiate race at the Creighton/ UNO Classic to help the Husker men to the team title. He then struggled the rest of the season due to a back injury he sustained during the Creighton/UNO Classic. Adam Mitteis Sophomore Plattsmouth, Neb. (Plattsmouth) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2009) 3,000 Meters - 9: Meters - 1: ,600 Meters - 4: ,200 Meters - 9:25.82 The men followed with a win at the Woody Greeno/Husker Invitational, while Mitteis ran 28:02.5 to finish 110th. After a 52nd-place finish at the South Dakota State Classic, Mitteis finished 145th at one of the top regular-season meets of the year, the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. Mitteis competed once for the Huskers during the 2009 indoor track and field season, before he missed the rest of the indoor and outdoor seasons with a knee injury. In his lone competition, Mitteis finished 30th at the Holiday Inn Invitational with a time of 9:40.22 in the 3,000 meters. He was granted a medical hardship for the indoor season. High School (Plattsmouth) Mitteis won two Nebraska Class B state cross country titles under the tutelage of Coach Todd Nott. Mitteis burst onto the high school scene as a freshman in 2004, capturing the individual title with a time of 16:46.63 in the 5,000-meter race. After finishing third in 2005 and second in 2006, Mitteis returned to the top of the ranks by capturing his second title in his senior season (16:17.13). Mitteis won five Class B gold medals during his prep career on the track, including three in 2008 (800 meters, 1,600 meters and 4x800-meter relay). His winning times in the 800 (1:55.62) and 1,600 (4:22.46) meters were personal bests. Mitteis was the 3,200 meter runner up as a senior, junior and freshman. Adam is the son of Doug and Vicki Mitteis and was born on May 26, Adam has two younger siblings, sister, Lauren, and brother, Andrew. Adam is majoring in biological sciences at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 34

9 Anthony Oberle Sophomore Sioux City, Iowa (Bishop Heelan) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008, 2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2007, 2008) Mile Run - 4: ,000 Meters - 15: ,000 Meters - 8: ,000 Meters - 31: ,000 Meters - 14:56.32 Anthony Oberle (pronounced OH-ber-LEE) ran on both postseason teams last season as a redshirt freshman and is one of many young runners on the team that should push for a spot in the top seven. Anthony is a young man who loves to run and run lots of miles, Coach Jay Dirksen said. He is a tough, fearless competitor and is one of the hardest workers on any Husker team (Redshirt Freshman) Oberle was one of the Huskers top runners in his first season, running in all seven meets and producing four top-50 finishes. Oberle finished seventh in his first collegiate race with a 6K time of 19:25 at the Creighton/UNO Classic, as the men s team won the meet title. He then finished 41st (22:41.9) and 40th (25:54.2) in back-to-back meets at the BYU Invitational (4 miles) and Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational (8K), respectively. Oberle ran on both the Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional Championship teams, posting 67th- and 85th-place finishes, respectively. Oberle redshirted his first year at Nebraska after suffering a stress fracture late in the summer. Oberle showed major improvement during the indoor track season, with personal-best times of 8:39.30 in the 3,000 meters and 14:56.32 in the 5,000 meters. s he posted wins in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Concordia Invitational and Hastings Bronco Relays, respectively. Oberle recorded his top time on the team in the 10,000 meters with a 10th-place finish at the Drake Relays (31:40.52). High School (Bishop Heelan) Oberle was a four-year qualifier for the Iowa Class 3A State Cross Country Championships. His best performance at the state meet came with a seventh-place finish as a sophomore in He placed 44th as a freshman, 14th as a junior and 21st as a senior. Following his senior state meet, he was diagnosed with whooping cough, which explained his drop in performances at the end of the season. Oberle was a familiar face in the 3,200-meter run at the Iowa Class 3A State Track Meet, qualifying four years in a row. He won the 3,200 title as a senior in a personal-best time of 9:26.44, following a second-place finish as a junior and a third-place showing as a sophomore. Oberle was a member of the National Honor Society. Anthony was coached in high school by his father, Don. He was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on Oct. 11, He is the son of Don and Mindy Oberle, and has three sisters, Sara, Amanda and Emily. Anthony is majoring in biology at Nebraska. Jon Ronhovde (pronounced RON-hov-DEE) used last season to transition from high school to collegiate running and is expected to see good improvement this season. Jon possesses great potential, but like many freshmen, he had a struggle making the transition from the 5,000-meter high school racing distance to the 8,000-meter races in college, Coach Jay Dirksen said. A hard worker, who is capable of doing the amount of training required to be very successful, Jon will no doubt see major improvements this year (Freshman) One of three true freshmen on the 2008 men s team, Ronhovde made his Husker debut at the Creighton/UNO Classic with a 20th-place finish. The Fremont, Neb., native then ran in the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, finishing 98th in the 324-athlete field. Following a 42nd-place showing at the South Dakota State Classic, Ronhovde closed out the season with a 208th-place time of 35:27.1 at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. Ronhovde redshirted both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. High School (Fremont) Ronhovde made trips to the Nebraska Class A State Cross Country Championships in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a sophomore in 2005 he helped his team to a first-place finish, while finishing 33rd individually. He made significant progress the next two years, finishing eighth in 2006 before winning the state title and the allclass gold medal in 2007 (16:11.22) in the 5,000-meter race. On the track, Ronhovde made his first trip to the state meet as a sophomore in 2006, finishing eighth in the 3,200 meters. He returned as a junior to place third in the 3,200 meters (9:39.61), while also finishing third in the 1,600 meters (4:23.96) and seventh in the 800 meters (2:00.19). He capped his senior season by taking the All- Class gold medal in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4: Ronhovde also finished sixth in the 800 meters (1:56.92), 3,200 meters (9:36.24) and anchored the secondplace 4x800-meter relay team (8:00.97). Jon is the son of Mike and Edie Ronhovde. He was born on May, Jon has two sisters, Erin and Brooke. He is majoring in marketing at Nebraska. Jon Ronhovde Sophomore Fremont, Neb. (Fremont) Big 12 Spring Commissioner s Honor Roll (2009) Big 12 Fall Commissioner s Honor Roll (2008) 800 Meters - 1:56.3 1,600 Meters - 4:18.3 3,200 Meters - 9: nebraska Cross Country 35

10 Tommy Brinn Freshman Otsego, Mich. (Otsego) 400 Meters Meters (47.9h) 800 Meters - 1: Meters - 1: ,600 Meters - 4: ,600 Meters - 4:20.65 Tommy Brinn was one of the premier 800-meter preps last season and is expected to be a major contributor to the Husker program in the future. Tommy possesses great speed and should have a great future as a Husker, Coach Jay Dirksen said. High School (Otsego) Brinn comes to Nebraska after finishing as Otsego s top runner the past two seasons at the Michigan Lower Peninsula Division 2 Cross Country Championships, including an 11th-place individual finish in 2008 that propelled the Bulldogs to third in the team standings under Coach Steve Long. Brinn excelled on the track in the 800 meters, where he captured back-to-back Michigan Lower Peninsula Division 2 championships as a junior and senior, setting the meet record as a junior with a time of 1: He also finished second in the 400 meters and was a member of the runner-up 4x400-meter relay at the state meet in Brinn led Michigan to a win over Ohio and Indiana at the 2009 Midwest Meet of Champions with a meet-record and personal-best time of 1: Brinn ranked No. 4 nationally as a senior and No. 22 as a junior in the 800 meters. Brinn was sixth at the 2009 USA Junior Nationals in Eugene, Ore., with a time of 1: The son of Chauncy and Janis Brinn, Tommy was born Feb. 11, Brinn has one brother, Trevor, and has not declared a major at Nebraska. Brett Grieb Freshman York, Neb. (York) 1,600 Meters - 4:28.00 Matt Shipp Redshirt Freshman Bertrand, Neb. (Bertrand) Big 12 Commissioner s Spring Honor Roll (2009) Big 12 Commissioner s Fall Honor Roll (2008) 600 Yards - 1:13.41 (1:12.87o) 400 Meters Meters - 1: Meters - 1:54.29 Matt Shipp, who did not compete in cross country last season, already possesses good speed and will look to develop some stamina in Matt is an outstanding 800-meter runner and will use the cross country season to develop strength and stamina for the track season, Coach Jay Dirksen said (Freshman - Redshirt) Shipp was not a member of the Nebraska cross country team in He competed during the indoor and outdoor season for the track and field team in High School (Bertrand) Shipp competed at the Nebraska Class D State Cross Country Championships all four years of high school, finishing eighth as a sophomore. On the track, Shipp won one state championship at Bertrand High School as a senior and three state titles at Tri County High School from 2005 to Shipp won the 800 meters at the Nebraska Class C state meet in 2006 and 2007, including an 800-meter All-Class gold medal in 2007 with a time of 1: He also earned 400-meter titles in Class C in 2007 and Class D in The son of Dennis and Teresa Shipp, Matt was born Nov. 13, He has a brother, Brett, and a sister, Brittany. Shipp is a nutritional science and dietetics major at Nebraska. Trevor Vidlak Freshman Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast) 1,600 Meters - 4:28.3 1,600 Meters - 4: ,200 Meters - 9:33.02 Brett Grieb is expected to redshirt the 2009 season as he makes the transition to collegiate running. Brett is a developing freshman who will use this year to make the transition from high school to college training and racing, Coach Jay Dirksen said. High School (York) Grieb joins the Huskers after four years at York High School. Grieb made trips to the Nebraska Class B State Cross Country Championships all four years of high school, with his best finishes coming in 2006 (33rd) and 2008 (34th). On the track, Grieb competed in the 1,600-meter run at the state meet during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. His top finish came in 2009 when he placed third with a personal-best time of 4: A second-generation Husker, Brett is the son of Chris and Sheila Grieb. His father earned a letter on the track and field team in Brett was born Nov. 6, 1990 and has one brother, Ryan. Brett is majoring in biological sciences at Nebraska. Trevor Vidlak will use 2009 as a season to transition to collegiate running. Trevor is another freshman who will need a year to make the adjustment to the longer racing and bigger training volumes, Coach Jay Dirksen said. High School (Northeast) Vidlak joins the Huskers after qualifying for six Nebraska Class A State Championships at Lincoln Northeast High School under Head Coach John Snoozy. Vidlak competed at the state cross country championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008, including a seventh-place finish as a senior with a time of 16:43.5 on the 5K course. In his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Vidlak qualified in both the 3,200 and 1,600 meters at the state track and field meet. He earned his first state medals as a junior, finishing sixth in the 1,600 meters (4:33.34) and eighth in the 3,200 meters (9:54.41). Vidlak returned as a senior in 2009 to again finish sixth in the 1,600 meters (4:28.62), but cut over 20 seconds off his 2008 state time to move up to second in the 3,200 meters with a personal-best time of 9: The son of Theresa Schoonover and Tom Vidlak, Trevor was born June 10, Trevor is majoring in actuarial science at Nebraska nebraska Cross Country 36

11 Creighton/UNO Classic (6K) Saturday, Aug Omaha, Neb. Team Champion: Nebraska (27 points) 1. David Adams, Nebraska... 19:06 2. Austin Vande Berg, Augustana... 19:13 3. Travis Beniak, Augustana... 19:16 4. Nathan Carr, Iowa Western... 19:17 5. Peter Falcon, Nebraska... 19:18 6. Mikel Thomas... 19:19 7. Anthony Oberle... 19:25 8. Bryce Somer... 19:27 9. Brad Doering... 19: Jesse Adams... 19: Eric Thies... 20: Jon Ronhovde... 20: Adam Mitteis BYU Autumn Classic (4 Miles) Saturday, Sept. 6 - Provo, Utah Team Champion: BYU (15 points) Nebraska Finish: 3rd (87 points) 1. Stephan Shay, BYU... 21: Jimmy Grabow, Unattached... 21: Brandon Hebbert, BYU... 21: Richard Nelson, BYU... 21: Kyle Perry, BYU... 21: David Adams... 21: Todd Gulizia... 21: Peter Falcon... 22: Bryce Somer... 22: Anthony Oberle... 22: Brad Doering... 22:51.7 Woody Greeno/ Nebraska Invitational (8K) Saturday, Sept Lincoln, Neb. Team Champion: Nebraska (17 points) 1. Ben Zywicki, Colorado School of Mines... 24: Julius Bor, Cloud CC... 24: Stephen Dak, Iowa Central... 24: Joel Rop, Butler CC... 25: Wesley Ruttoh, Butler CC... 25: David Adams... 25: Todd Gulizia... 25: Peter Falcon... 26: Bryce Somer... 26: Brad Doering... 26: Mikel Thomas... 26: Anthony Oberle... 26: Jesse Adams... 27: Jon Ronhovde... 27: Eric Thies... 27: Adam Mitteis... 28: Meet-by-Meet Recaps South Dakota State Classic (8K) Saturday, Oct. 4 - Brookings, S.D. Team Champion: Nebraska (38 points) 1. Brad Lowery, SDSU Alumni... 24:47 2. Peter van der Westhuizen, Team Nebraska... 25:20 3. James Krajsa, Minnesota State Mankato... 25:20 4. David Adams, Nebraska... 25:34 5. James Scanandore, North Dakota State... 25:39 6. Todd Gulizia... 25:47 9. Mikel Thomas... 26: Kyle Custer... 26: Peter Falcon... 26: Anthony Oberle... 26: Brad Doering... 26: Bryce Somer... 26: Matt Conahan... 26: Jesse Adams... 27: Jon Ronhovde... 27: Adam Mitteis... 27: James Laville... 28: Eric Thies... 28:13 Chile Pepper Festival (10K) Saturday, Oct Fayetteville, Ark. Team Champion: Texas A&M (52 points) Nebraska Finish: 17th (467 points) 1. Daniel Kirwa, Harding... 28: Samuel Kosgei, Lamar... 29: Shadrack Songok, Texas A&M... 29: Julius Nyango, Abilene Christian... 29: Steven Sambu, Rend Lake... 29: Bryce Somer... 31: Matt Conahan... 32: Jesse Adams... 32: Adam Mitteis... 33: Eric Thies... 33: James Laville... 35: Jon Ronhovde Pre-Nationals Blue Race (8K) Saturday, Oct Terre Haute, Ind. Team Champion: Alabama (89 points) Nebraska Finish: 33 (789 points) 1. Tyson David, Alabama... 23: David McNeill, Northern Arizona... 23: Hassan Mead, Minnesota... 23: Patrick Smyth, Notre Dame... 23: Augustus Maiyo, Alabama... 23: David Adams... 24: Kyle Custer... 25: Peter Falcon... 25: Mikel Thomas... 25: Brad Doering... 25: Todd Gulizia Anthony Oberle... 26:06.4 Big 12 Championships (8K) Saturday, Nov. 1 - Ames, Iowa Team Champion: Oklahoma State (26 points) Nebraska Finish: 7th (200 points) : 1. German Fernandez, Oklahoma State... 23: Shadrack Songok, Texas A&M... 23: John Kosgei, Oklahoma State... 24: Ryan Vail, Oklahoma State... 24: Colby Lowe, Oklhoma State... 24: David Adams... 25: Mikel Thomas... 25: Kyle Custer... 25: Brad Doering... 25: Anthony Oberle... 26: Bryce Somer... 26: Peter Falcon... 26: Matt Conahan... 26: Jesse Adams... 27:00.6 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships (10K) Saturday, Nov Stillwater, Okla. Team Champion: Oklahoma State (42 points) Nebraska Finish: 10th (269 points) 1. Hassan Mead, Minnesota... 31: Chris Rombough, Minnesota... 31: Jon Kosgei, Oklahoma State`... 31: John Beattie, Tulsa... 31: German Fernandez, Oklahoma State... 31: Kyle Custer... 32: David Adams... 32: Mikel Thomas... 32: Peter Falcon... 33: Anthony Oberle... 33: Bryce Somer... 33: nebraska Cross Country 37

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