NU Carries Momentum Into MPSF Championships

The <?xml:namespace prefix="ST1"?>Nebraska men’s gymnastics team travels to Stanford, Calif. this weekend to compete at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships beginning on Friday, March 19 at 9 p.m. with the team competition and continuing on Saturday, March 20 again at 9 p.m. for the individual finals. 

Heading into post-season competition, the Huskers have built up a tremendous amount of momentum that they hope will carry through this weekend’s MPSF Championships and on into nationals in April.  Last weekend, Nebraska hosted Oklahoma and Air Force in their final regular season meet of 2004 and nearly toppled the second-ranked Sooners’ winning streak of 50 consecutive victories, 219.200-218.525.  Air Force finished third with 203.125. 

The Huskers led the meet for the majority of the evening, but fell behind in the final rotation after an impressive vault routine by OU overshadowed Nebraska on the high bar.  However, the final team score was the highest the Huskers have seen since 2000, and they also saw season-high event scores in pommel horse (36.600), still rings (37.000), vault (37.925), and high bar (36.100).<?xml:namespace prefix="O"?>

Individually, several Huskers had incredibly successful competitions.  Senior Night honoree, Josh Rasile, earned two event titles in the still rings (9.675) and vault with a career-high 9.65.  Rasile’s vault score propelled him into his highest national position of the year as he sits third with an average score of 9.50.  This weekend, Rasile will be extremely instrumental to Nebraska’s post-season aspirations and looks to earn a couple of event championship at the MPSF’s, a feat that he has yet to accomplish in his four years at Nebraska.  The closest he has come was a fourth-place finish in the floor exercise in 2003.

Nebraska’s other foremost hopeful for an event title this weekend is junior all-arounder Mace Patterson.  Against Oklahoma and Air Force, Patterson set career-highs in the vault (9.50) and all-around (54.975).  Overall, Patterson took two event titles, one in the all-around and the other on the horizontal bar (9.60).  In the past three years, Patterson has performed quite well at the MPSF Championships, finishing fifth in the all-around, sixth on the pommel horse, and fourth on the horizontal bar last season. 

Other Huskers to look for this weekend will be junior Tony Burtle, sophomores Nic Matthews and Derric Wood, and freshman Paul Chumreonlert.  Throughout 2004, Burtle has seen an exponential improvement in his vault and high bar routines.  Against Oklahoma and Air Force, Burtle posted a personal-best 9.525 on the vault and a 9.10 on horizontal bar for third place in that event.  Two weeks ago against Minnesota, Burtle earned his highest event finish of 2004 with second place in the vault (9.425).

Matthews too has experienced increasing success over the past few weeks.  In Nebraska’s last two meets, Matthews has seen five career-high marks, one of which came in the all-around last weekend against Oklahoma and Air Force where he posted a 52.425 for third place in that event.

Although Wood struggled at the beginning of 2004, his performance against Oklahoma and Air Force is proof that this all-arounder is back and ready for the MPSF competition.  Last weekend, Wood boasted a 9.25 on pommel horse for third in that event and put up scores in the high eights and nines in the remainder of his routines.

One of Nebraska’s biggest success stories of 2004 has been Chumreonlert.  In just his first year of collegiate competition, Chumreonlert has made a place for himself among the nation’s top gymnasts.  For the past four weeks, he has been ranked in the national polls and after his outstanding performance in NU’s final regular season meet where he scored a career-high on pommel horse (9.40) and rings (9.525) for a pair of second-places, he has recently moved-up to 15th and 17th, respectively.

Huskers Set Benchmark Event Scores

In their final home meet of 2004, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics team set several season-high event scores while taking on Oklahoma and Air Force.  The first came in the pommel horse, an event that NU has struggled with this season.  However, Nebraska managed to pull together for a 36.600, their third highest event score of the meet.  In the still rings, Nebraska combined for their highest event score of any event throughout the season with a 37.000.  This is also the first time in 2004 that Nebraska reached a 37 of any sort in any event.  Following this benchmark, NU did themselves one better and racked up a 37.925 in an amazing vault routine.  This new precedent became their best event score this season.  Nebraska’s final event best came in the horizontal bar with a 36.100.

NU Gymnasts Climb The National Ranks

Nebraska’s senior Josh Rasile, junior Mace Patterson, and freshman Paul Chumreonlert all moved up in the national polls this past week following their performance in the last regular season meet of the year.  Rasile, a staple in the national ring and vault polls, finally made a leap into the third place position in the vault with an average score of 9.50.  Prior to this change, Rasile had spent the last five weeks in fourth.

Patterson increased his standings in the horizontal by moving from tenth to seventh (9.567), and Chumreonlert moved from 17th to 15th (9.25) on pommel and 18th to 17th on rings (9.383).