Leiter Wins All-Around in NU Loss

Senior co-captain Derek Leiter captured the all-around title with a season-best 57.375 Friday night at Iowa, but his 10th-ranked Nebraska men's gymnastics team didn't fair nearly as well. The Huskers (5-2 overall and 2-2 in dual meets) fell 226.30-216.675 to the No. 4 Hawkeyes (6-3) in Iowa City, Iowa.

The mark represented NU's lowest four-score total ever. The Huskers' previous low score since the 1995 season, when the NCAA began counting four scores per event instead of five, was 220.475 at the 1997 Rocky Mountain Open.

Due to injuries to 1999 NCAA all-around champion Jason Hardabura and junior Grant Clinton, the Huskers competed with just four gymnasts on rings and were forced to count three scores lower than 8.70 for a season-worst 34.80 on the event.

NU also counted falls on vault (35.925) and high bar (35.00) for season-low scores on those events as well.

Leiter provided the Huskers with their lone bright spot. The Lincoln, Neb., native won the vault (9.725), placed second on still rings (9.55), high bar (9.50) and floor exercise (9.675) and third on pommel horse (9.625).

"Derek Leiter was great," NU Coach Francis Allen said. "He was at his best, and we were at our worst. Hopefully, we'll piece something together for Sunday.

Nebraska's only other event winner was Martin Fournier, who captured the parallel bars title with a 9.60.

Senior Asher Lichterman was the only other Husker to finish among the top three in an event. Lichterman placed third in the floor exercise competition (9.30) and second on parallel bars (9.50). Lichterman also finished third in the all-around with a 52.850.

The meet marked the return of Blake Bukacek to the high bar and parallel bars. Bukacek, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November, had previously competed on pommel horse only.

The Huskers return to action Sunday when they play host to No. 7 Oklahoma in a 7 p.m. meet at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The meet marks Nebraska's last home contest of the season.

No. 10 Nebraska	226.30
No. 4 Iowa	216.675

Floor Exercise
1.	Todd Strada, IU	9.70
2.	Derek Leiter, NU	9.675
3.	Asher Lichterman, NU	9.30
Pommel Horse
1.	Todd Strata, IU	9.80
	Doug Jacobson, IU	9.80
3.	Derek Leiter, NU	9.625
Still Rings
1.	Kevin Agnew, IU	9.6
2.	Derek Leiter, NU	9.55
3.	Shane de Freitas	9.45
Vault
1.	Derek Leiter, NU	9.725
2.	Anthony Petrocelli, IU	9.60
3.	Shane de Freitas, IU	9.45
Parallel Bars
1.	Martin Fournier,NU	9.6
2.	Asher Lichterman, NU	9.5
3.	Shane de Freitas, IU	9.45
Horizontal Bar
1.	Brian Hamilton, IU	9.75
2.	Derek Leiter, NU	9.50
3.	Todd Strada, IU	9.45
All-Around
1.	Derek Leiter, NU	57.375
2.	Todd Strada, IU	56.10
3.	Asher Lichterman, NU	52.85