Cornhusker arrested; suspected of sexual assault

OMAHA (AP) Nebraska offensive lineman Andy Christensen was arrested early Saturday, suspected of sexual assault after an overnight incident at a downtown bar in Lincoln.

A 23-year-old Lincoln woman reported that Christensen approached her from behind, reached underneath her clothing and sexually assaulted her about 12:30 a.m., Lincoln police Capt. Joseph Wright said.

Wright said Christensen was arrested outside the Brass Rail bar for first degree sexual assault, resisting arrest and failure to comply. Prosecutors would decide on formal charges and Christensen would be arraigned on Monday, Wright said.

It was unclear whether Christensen, who started eight games for Nebraska as a sophomore in 2006, had a lawyer. A phone call by The Associated Press to the jail where he was being held was not answered.

Wright said it was also unclear whether Christensen had been drinking.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said in a release that the junior has been suspended indefinitely from the team. Pelini says he will reconsider Christensen's status when more information is available.

"The charges against Andy are serious in nature and these types of actions will not be tolerated," Pelini said.

Christensen started the first three games at left guard last fall before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

* WRESTLING

HC's Hudiburgh notches fifth-place national finish

SIOUX CITY, Iowa Hastings College's Brandon Hudiburgh came away with a fifth-place finish in the 197-pound weight class Saturday in the NAIA national wrestling championships at the Tyson Events Center.

Hudiburgh, a freshman from Grand Island Senior High, clinched his top-five national finish with a 4:48 pin against Glenn Jackson of Campbellsville (Ky.) in the fifth-place match. Earlier, lost a 9-6 decision to Matt Michaelson of Dickinson State (N.D.).

Hudiburgh finished with a 3-2 record in the tournament. The former Islander Class A state champion ended the season with a 30-13 record.

Hastings, a first-year program, finished 22nd in the national tournament with 19.5 points. The Broncos qualified nine grapplers for the national meet.

* TRACK & FIELD

NU's van der Westhuizen breaks four-minute mile

SEATTLE Nebraska senior Peter van der Westhuizen, running on a 300-meter oversized track, achieved a time he has been chasing his entire career with a sub-four-minute mile Saturday. In his last chance to qualify for NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., van der Westhuizen ran an NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 3:59.05.

NU's van der Westhuizen ran the second-fastest time at the meet, being topped only by Andrew Acosta of Oregon who ran a 3:58.52. He now ranks No. 4 in Division I.

The time is the fastest time ever run by a Husker indoors in the mile. However, since his time was ran on an over-sized track, it cannot be counted as the Nebraska indoor record. The van der Westhuizen time was just faster then Greg Carlberg who ran a time of 3:59.6 in 1971 on an oversized track in Houston. The Nebraska record is owned by Jean Verster who finished with a time of 4:00.30 in 1986 in Lincoln.

VanCura ends third in NAIA national shot put

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Hastings College's Scott VanCura wrapped up an impressive showing in the NAIA national track and field championships by bringing home another medal for the Broncos.

After winning the national title in the weight throw on Friday, VanCura produced a third-place finish in the shot put competition. The senior from Hastings St. Cecilia, who entered the national meet seeded fifth in the event, moved up two notches with a mark of 56 feet, 1 1/4 inches.

VanCura's efforts helped the Bronco men finish 16th in the team standings at the national meet with 15.75 points.

Among other former area athletes competing at the national meet for Hastings, Katie Moeller cleared 5-3 in the high jump, tying for 12th place. The freshman from Grand Island Northwest entered the national meet seeded second with a season-best mark of 5-7.

Also for the HC women, Scottie Shaw finished seventh in the 1,000-meter run (3:03.52). The Bronco junior was also 11th in the 5,000 (18:22.14).

* TENNIS

Cornhusker women drop first match of year

LINCOLN The Nebraska women's tennis team lost its first match of the season 7-0 Saturday morning to the No. 4 Baylor Bears at the Nebraska Tennis Center.

The Huskers nearly won the doubles point, and were more competitive throughout the singles matches than the final scores might indicate. The loss puts the Huskers at 11-1 on the season, while Baylor won its 11th straight match and improves to 13-1.

Baylor 7, Nebraska 0

Doubles

No. 1Albers/Reimers (NU) def. Broosova/Zemenova (BU), 9-7

No. 2Ormond/Stanivuk (BU) def. Ring/Swarting (NU), 9-7

No. 3Chmelarova/Filipiak (BU) def. Chandronnait/Evans (NU), 8-4

Singles

No. 1Zuzana Zemenova (BU) def. Imke Reimers (NU), 6-2, 6-7 (4), (10-8)

No. 2Lenka Broosova (BU) def. Wiveca Swarting (NU), 6-4, 6-3

No. 3Taylor Ormond (BU) def. Jana Albers (NU), 6-3, 6-3

No. 4Jelena Stanivuk (BU) def. Stephanie Evans (NU), 6-0, 6-2

No. 5Karolina Filipiak (BU) def. Amber Chandronnait (NU), 6-3, 6-2

No. 6Zuzana Chmelarova (BU) def. Maria Ring (NU), 6-2, 6-3

* GOLF

Brown leads Husker women at 'Mo' Morial

BRYAN, Texas Elli Brown managed an opening-round 79 to enter Saturday's second round in a tie for 16th place to lead the Nebraska women's golf team at the Texas A&M "Mo" Morial at the Traditions Club. The Huskers closed the first 18 holes in a tie for 11th place in the 15-team field.

Nebraska's second round was suspended by darkness on the 6,244-yard, par-72 Traditions Club course on Saturday. Play will resume on Sunday morning with a shotgun start at 9.

Grand Island sophomore JC Stevenson, who was coming off a 12th-place finish in Nebraska's spring opener at the Central District Invitational, struggled to finish at 88 in a tie for 61st.

* softball

Neb.-Kearney splits doubleheader with Mesa State

KEARNEY Nebraska-Kearney split a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference softball doubleheader with Mesa State (Colo.) Saturday, losing the first game 2-1 before rallying back for a 2-1 win in the nightcap.

Amanda Bell (3-4) pitched four innings of shutout relief in UNK's victory. Jessica Guyle and Molly Langerak each had two hits while Cassie Keck had a RBI for the Lopers (5-5, 4-2 RMAC) in game two.