Huskers Ranked Third in Coaches Poll

Lincoln ? The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team is ranked third in the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches poll released Monday.

Utah, who knocked off UCLA, 197.350-196.375 on Jan. 12, is ranked first, while Alabama is second (196.725) and Washington is fourth (196.450). UCLA, the No. 1 team in the preseason, dropped down to fifth.

"It is a little too early to get excited, but it is a tribute to our team to have such a good start to the season," Head Coach Dan Kendig said. "We still have a lot of work to do, and we hope to improve from there."

The Huskers went on to defeat then-No. 5 Michigan, 196.550-195.075, on Sunday, at the Bob Devaney Center in a matchup of two of the top-10 teams in the preseason poll.

The Huskers scored above 49.00 in three events, vault, bars and floor exercise, as NU went on to win with their highest opening meet score in school history, topping the 196.45 against Georgia in 2003. The win also marked, Nebraska’s 50th consecutive home regular-season home win dating back to the 1993 season.

The Huskers were led by senior Richelle Simpson, who captured the all-around title with a score of 39.70, including first-place honors on vault (9.975) and floor exercise (9.95). Senior Libby Landgraf finished fourth in the all-around with a 39.10, capturing first place honors on the uneven bars with a score of 9.90.

The Huskers will compete at top-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, this Friday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. (CST).