Huskers Sweep Dual

Both the Nebraska men's and women's gymnastics teams earned victories over top 15 opponents Sunday in front of a Bob Devaney Sports Center crowd of 1,262. The sixth-ranked Nebraska women's team defeated No. 10 Florida 197.325-196.625, improving to 11-1 and 3-0 in the Big 12, while the 12th-ranked Nebraska men's team topped No. 16 Air Force 206.10-196.65 to boost their record to 4-3.

For the third consecutive meet, and the fourth time in the last five meets, the Husker women topped 197, highlighted by an impressive score on the uneven bars. Four Husker gymnasts posted career-highs en route to a 49.575, just 0.025 points off the school record. Sophomores Julie Houk and Bree Dority O'Callaghan tied for the event title with a career-high 9.950, while freshman Alecia Ingram posted a career-high 9.925 to tie Tami Harris for third. Freshman Libby Landgraf also posted a career-high score of 9.825 to finish tied for seventh with sophomore Jess Wertz.

Head Coach Dan Kendig said he was pleased with the Huskers' performance, but noted that the team still has room for improvement.

"The best event we competed today was bars," Kendig said. "On the other three events, I think we're better than what we competed today."

Nebraska trailed Florida after the first rotation, posting a 49.125 on vault to the Gator's 49.225 on bars. Ingram captured her sixth vault title of the season with a 9.90, marking the fifth time this season she has posted at least a 9.90 on the event.

With a strong showing on bars, the Huskers took the lead after the second rotation and never looked back. On the balance beam, senior Amy Ringo and Ingram both tied their career-highs with a 9.925, but it was only good for second place as Florida's Hilary Thompson won the event title, tying the Bob Devaney Sports Center record of 9.975 set by Utah's Suzanne Metz in 1995.

On the floor exercise, four athletes tied for top honors with scores of 9.90, including O'Callaghan and Wertz, who each claimed their second floor title of the season. In the all-around competition, Harris posted a career-high 39.45, tying Florida's Thompson for the title.

Kendig, whose Huskers play host to eighth-ranked Iowa State on Monday, March 12, said on some events he has as many as 10 athletes capable of earning a spot in the lineup, which leads to an extremely competitive training environment.

"I think some of the toughest competition we have left is against ourselves to see who is going to compete on what events," Kendig said. "It sure keeps everybody on their toes. No one can take a day off."

On the men's side, Nebraska tallied its second-highest score of the season and captured all six event titles in the Huskers' first home victory this year. Led by senior Grant Clinton, Nebraska opened with a season-high score of 34.85 on floor. Clinton captured the Huskers' first floor title of the season with an 8.80, and also won the rings and vault titles. Competing in five events for the first time this season, Clinton posted a 9.10 on rings and received his first 9.00 on vault to tie junior Martin Fournier for the title.

Entering the second rotation, the Huskers held a 34.85-31.15 advantage, a lead they would not relinquish. Nebraska captured four of the top five places on pommel horse, led by Fournier, who earned his second pommel horse title of the season with an 8.30. Fournier also won the horizontal bar title with an 8.70.

On the parallel bars, sophomore Ryan Sneed captured the first event title of his career, posting a season-high 8.70 to tie senior Jason Hardabura for first place and helping Nebraska to a season-high score of 34.10. The Huskers also claimed the top three all-around places with Fournier taking home top honors (51.25). Freshman Steven Friedman turned in a solid performance finishing second with a season-high 50.85. Friedman posted his first 9.0 of the season, with a career-high 9.05 on rings. Hardabura rounded out Nebraska's all-arounders, finishing third with a score of 50.65.

In all, Nebraska also recorded season-highs on three events, including vault (35.85), to tally their second-highest score of the season.

"It would have been nice to take advantage of the home floor and go 208," Head Coach Francis Allen said. "I think the good thing is that Steven Friedman and Martin Fournier both did a good job and the support crew did a good job. If we get Jason Hardabura back to where he is supposed to be, we'll be OK."

The Huskers will host Minnesota Sunday, March 11, at the Devaney Center, before heading to Berkeley, Calif., for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships March 23-24.

"We just have to get back in the flow with Minnesota," Allen said. "That's what we need, a good meet before the conference championships."