Sensational Lineups In The Throwing Events Highlight Nebraska's Home Meet

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Corbin Smith

Nebraska senior Axelina Johansson has done just about everything a college shot-putter can do in a Huskers uniform, but she has never thrown outdoors in a home meet. 

That's set to change this weekend when Nebraska hosts the Big Red Classic at the newly opened Nebraska Outdoor Track, which will also be the host site of the Big Ten Championships next month. 

WATCH THE BIG RED CLASSIC LIVE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ON RUNNERSPACE+ AND THE BIG TEN NETWORK

Johansson, who has won three NCAA championships (2023 outdoors, 2025-26 indoors), broke the collegiate indoor record last December. Just last month, representing Sweden, she earned a bronze medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland. 

Nebraska closed the Ed Weir Stadium in 2019. The new facility had a soft openning on April 3 with the Husker Spring Kickoff. 

This weekend's meet features some of the top throwers in the country, which is not surprising because Nebraska has a field-event heavy focus. Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Missouri, Creighton, Drake and North Dakota State are also taking part. 

Joining Johansson in the women's shot put is Mine de Klerk of Nebraska, who was fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. 

Another NCAA Indoor champion, Ryan Johnson of Iowa (weight throw), is entered the hammer. Johnson was sixth in the NCAA hammer competition last June. Sam Innes from Missouri is in the early season Top 10. 

The women's javelin features five of the best throwers in the country. Missouri's Valentina Barrios Bornacelli and Skylar Ciccolini and Nebraska's Jana Marie Lowka and Taysha Stubbs are all potential NCAA finalists, along with Iowa's Elizabeth Korczak.

Nebraska's Cade Moran is ranked fourth in the NCAA in the men's shot put after a 19.90m (65-3.50) mark last weekend at the Spec Towns Invitational in Georgia. He'll compete against Michigan State's Dillon Morlock, who is currently No. 2 in the country after throwing 20.07m (65-10.25) on March 22.

The men's javelin features Nebraska's Keyshawn Strachan, who placed 12th at the World Championships in Tokyo last September for The Bahamas. 

Dyson Wicker of Nebraska, who was fourth at NCAA Indoors, leads the field in the men's pole vault. 

Michigan's Kourtney Rathke is entered in the women's pole vault and long jump and could win both.