Nebraska Track & Field Takes on U.S. Trials, International Championships

Huskers track & field sees two of its members make Olympic teams in their home countries, but none on Team USA

Jun 6, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Rhema Otabor of Nebraska wins the women's javelin in a collegiate record 210-7 (64.19m) during the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Just refer to the Nebraska as Thrower U.

Four throwers from the Nebraska track & field team have won their events in their countries' national championships, with two of them qualifying for their respective Olympic teams.

Winning the javelin was Emanuela Casadei for Italy, Rhema Otabor for the Bahamas and Arthur Petersen for Denmark. In the shot put, Axelina Johansson took the title for Sweden.

Before we get into the javelin performances, lets explain how Olympic qualifying works.

To qualify for the Olympics, one must meet certain standards during a certain timeframe. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, that time from was from July 1, 2023 until June 30, 2024.

If you do not meet that standard, then you must wait until after all participating countries finish their national meets and hope that not enough people reached the qualifying mark, and that you are close enough to that mark to be invited to compete.

In the javelin, the Olympic qualifying mark for women is 64.00m (209 feet, 11¾ inches).

Casadei took home the Italian national title with a personal-best toss of 56.49m (185-4). Her previous best of 53.35m (175-0½) would still have gotten her on the podium but with a bronze medal.

Staying on the European continent, Petersen took home the Danish national title in the javelin with a toss of 79.67m (261-4½) toss.

The Olympic standard for men in the javelin sits at 85.50m (280-6¼) which means, even with a personal-best throw of 79.73 (261-7) at the Drake Relays on April 25 2024, Petersen will still need to wait around to see if he qualifies for the Olympics for Denmark.

The two Olympic qualifiers have also brought home national championships for the Huskers in the last two seasons competing.

With a list of accomplishments including 2023 NCAA outdoor women’s shot put national champion, 2023 NCAA indoor women’s shot put runner-up, 2022 & 2024 NCAA bronze medalist, indoor and outdoor school record holder, Johansson added the Swedish national title with a heave of 18.97m (62-2¾).

Jun 8, 2023; Austin, TX, USA; Axelina Johannson of Nebraska wins the women's shot put at 63-3 1/4 (19.28m) during the NCAA Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Johansson reached the Olympic standard for women’s shot put—18.80m (61-8¼)—at the Michael Johnson Invitational, where she won with an 18.82m (61-9) throw.

The junior is no stranger to the international scene as she has competed for Sweden in a number of competitions, taking home bronze at the 2023 European Games.

The reigning Bahamian national champion, back-to-back NCAA national champion, Nebraska school record holder, and NCAA record holder in the javelin, Otabor won the javelin in her home country with a throw of 58.18m (190-10½) and is headed to Paris to represent her country. This will be her first Olympics.

Another Husker with international experience, Otabor has brought home hardware for the Bahamas on four separate occasions: the 2021 NACAC U20 Championships where she finished first, the 2022 NACAC Championships with a third-place finish, the Pan American Games in 2023 where she finished second, and the 2023 NACAC U23 Championships with a first-place finish.

Otabor ended her career with the Huskers as a back-to-back national champion and with an NCAA National Championship meet record, NCAA record, school record and Bahamian record throw of 64.19m (210-7).

Back on US soil, the Huskers had a number of athletes vying to make Team USA.

The reigning NCAA national champion and school record holder in the 110 meter hurdles, Darius Luff made it into the semifinals before finishing 14th with a time of 13.37 seconds.

Jun 7, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Darius Luff of Nebraska leads the 110m hurdles during the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. / Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports

Luff won the NCAA national title on that very track only three weeks prior with a blistering personal-best time of 13.19. He leaves Nebraska as the school record holder in the 60 meter hurdles indoor, the 110 meter hurdles outdoor and with a day to memorialize his accomplishments: Darius Luff Day falls on June 7.

Husker high jumper Jenna Rodgers was able to set a new personal best with a leap of 6-3¼ but fell in a jump-off at 6-4¼ to end her Olympic dreams.

Nebraska sophomore sprinter Garrett Kaalund surprised many with the fourth-fastest qualifying time coming out of the prelims when he shot out of Lane 9 in the first heat with a 20.28=second 200m run. Kaalund was then placed in Lane 6 for the semifinals, sandwiched between Nike athlete Kyree King and Adidas prodigy Erriyon Knighton. However, before coming off the curve, Kaalund pulled up and walked off the track with a noticeable limp, ending his Olympic Trials debut.

The 2024 season was eventful for the sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, as he broke his own school record in the 200m with a 20.25 run at the NCAA West Preliminary Round where he finished fourth and qualified for the NCAA National Championships. At those championships he finished 13th and was named a second-team All-American with a time of 20.38.

Back on the field, 2024 NCAA runner-up Tyus Wilson finished third in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.24m (7-4¼). Wilson tied with Puma athlete JuVaughn Harrison as both athletes failed to clear 2.27m (7-5¼) but Wilson had yet to scratch while Harrison had one failed attempt at 2.24m.

The junior from Sterling, Kansas, has yet to hit the Olympic standard height of 2.33m (7-7¾) and so will have to wait and see if he qualifies for Team USA with his season best of 2.29m (7-6).

Former Husker athlete Mayson Connor was also in the men’s high jump final but bowed out at 2.21m (7-3) after clearing 2.16 (7-1) on his first attempt.

Maddie Harris was the final chance for Nebraska to be represented on Team USA for track and field. Unfortunately, she launched the javelin 56.21m (184-5) which was only good for fifth place at the U.S Olympic Team Trials. The senior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, did not compete for Nebraska during the 2024 season but did finish fourth at the 2023 NCAA National Championships.

The XXXIII Olympiad in Paris begins July 26, with Athletics (track & field) beginning Aug. 1.

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