Three Huskers Finish in Top Eight at NCAA Event Finals

Athens, Ga. - Nebraska was represented by three freshmen in the Individual Event Finals of the NCAA Gymnastics Championship Saturday evening in Stegeman Coliseum, and all three finished in the top eight on their respective event. Tami Harris and Alecia Ingram finished sixth on the uneven bars, while Gina Bruce finished eighth on the vault.

Harris, who has nursed a sore Achilles tendon since injuring it in practice early last week, was the first Husker to perform on the uneven bars, and received a score of 9.85. Ingram, who tied with Harris for first in Thursday's evening qualifying session, was the fifth competitor up and also scored a 9.85.

"It was so exciting," Ingram said of her first NCAA Championships. "I don't know how to describe it, but it was an honor and a privilege to compete."

Harris, who holds the Nebraska freshman record on the event, said although she was happy to qualify as an individual, it was the team aspect she enjoyed the most.

"It was really neat," Harris said. "It was also a little different not having the team there. I like the team aspect better."

Bruce, who had seen action in every event for Nebraska this season, including the all-around, qualified for the finals with a fourth-place finish on vault in Thursday's qualifying session.

Unlike in the qualifying rounds, in the Individual Event Finals, gymnasts are required to perform two different vaults and the final score is the average of the two.

Competing in her first national championship, Bruce admitted to having a few pre-meet jitters.

"I was a little nervous because it was so difficult not being with the team," Bruce said. "I was with eight other gymnasts, all from different schools, so that made me a little nervous. But I knew I could do my vault, so in that aspect, I wasn't nervous."

Bruce, who hails from Champlin, Minn., finished eighth with a score of 9.6437. She received a 9.85 on her first vault, a handspring front pike with a half twist. For her second vault, she performed a handspring front pike, a vault with a 9.90 start value. Twice this season she as performed the vault to perfection, earning 9.90s in a dual with Missouri on Jan. 28, and again in the Huskers' victory at the Arizona State Invitational. However on this night, Bruce under rotated and was forced to take a few steps on the landing, earning a 9.437 on her second attempt.

"I was very happy with my first vault," Bruce said. "I've been having a little trouble with the half (twist) all season and I think that was the best half (twist) I've done this year. On the second vault, taking that many steps on a vault I know I can do perfect, that was disappointing."

Head Coach Dan Kendig, whose team prior to the championship, had only been defeated by NCAA Champion UCLA, said he was happy with the season and noted he is already looking forward to next year.

"Twenty-three of our 24 routines at the championships were done by freshmen and sophomores," he said. "I think the future is really bright."

At an awards banquet earlier Saturday, Rhonda Faehn was honored as the Assistant Coach of the Year by the women's arm of the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches.

"It's just a great honor to be recognized by my peers," Faehn said. "I was very surprised and excited."

Faehn, who coaches and choreographs the beam and floor routines for Nebraska, is in her third season with the Huskers. In 2000, she was named the Region 3 Co-Assistant Coach of the Year and was also recognized in 1998 as the Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year while coaching at Maryland.

A former All-American at UCLA, Faehn was also a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team.

"It's a tremendous honor for her," Kendig said. "She has worked hard. Obviously I've nominated her in the past and now people around the country are starting to notice."