St. Clair Named Big Ten Men's Coach of the Year
Nebraska track and field head coach Justin St. Clair was named the Big Ten Men’s Coach of the Year on Wednesday afternoon after a vote by the league's coaches.
St. Clair led the Husker men to their second-consecutive outdoor conference title last weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich., closing the meet with 136 team points. By the conclusion of events, Nebraska was 50 points ahead of second place. The team victory gives the Husker men their first back-to-back outdoor conference team wins since the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Tyus Wilson and Darius Luff brought home individual titles, while posting marks among the best in the NCAA. With a personal-best clearance of 7-6 (2.29m) in the high jump, Wilson is ranked first in the NCAA, 11th in the world and third on the all-time list. Luff evened his lifetime best to earn his third Big Ten title. The time of 13.25 in the 110m hurdles is second in the NCAA and sixth in the world right now. The senior from Lincoln, Neb. first ran that time at the Drake Relays, where he broke the school record. Overall, the men posted 11 top-three finishes throughout the meet.
This marks St. Clair's second time earning the Big Ten Men's Coach of the Year recognition after the outdoor conference meet in just his second season as head coach.
Additionally, Taya Skelton and Kolby Heinerikson received Nebraska's Big Ten Sportsmanship Awards.
HAIBY OFF TO STRONG PRO START IN AUSTRALIA
Former Nebraska All-Big Ten guard Sam Haiby is off to a strong professional start with the Mackay Meteorettes in Australia's NBL1.
Through four games in her first pro season, Haiby is averaging 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals.
The four-year starter at Nebraska who finished 12th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,618 points opened her pro career with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and five steals in 33 minutes for Mackay against the Townsville Flames (April 12).
She followed with 20 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals in 36 minutes against the Brisbane Capitals (April 19), before managing 11 points, two assists and a steal against the Rockhampton Cyclones (April 27). Haiby added nine points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal in her most recent game against Townsville (May 11).
NBL1 is a developmental league in Australia designed to help men's and women's players prepare for Australia's premier league, the WNBL. Haiby, who suffered a torn Achilles in her final game as a Husker against Northern Iowa (March 19, 2023), spent the 2023-24 season rehabilitating following surgery in Lincoln while preparing for her pro career. She announced her signing with Mackay on Feb. 8, 2024. During her career at Nebraska, the versatile Haiby became the first Husker to reach the combined career milestones of 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists.
Haiby and the Meteorettes will be back in action on Saturday, May 18 when they take on the Northside Wizards at 6:30 p.m. Australia EST (1:30 a.m. U.S. CT).
