Leiter Takes Fifth in NCAA All-Around

Senior Derek Leiter finished fifth in the all-around competition at the NCAA Championships Friday night in Iowa City, Iowa. Leiter had a score of 57.825. The champion was Jamie Natalie of Ohio State with a 58.375.

Penn State won the team championship, edging Michigan 231.975-231.85. Iowa was third at 231.525. Leiter, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, earned his second All-America honor with the finish.

"He was close," NU Coach Francis Allen said of Leiter's effort. "He didn't have his best day, but he did a good job." Leiter entered the meet ranked second, nationally, in the all-around.

"I started off well, but I just felt a little shaky out there," Leiter said. "I'm not disappointed. It's hard to compete without your team. A lot of the time, I just found myself wondering around looking for people." Leiter opened up with a season-high 9.75 on the parallel bars. He moved up two places after the second rotation with a 9.65 on the high bar.

After the second rotation, Leiter was fourth, passing Scott Vetere of Michigan and Travis Romagnoli of Illinois. Vetere, the top-ranked all-arounder, missed his release move on the high bar, scoring a 8.95.

Leiter maintained his position after the third rotation, garnering a 9.6 on the floor exercise. Leiter trailed Brigham Young's Guard Young by 0.45 points. Young received just a 9.525 on the floor, but all Leiter could manage was a 9.55 on pommel horse.

Leiter fell to seventh after the fifth of six rotations with a 9.55 on the still rings, but a 9.7 on the vault rocketed Leither to a fifth-place finish.

Two Huskers qualified for tonight's individual event finals -- Leiter in the vault, where his is ranked No. 1 in the nation; and sophomore Dustin Jakub in the parallel bars after a career-best mark of 9.8. Lincoln High graduate Blake Bukacek scored a career-best 9.775 on the pommel horse, but did not make the cut.