Bearcats set PR's at Husker Invitational

LINCOLN, Neb. – The final day of the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational saw three Northwest Missouri State track and field athletes earn personal best marks Saturday on the University of Nebraska campus.

Chloe Wichman earned a NCAA provisional mark in the pentathlon with a personal best 3,330 points. For Wichman it moved her just ahead of her previous point total she set last weekend at the Concordia Classic at 3,328, as she now holds the second, third and fourth best totals on the all-time list at Northwest.

Current Bearcat assistant coach Emily (Churchman) Peterson holds the Northwest record at 3,704.

For the Northwest women, Jordan Esry earned a top 10 finish in the 5000-meter with an eighth place finish as the top Division II runner. Esry's time of 18:03.19 missed the NCAA provisional mark, but was a personal indoor best for the senior.

Former Bearcat standout Kayli Hrdlicka won the race, as she ran unattached with a time of 17:15.10.

On the men's side Nolan Zimmer raced to an 11th place finish in the 5000-meters and set a personal best time of 15:04.52. Although Zimmer missed a NCAA provisional time (14:47.00), the Nebraska native now holds the sixth and ninth best times on the Northwest top 10 list.

Eli Smith raced to a third place finish in the 400-meter dash consolation finals Saturday with a time of 48.98. The time was good enough for a provisional mark although it did not better the time he set earlier this year at the Cyclone Holiday Preview.

The Bearcat track and field teams will compete in Nebraska two more times before the MIAA Championships Feb. 22-24, hosted by Fort Hays State. Next weekend the Bearcats return to the Husker state as they will compete at the Concordia Invitational.

Friday's Results

Ashli Mosby highlighted the opening day of the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational Friday for the Northwest Missouri State track and field team's with a school record and a NCAA provisional mark.

Mosby, who had narrowly missed the mark last weekend, finished with a time of 8.91 in the 60-meter hurdles. Although the senior did not qualify for the finals, her time sets the school record in the event breaking Hannah Henry's mark of 8.92 set in 2009.

Ashton Nibert was also just under half a second behind her personal best time in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.94. Nibert's time was the 11th best time in the NCAA Division I stacked raced that saw the top eight times advance to the finals.

The Bearcat men had a trio of individuals reach provisional marks; however the three athletes were Will Haer, Tyler Shaw and Travis Manning and all three Bearcats had already earned provisional marks this season.

Shaw was the lone Bearcat to finish in the top 10 in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.10 to finish 10th. Manning finished 13th in the heat with a time of 8.17 as both Bearcats entered the race with career best times of 8.08, tied for the 13th best time in the nation.

Haer was the top Division II athlete in the pole vault as the senior finished 12th with height of 15-08.25. The Craig, Mo., native continues to hold a top 15 mark in Division II at 15-11.25.