National championship within men’s track team’s grasp

A rouge hurdle flew about six feet into the air and crashed down beside Kirkland Thornton during the 110-meter race at the NCAA midwest regionals last week.

Thornton's teammate in the adjacent lane, Lehann Fourie, stepped on the hurdle and shot it into the air when he brought his leg back up. It could have hit Thornton in the head or bounced into his lane – into his legs.

But Thornton just kept on running, and set a Nebraska school record in the process. 

False starts also caused the competition to be restarted twice, but nothing – not even a hunk of metal spiraling in the air above and then crashing to the ground beside him – would distract Thornton that day.

It's this level of focus that Thornton said he and the Cornhusker track and field team will need as it prepares for the NCAA Outdoor championships that start Wednesday.

"There's nothing that is going to get in my way except for myself," Thornton said. "I see this sport as being 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical, and I've put in the physical part. The rest is just taking care of my mindset and making sure that I'm ready to go, that I'm focused."

Thornton is one of the 20 Huskers that are making the trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the championships and one of six NU athletes that are ranked in the top-eight nationally in their respective events.

This time of the year is usually about which individuals can make their mark by either becoming an All-American (finishing in the top eight) or an outright champion in an event. But the No. 5 ranked Husker men are in a position to compete for the overall team championship, as well.

Nebraska will send 14 members of the men's squad that won the Big 12 Conference outdoor championship and finished runner-up at regionals.

"There hasn't been much talk about a national team title," Thornton said. "It's possible, you know, if everyone goes out there and competes to the best of their abilities and finishes well. Everyone here is focused on their events and taking care business and if a national championship happens, it happens."

NU head coach Gary Pepin said team's goal every year is to win the conference meet and to finish in the top-10 at the NCAA championship. However, he added that he didn't think achieving that goal at this upcoming meet was realistic when he looked at his talent pool at the beginning of the year.

"But you have a chance if you go there with enough people realistically to do something as a team and they're talented enough," Pepin said. 

"Now, the difference between the conference and national meet is in the national meet; if you have good enough people, it doesn't take very many to really do well. In the conference meet, it may take a lot of them even if they're real talented. You have to have more balance, cover more events and have more depth."

Pepin added that the national meet scoring system rewards teams comprised of more top-tier athletes – putting a team like his with good depth, at a disadvantage. The top-ranked Husker men heading into the meet are Thornton at No. 3 in the 110-hurdles and Nicholas Gordon at No. 4 in the long jump.

Pepin said a run at a national title would require a nearly flawless performance from each Husker making the trip to Fayetteville.

"If the individuals you have take care of business as an individual … I mean, let's take (NU high jumper) Paul Hamilton for example. If Paul Hamilton goes to that championship and does well, then we have a chance for all the other people to do well and come up with a good score. But if he doesn't take care of business or do well, then our odds go down."

As for Thornton, he said this upcoming meet will be about him finishing his senior year on his terms – no matter what. It was a journey that started with Thornton transferring away from Eastern Illinois and was delayed during a mandatory redshirt season last year.

Thornton said he came to Nebraska – made the change, took the risk – because he wanted to be something better. Now, he has this one last chance to show that he's found what he was looking for.

"If you want something bad enough, you can get it," Thornton said. "Hopefully, I have shown that – I've proven that. But like I said, I still have a job to do this week."

krisknowlton@dailynebraskan.com