Weekly Release
UNI Website

This Week
The UNO Maverick track & field team will visit Northern Iowa this weekend to take part in the Jack Jennett Invitational.  The meet will be held on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27 and 28 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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 (distance) and Rich Emsick (throws).

Last Meet
The Mavericks set a host of personal bests last weekend at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational at Lincoln, Neb.  Junior Sami Spenner won the long jump with a personal best mark of 18-7 ¼, nearly three inches farther than her previous PR.  She also had a PR in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.10, good for fifth place.

Sophomore Kathie-Lee Laidley won the high jump with a mark of 5-7.  It was her first time competing in the event this year and just three inches off her school record of 5-10.

Junior Amanda Vorthmann took first in the mile at 5:07.99, her first time running the race this year.  She also pulled off a remarkable double, taking second in the 3,000 meters in a time of 10:21.65, just two seconds off her PR set at Iowa State in December.

Sophomore Denneil Shaw had a personal best in the triple jump at 36-5 ½ to earn third place.

Freshman Kristin Rogers had a personal best in the 5,000 meters at 18:58.35.

Freshman Lauren Psota topped her previous personal best in the 400 meters with a time of 59.16.

NCAA Championship
As UNO begins its transition to Division I, the Mavericks are unable to compete in the NCAA Championships this season.  Therefore, they are not included in the national indoor qualifier list.

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 student-athletes on the Dean's List for the fall semester and 10 at the end of the spring semester. To earn all-academic honors, the team must accumulate a GPA of at least 3.00. Eight Mavericks also were 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
Next weekend, the Mavericks will venture south to Wichita State to take part in the Varsity Apartments Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4.