View Static Version
Loading

NEBRASKA TRACK & FIELD

At Nebraska Track and Field, we measure ourselves against the elite athletes and teams in the world, and because of that we strive to provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes. Nebraska has a reputation for developing talent and helping our student-athletes reach their full potential.
Team success is vital to our program. We have won over 100 conference team championships in our proud history and we are committed to continuing that tradition.
The Nebraska plan is always for student-athletes to graduate with all the tools for lifelong success.

Head Coach Justin St. Clair

Justin St. Clair is the head track and field coach at Nebraska after taking over in the 2023 season. In his first season as head coach in 2023, St. Clair was the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, as well as the Big Ten Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year.

St. Clair, in his first year as head coach, led the NU women to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships with 25 points, their best performance at the NCAA meet since 2006. The Husker men tied for 17th at the NCAA meet, their best finish since 2016. Both the NU men and women had the top NCAA finish of any team from the Midwest Region.

The Husker women had two NCAA champions in 2023, both coached by St. Clair. Axelina Johansson won the NCAA shot put title, while Rhema Otabor won the javelin title. The Huskers had a combined 17 All-Americans, including seven first-team All-Americans.

St. Clair was the Big Ten Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year after the Husker men won the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with 151 points, their most at a conference meet since 2004. Meanwhile, the Husker women scored 112 points, their most ever at a Big Ten meet, to finish third. The Huskers collected a combined 12 Big Ten titles.

National Champions

The Huskers have produced a total of 81 individual national champions and three team titles.

Axelina Johansson (right) was the NCAA outdoor shot put champion in 2023. Rhema Otabor (above) captured the NCAA javelin title as well.
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep took third in the 100m hurdles at the 2008 Olypmics and was also a 2004 national champion in the 60m hurdles.
Current assistant coach and 2008 Olympian Dusty Jonas won the indoor high jump in 2008.
One of the most decorated sprinters in history, Merlene Ottey was a 12-time national champion at Nebraska. She went on to compete in a record seven Olympics and is a nine-time medalist.

Devaney Center Indoor Track

Click here for a tour of the Devaney Center Indoor Track

Manufactured by Mondo USA, the track was part of a $2.979 million renovation in 2000. The facility received a $1.1 million dollar face lift prior to the start of the 2011 season as the oval was resurfaced, the interior was repainted, new lights were installed and a 24x14-foot video board was hung. The oval we resurfaced prior to the 2020 season.

Nebraska streams its indoor meets for free worldwide via a six-camera setup. Each event area has its own dedicated camera and video stream for fans to watch.

One of nine hydraulic-banked tracks in the nation, NU's 200-meter track has the largest radius (67 feet) of any indoor-banked track in the world. The banks and all the running surfaces rest on a sleeper system, which is made of both steel (banks) and wood (straightaways) frames.

The Devaney Sports Center has played host to a number of the country's premiere track and field events, having hosted the final Big Eight Indoor Championships in 1996 and the first-ever Big 12 meet in 1997. Nebraska played host to the Big 12 Indoor Championships nine times in 15 years, including six straight championships from 2001 to 2006 and in 2011. After Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference, it hosted the first combined men's and women's indoor conference championship meet in 2012.

Alloy Strength Complex

Click here to take a tour of the Alloys Strength Complex

The Huskers utilize the David and Carol Alloy Strength Complex. The model strength and conditioning program in the nation, Husker Power plays a major role in the continuing success of Nebraska Athletics. Nebraska's strength program was the first in the nation, and their facilities have set the standard in collegiate athletics since the early 1970s. With 15 staff members, Husker Power is one of the most comprehensive strength and conditioning organizations in the nation.

New Outdoor Track

The Nebraska track and field team opened a brand new facility in 2022, located right next to the indoor track and track offices inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The $16.5 million project will enable Nebraska to host championship events and includes visiting team dressing rooms, meeting rooms and extra practice space.

ASSISTANT COACHES

BRENTON EMANUEL

SPRINTS / HURDLES / RELAYS

Brenton Emanuel joined the Nebraska track and field staff in July of 2021 and works with the Huskers' sprints, hurdles and relays.

In his first season in 2022, Emanuel helped coach the men's 4x400-meter relay team to a stunning upset win at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Huskers entered the meet with the ninth-fastest seed time and came away with the gold medal after a time of 3:09.51. Emanuel also aided in Darius Luff capturing first-team All-America honors in the 60-meter hurdles.

Prior to Nebraska, Emanuel served as the Director of Track and Field for three seasons at Eastern Illinois. He helped the Panthers win the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships in 2020 and the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in 2019 and 2021. Emanuel was named the OVC Indoor Track Coach of the Year in 2020 and OVC Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021. In the three seasons under Emanuel, EIU had 51 All-Ohio Valley Conference honorees, two OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year recipients and an honorable mention All-American.

VINCENT JOHNSON

JUMPS

Vincent Johnson joined the Nebraska track and field program as a horizontal jumps coach in September of 2022.

Johnson joined the Huskers after serving as the sprints and jumps coach and recruiting coordinator at Kansas State for 11 seasons. In his time at K-State, Johnson helped the horizontal jumps and sprints reach new heights. The K-State jumpers and sprinters totaled two NCAA titles, eight Big 12 titles, three first-team All-American honors, and the women's 4x100m relay squad placed eighth overall at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

DUSTY JONAS

HIGH JUMP / MULTI EVENTS

Former Husker high jump Olympian Dusty Jonas was named an assistant coach on the Nebraska track and field staff in 2018 and has been the Huskers' high jump coach since then. Jonas also coached the men's sprints, hurdles and relays from 2018-22 and took over as NU's multi events coach beginning with the 2023 season. Prior to his promotion to a full-time role in 2018, Jonas was a volunteer assistant for the Husker high jumpers for eight years.

After dominating at the collegiate level as an athlete, Jonas has turned the high jump into a dominant event for the Huskers at the Big Ten Conference meets. Since rejoining the Husker program as a volunteer coach in 2010, Jonas has coached 17 Big Ten high jump champions and 28 All-America high jumpers. Eighteen Huskers have cracked all-time top-10 high jump charts since 2010. Jonas' high jumpers have won eight of the possible 18 Big Ten gold medals since he moved into a full-time role in 2018.

In 2022, Jonas coached both Mayson Conner and Jenna Rogers to sweeps of the Big Ten indoor and outdoor high jump titles. Rogers went on to earn two first-team All-America accolades after finishing seventh and sixth at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively. Conner went on to earn two second-team All-America honors. Nebraska became the first Big Ten school since 2013 to sweep all four men's and women's Big Ten high jump gold medals.

MADDY NILLES

THROWS

Maddy Nilles was promoted to a full-time assistant coach for throws in September of 2022 after serving the 2021-22 season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Husker throwers.

In her one season as a volunteer assistant, Nilles helped coached a throws group that combined for seven All-America honors, four school records and 13 top-10 marks in program history in 2022.

Before coming to Nebraska, Nilles was a thrower under Nebraska interim head coach Justin St. Clair while at North Dakota State. With the Bison, Nilles was a four-time All-American in the hammer and weight throw and a two-time Summit League champion. Named the 2018 Summit League Outdoor Championships Field MVP, she placed fifth at the USA Indoor Championships and was an Olympic Trials participant.

RYUN GODFREY

Ryun Godfrey was named Nebraska’s new head cross country coach and distant coach for the track and field program on June 30, 2023.

Godfrey becomes the head cross country coach after working with the mid-distance runners as a volunteer assistant coach for the NU track and field program in 2022. He has 27 years of coaching experience, including 25 years at the collegiate level and two years at the high school level.

With the Huskers, Godfrey helped Niko Schultz and Sam Easley place in the 800m at the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively. Schultz reached the all-time top 10 charts at Nebraska in two indoor events in 2023, climbing to fifth in the 800m and sixth in the 600m.

Prior to Nebraska, Godfrey had coaching stints at Arizona State, Kansas State and North Dakota State. The 28-time Conference Coach of the Year selection and six-time DII Region Coach of the Year honoree was twice named Midwest Region Coach of the Year, while also receiving DII Coach of the Year and North Dakota Sports Writers/Sportscaster Coach of the Year recognition. Godfrey has coached four athletes who have qualified for the USA Championships and Olympic Trials, including two finalists. On the world level, he was helped two collegiate athletes to World/Olympic standards in the 800m.

MATT WACKERLY

CROSS COUNTRY / DISTANCE

Matt Wackerly is an assistant cross country and distance coach for the Nebraska track and field program. Wackerly is in his ninth season overall at Nebraska.

In his first year at Nebraska in 2016, Wackerly coached senior Erika Freyhof to a 138th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Freyhof was also an All-Big Ten runner for the second year in a row after finishing 13th at the conference meet. The Husker women won the team title at the Bradley Pink Classic.

In his first track and field season at Nebraska, Wackerly coached Dais Malebana to become the second Husker ever to run a sub-4:00 mile on a standard 200-meter track (3:59.88). Additionally, eight Husker distance runners cracked the all-time top-10 charts at NU in 2022. Freyhof highlighted the performances with the No. 2 10,000 meters time of 33:50.38.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Dick and Peg Herman Family Student Life Complex

Tour the Herman Student Life Complex

The athletic academic unit, located in the Dick and Peg Herman Family Student Life Complex, provides personal and academic support to ensure that student-athletes will get the most out of their years as Huskers. Featuring one of the most innovative and comprehensive academic support systems in the country, Nebraska is dedicated to helping its student-athletes become outstanding leaders in their chosen fields.

2019 NCAA Woman of the Year

Three-time Nebraska track and field All-American Angela Mercurio was named the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year, became the second University of Nebraska student-athlete all-time to receive the honor, joining former Nebraska volleyball national champion Billie Winsett-Fletcher (1996).

The NCAA Woman of the Year award has been presented annually since 1991 and recognizes the nation's top senior female student-athlete who has excelled in the award's four pillars of academics, athletics, service and leadership. Mercurio and Winsett-Fletcher are the only student-athletes from a current Big Ten school to have been chosen as NCAA Woman of the Year.

70 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

Track and Field student-athletes have combined to earn 70 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, including Drew Wiseman, who was a two-time first-team academic All-American and the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year.

NCAA ELITE 90 Academic Award

The ELITE 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.

Since the award started during the 2009-10 academic year, the Nebraska track and field team has had a student-athlete win it seven times, including:

  • John Welk (2013 and 2014 - Outdoor)
  • Anne Martin (2013 and 2014 - Outdoor)
  • Drew Wiseman (2015 - Indoor, 2017 - Outdoor)
  • Will Lohman (2015 - Outdoor)

Nation-Leading 351 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

Nebraska Athletics leads the nation with a 351 Division I CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.

Top Ten Award Winners

Nebraska student-athletes have won more NCAA Top Ten Awards than any other school in the country. Regarded as the nation's most prestigious academic award, Nebraska has had 18 recipients - including Anton Stephenson in 2019. The award honors male and female student-athletes throughout the country based upon the criteria of athletic achievement, academic achievement and community involvement.

95% Graduation Success Rate

Nebraska student-athletes continue to be among the nation’s best in the classroom. The NCAA released its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in December 2021 and Nebraska posted its highest GSR of all-time at 95 percent.

STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE

N-Vest Nebraska

Beginning with the 2022-23 academic year, Nebraska will reward Husker scholarship student-athletes for academic performance, success toward graduation and retention by awarding student-athletes who meet established benchmarks $5,980 per year.

Free MacBook Air

Every student-athlete is provided a MacBook Air while they are a student at Nebraska.

Student-Athlete Assistance Fund

Up to $1,400 a year to help with bills, bike, cell phone, furniture, etc.

Travel

The Lincoln airport has service from both Delta and United. The Omaha Airport is less than an hour away and includes flights from Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, OneJet, Southwest and United.

Performance Nutrition

  • 1,600 meals served daily to Nebraska student-athletes and staff members
  • Individualized Meal Plans/ Menus
  • Body Composition Testing
  • Competition Fueling
  • Supplement Education
  • High-Quality, Performance-Based Foods
  • The Landing- established in 2005
  • Oasis- established in 2011
  • Before, During, and After Workout Fueling Plan
  • Student nutrition volunteers assist in managing both areas
  • Prepare specialized nutritional shakes and recovery drinks for all student-athletes
  • Life Skills Kitchen- offers student- athletes to learn and prepare nutritious meals themselves

Refueling at "The Landing"

The Landing, established in 2005, and the Oasis, established in 2011, serve as fueling points for all athletes before, during, and after training. The Landing is located in North Stadium while the Oasis is housed in the Hendricks Training Complex. Both areas provide a number of different options including chocolate milk, recovery shakes, energy bars, bagels, fruits, nuts, and Gatorade for student athletes.

Husker Bucks

Available to all student-athletes on an active roster. App that gives the student-athlete $10 per day on Saturdays and Sundays to eat at select restaurants in downtown Lincoln, including:

  • Blaze Pizza
  • Chipotle
  • Fuzzy's Taco Shop
  • Grey Whale Poke Bowl
  • Jersey Mike's Subs
  • Jimmy John's
  • Noodles and Company
  • Rusty Taco
  • Smoothie King
  • Source. Eat Fit.
  • Subway

Service to a Much Larger Community

Regarded as the premier and most comprehensive Life Skills program in college athletics, the Husker program is committed to providing proactive education, resources and support through college and beyond to promote total person development and preparation for life after sports.

The Nebraska Life Skills program offered its fifth service trip in 2019, taking student-athletes to Alaska. Student-athletes have also traveled to Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Athletic Medicine

Providing expert care to more than 600 Husker student-athletes, Nebraska features one of the most well-trained and highly skilled athletic medicine staffs in the country.

Under the guidance of Director of Athletic Medicine Dr. Lonnie Albers, Head Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist Jerry Weber, the Nebraska athletic medicine staff consists of five physicians, 14 full-time athletic trainers, eight graduate assistant athletic trainers, four full-time in-house athletic psychologists, one full-time neuropsychologist and sports psychiatry consultants who work directly with student-athletes.

Post-Eligibility Opportunities

Mission Statement: Provide unmatched educational experiences to recent letterwinner graduates, increasing their marketability, personal development and intellectual growth.

Program Summary: PEO provides letterwinner alumni a one-semester scholarship, valued up to $7,500, to apply toward an internship, study abroad experience or graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Eligible letterwinner alumni, who fulfill all program requirements, will have up to three years from the time of graduation or exhaustion of eligibility, whichever occurs latest, to participate in this program.

HUSKER POWER

The model strength and conditioning program in the nation, Husker Power plays a major role in the continuing success of Nebraska athletics. Nebraska’s strength program was the first in the country, and with 14 current staff members, is one of the most comprehensive strength and conditioning organizations in the nation.

Nebraska’s strength training facilities have set the standard in collegiate strength training since the early 1970s. The Nebraska strength complex has been one of the most efficient and well-designed weight rooms in the country for nearly four decades.

NEBRASKA ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE LAB

The NAPL

Click here for a tour of the NAPL

The future of athletic performance is here. The Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory utilizes a multi-method, multi-disciplinary approach to athlete performance and health through technology and academic expertise. Through collaborative expertise, the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory strives to bring the best to the student-athletes of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In 2013, a 50,000-square-foot expansion of Nebraska's East Memorial Stadium brought together athletic and academic researchers in Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory (NAPL) under one roof to study human behavior and performance. The partnership is believed to be the nation's only joint, on campus athletic and academic research facility. The collaboration is a testament to Nebraska's commitment to student-athlete's performance, safety, and long-term health and well-being housed within East Memorial Stadium, allowing optimal accessibility for student-athletes, researchers, and coaching staffs.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

With an enrollment of over 25,000 students, the University of Nebraska has students from over 135 countries and 149 undergraduate majors. More information can be found here.

UNL National Rankings

  • Top 50 National Universities (U.S. News & World Report)
  • Among Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance)
  • No. 2 Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report)
  • No. 2 Best Online Graduate Education Programs for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report)
  • No. 6 Best Online MBA Programs (U.S. News & World Report)
  • No. 11 Best Online Graduate Education Programs (U.S. News & World Report)
  • No. 17 Speech-Language Pathology Grad Schools (U.S. News & World Report)
  • No. 20 Best College for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report)

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

An All-American City

One of the nation’s largest 75 cities, Lincoln features many of the benefits of an urban setting and is only minutes away from the scenic beauty and wide open spaces of America’s Heartland. The third-largest city in the Big Ten, Lincoln enables Nebraska student-athletes to enjoy the benefits of city life while residing in a community which is widely regarded as one of the top places to live in the United States.

THE CUBE is located in the Railyard and is a public space that shows sporting events, movies and more.

Pinnacle Bank Arena

Home to Nebraska men's and women's basketball, Pinnacle Bank Arena is Lincoln's downtown arena located in the Railyard. Since opening in 2013 the arena has played host to artists such as...

  • Jay-Z
  • Katy Perry
  • P!nk
  • Justin Bieber
  • Carrie Underwood
  • Eric Church
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Chris Brown
  • Florida Georgia Line
  • Kenny Chesney
  • Paul McCartney
  • Blake Shelton
  • Zac Brown Band
  • Da Baby
  • Pearl Jam
  • Keith Urban
  • Lil' Wayne
  • Jason Aldean
  • Bon Jovi
  • Elton John
  • Miranda Lambert & Deirks Bentley
  • And many more...
Eric Church has played PBA twice. Church's 2017 Holdin' My Own Tour opened in Lincoln
Katy Perry's Prismatic World Tour stopped in Lincoln
Jay-Z made his first stop in Lincoln in 2013 and returned in December of 2017 as part of his 4:44 Tour

Credits:

Nebraska Communications

NextPrevious