Weekly Release

This Week
    The UNO Maverick track & field team will compete in the 2012 Holiday Inn Invitational hosted by Nebraska in Lincoln Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14. The team will begin competing at 4 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Coaches
    Steve Smith is in his sixth season as the head coach of the University of Nebraska Omaha track program after more than two decades of success as an assistant at Barton Community College, Nebraska and at UNO. Smith was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Indoor Coach of the Year after guiding the Mavericks to a stunning win in the 2009 MIAA Indoor Championships in March. Smith's team also finished the 2010-11 season 20th by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Smith is assisted by Chris Richardson (jumps and pentathalon/heptathalon), Marc Bierbaum (running) and Rich Emsick (throws).

Last Meet
    At the Cyclone Holiday Preview, hosted by Iowa State, senior Amanda Vorthmann placed first in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 10:19:30, only one second ahead of second place. Freshman Kristin Rogers also made a personal best in the 3,000 meter run, clocking in at 10:57:22. Junior Sami Spenner earned a personal best and first place in the triple jump with a distance of 39-1, which granted her an NCAA Provisional Mark. Spenner also placed second in the long jump and secured a new personal best with her distance of 18-4 1/2 inches, a mark that earned her a second NCAA Provisional Mark. Other UNO athletes that made personal bests in the long jump are: sophomore Celeste Robinson (16-3), sophomore Ckalyn Roth-Clark (14-10 1/2) and freshman Amanda Alexander (14-1/2).  In the 300 meter run, freshman Terri Armstrong had a personal record with 41:36 as well as freshman Lauren Psota with 43:54. Freshman Ashley Kildow made a personal record in the 800 meter with a time of 2:31:35. In the 600 meter run, freshman Kelsey Green made her personal best with a time of 1:44:34. Sophomore Celeste Robinson passed her personal best of 9:33 in the 60 meter hudles with a time of 9:35.

 Would-be Qualifiers
    With UNO unable to compete in the NCAA Championships this season, they are not being ranked on the national list. Sami Spenner would be ranked 33rd on the Qualifier List for the triple jump with her distance of 39-1 for her jump at the Cyclone Holiday Preview.     

All-Academic Team
    Last season the UNO track & field team earned an All-Academic Team  honor. Overall the athletes acquired a GPA of 3.19 and had 12 girls on the Dean's List for the fall semester and 10 at the end of the spring semester. To make all-academic, the team must accumulate a GPA of at least 3.00. Eight Mavericks were also named USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees for the 2010-11 academic year. The athletes who made the list were: Jody-Ann Coore, Kayla Koepke, Lianne McNaughton, Maja Mihalinec, Heather Minssen, Anja Puc, Celeste Robinson and Sami Spenner.     

Up Next For the Mavericks
    On Friday,  Jan. 20, the Mavs will once again travel to Lincoln for the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite. The action begins at 12:30 p.m at the Knight Field House and Bob Devaney Sports Center.