Nebraska's Johansson, Otabor win NCAA track and field titles

Texas' Ackelia Smith competes in the long jump finals at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Nebraska shot putter Axelina Johansson and javelin thrower Rhema Otabor each won individual titles on Thursday night at the NCAA outdoor championships.

Johansson and Otabor are the first Husker women to win NCAA titles since Dace Ruskule (discus) in 2006.

Johansson won the shot put, reaching 63 feet, 3 1/4 inches. All six of Johansson’s throws topped the 62-foot mark and no one else in the field reached 61 feet.

Otabor broke her own school record with a throw of 195-2. She’s the second woman in program history to win a javelin national title, joining Denise Thiemard (1983).

Nebraska topped the team standings with 25 points after six of the 21 events have been completed. Texas A&M was second with 14 points, followed by Oregon with 12.

Harvard became the third team in NCAA championship history to sweep the hammer in women’s and men’s — and the first since 2011. Stephanie Ratcliffe earned the Crimson’s first women’s hammer title with a throw of 241-7, setting the mark on her first throw.

Virginia Tech’s Julia Fixsen, making her fifth appearance in the NCAA championships, won the pole vault by clearing a personal-best 14-7 1/4.

Texas sophomore Ackelia Smith won her first national title in the long jump with a mark of 22-7 on her final attempt.

Everlyn Kemboi of Utah Valley won the 10,000 meters for the program’s first national title. She finished in 32 minutes, 39.08 seconds.

Texas’ Leo Neugebauer broke the NCAA record in the men’s decathlon with 8,836 points, setting a personal best in five of the 10 events. He also set a facility record and the German national record.

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