Nebraska track and field secured six USTFCCCA First-Team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday. The women’s team finished tied for 12th with 19 points and the men tied for 26th with 11.
Axelina Johansson highlighted the day by winning her third career national championship in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.55m (64-1 ¾), over a meter farther than second place. Johansson claimed her sixth career medal and eighth All-America award.
The senior from Hok, Sweden has now won back-to-back indoor shot put national titles and owns the NCAA record (19.72m, 64-8 ½).
Senior Mine De Klerk added fifth place in the women’s shot put, throwing 17.86m (58-7 ¼) for her best career NCAA finish. The South African earned first-team All-America honors for the second time in her career. Amelia Flynt finished 16th, securing second-team honors with a throw of 15.16m (49-9).
On the men’s side, Cade Moran used a monster personal best of 20.40m (66-11 ¼) to earn a bronze medal and first-team All-America honors at his first career NCAA Championship.
The sophomore women’s high jump duo of Karsyn Leeling and Ela Velepec showed out, tying for seventh after both clearing 1.85m (6-0 ¾) on their second attempts. The pair earned first-team All-America honors for the first time in their careers.
Rhianna Phipps added a seventh-place finish of her own in the women’s triple jump final, jumping 13.37m (43-10 ½). Phipps earned first-team All-America honors for the second time in her career.
The senior from St. Thomas, Jamaica won the Big Ten triple jump title with a mark of 13.62m (44-8 ¼) in February.
Berlyn Schutz rounded out the day with a ninth-place finish in the women’s mile final, running 4:42.35. Schutz claimed second-team All-America honors at her first career NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Huskers will be back in action at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational (March 27-28) for the beginning of the outdoor season. Events will begin at 11 a.m.
