Huskers Capture Northeast Regional Title

State College, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team extended its regional win streak to three with a victory at the Northeast Regional at Rec Hall on Saturday night in front of 1,358 fans. The Huskers edged fifth-ranked Michigan, 195.925-195.600 while No. 16 Iowa finished third with 195.475points. George Washington finished third (192.l675), followed by host Penn State (192.225) and Pittsburgh (190.975). Nebraska, which improved to 19-2 on the season, has qualified for the NCAA Championships in seven of the past eight years, including each of the last four. Michigan will join Nebraska at the national meet April 18-20 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nebraska started the evening on the bars and even though every Husker performed a solid routine, Nebraska was held to a 48.725, its second-lowest score of the season and matched its Big 12 Championships total, which included a fall. Junior Julie Houk earned a runner-up finish with a score of 9.875, while sophomores Tami Harris and Libby Landgraf and junior Jess Wertz all scored a 9.725 to tie for seventh.

On the balance beam, Nebraska's strongest event this season, the Huskers got off to a rocky start after junior A.J. Lamb fell on a flight series, but freshman Jamie Saas, who has hit every routine this season, followed with a 9.75. Saas has often found herself in pressure situations and has responded well all year. Harris, who has also had a solid season on beam and is averaging more than 9.80 on the season, scored a team-high 9.85 to finish third, while sophomore Richelle Simpson also posted a solid 9.825 to finish fourth.

After each team had competed two events, Iowa led Nebraska, 97.65-97.40, while Michigan sat third with 97.325 points. Pittsburgh was in fourth place (97.00) followed by George Washington (96.40) and Penn State (96.375). The Wolverines, who entered the meet ranked seventh in the nation on the uneven bars, struggled and had to count a fall and a major miss (48.20), but scored a 49.15 on the balance beam to close the gap.

After sitting out a rotation, Nebraska returned to score a 49.15 on the floor exercise led by Simpson's winning score of 9.90. But it was on vault that Nebraska really made noise. The Huskers had five 10.0 vaults in the lineup for the first time all season and posted a season-high 49.40, led by Lamb's handspring front pike, which scored a 9.925 and tied Michigan's Elise Ray for first place. Lamb rebounded from her slip on beam to score a solid 9.80 on floor and post a career high on vault. Meanwhile, Landgraf tallied a 9.90, while sophomore Gina Bruce posted her best score of the season with a 9.875, and Simpson, who performed a Tsukahara, scored a 9.875.

The Huskers, who sat in first place after five rotations had to wait until Michigan finished vault and Iowa completed floor to see whether they would advance as one of the top two teams. But when all was said and done, the Huskers came out on top by 0.325 points over second-place Michigan. Iowa, which led the entire meet, couldn't hold on and finished the meet in third place.

In the all-around competition, Simpson and Harris tied for third with scores of 39.25, while Lamb finished ninth with a score of 38.675. Iowa's Alexis Maday and Michigan's Elise Ray tied for first with scores of 39.45.

Additionally, at a banquet Friday evening Associate Head Coach Rhonda Faehn was recognized as the 2002 South Central Assistant Coach of the Year. Faehn, who serves as NU's beam coach and floor choreographer, has guided the Huskers to school record scores on both events this season. Nebraska finished the regular season with the highest beam score in the country (49.675), and has posted two of the top floor scores in school history in 2002. Arizona's Bill Ryden was named Coach of the Year, while the Wildcats' Randi Liljenquist and Oklahoma's Mariana Goncalves shared Gymnast-of-the-Year honors.

Notes
* - With the victory Nebraska has won four regional titles, including the last three. The Huskers won their first title in 1983 under Coach Rick Walton, and captured the 2000 Region 3 Championships, as well as the 2001 South Central Regional title.

* - With A.J. Lamb's victory on vault, a Husker gymnast has won the event in four of the past six years. In addition, with Richelle Simpon's first-place finish on floor, a Husker has won the event three of the past four years, including each of the last two. Moreover, a Husker has won at least one individual regional title every year since 1997.

* - Nebraska has qualified for the NCAA Championships in seven of the past eight years. The Huskers finished tied for fifth at the 2001 championships and have qualified for the Super Six Finals four times, including each of the past three years. The only times Nebraska has not qualified under Coach Dan Kendig was in 1994, his first season with the program, and 1998, when the Huskers finished fifth at the Midwest Regional.

* - Associate Coach Rhonda Faehn has now been recognized by her peers in each of the past three seasons. Fahen, who was named the 2002 South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year Friday night, has now won three regional Assistant-Coach-of-the-Year awards. She was named the 2000 Region 3 Co-Assistant Coach of the Year and also earned national honors last season as the 2001 NACGC Assistant Coach of the Year. While at Maryland, Faehn was named the 1998 Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

* - In each of its last two meets, Nebraska has defeated a higher-ranked opponent. The Huskers, ranked eighth in the nation entering the regional, defeated No. 5 Michigan to claim their third straight regional title. Nebraska, ranked seventh at the time, also knocked off No. 6 Oklahoma at the Big 12 Championships.