Four NU Gymnasts Advance To NCAA Individual Events

Champaign, Ill. –  The first day of the 2004 NCAA Championships kicked off with the team qualifying competition on Friday, April 2 in Champaign, Ill. The Nebraska men’s gymnastics team finished sixth in their rotation and tenth overall (212.250) out of 12 total teams from around the country.

 

California took home top honors with a score of 220.875, while Ohio State snagged second (219.625), and Penn State rounded out the top three spots (218.700).  Illinois (218.525), Michigan (218.450) and Oklahoma (217.750) set the cap on the leading six teams that advance to the team finals Saturday, April 3 beginning at 7 p.m.

 

The Huskers began the meet on the parallel bars and high bar, two of Nebraska’s lowest scoring events this season.  These roadblocks proved immensely damaging for the Huskers, who never recovered from the 33.600 and 34.100 scores, respectively.

 

“We started on the parallel bars.and didn’t hit a single routine, and then we went on to the high bar and our top three guys missed,” Coach Francis Allen said.  “We were okay in all of the other events, but those first two drove us into a hole and we just couldn’t get out of it.”

 

NU’s best event performance came in the floor exercise with a team score of 36.55.  This is a season-high for the Huskers who improved upon their previous high of 36.325, which they earned at the Oklahoma Quadrangle on February 21.  Leading Nebraska in this effort was senior captain Josh Rasile, who nailed a career-high 9.55 to finish first in his session and guarantee himself a spot in the event preliminaries Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

 

Rasile also qualified for Saturday’s individual competition in the still rings and vault.  In the rings, Rasile grabbed another first-place finish with a 9.525, and a third in the vault (9.325). 

 

“Josh [Rasile] came into the NCAA and he did what he came out to do,” Allen said.  “He qualified for the individual’s in all of his events and now he’ll just have get back out there in the next couple of days and work hard to finish out on top.”

 

Two other Husker gymnasts will also advance to the individual event qualifier.  Freshman Paul Chumreonlert set down a 9.275 on the pommel horse for the top seed in his session, while sophomore Derric Wood grabbed the third spot on the high bar with an 8.675.

 

Junior Mace Patterson will also compete on Saturday in the all-around finals also beginning at 7 p.m.  Patterson scored a 52.075, which places him among the top-six all-arounders who advance to the finals.

 

Because they did not qualify for the team finals, this is Nebraska’s final team competition for the 2004 season.  The Huskers finish the year with a 12-9 record.  2004 marks NUs first winning season since 1999 when it ended at 6-2. 

 

Four Nebraska gymnasts will compete tomorrow, Saturday, April 3 at 7 p.m. for the all-around finals and individual event preliminaries.  Qualifiers for the event finals will finish out the NCAA competition on Sunday, April 4 at 2 p.m.

 

Team Results (Session I)

Team                            Score

1. Penn State                218.700

2.  Michigan                  218.450

3.  Oklahoma                 217.750

4.  Iowa                         216.900

5.  UIC                          207.775

6.  Army                        207.675

 

Team Results (Session II)

Team                            Score

1.  California                  220.875

2.  Ohio State                219.625

3.  Illinois                      218.525

4.  Stanford                   214.600

5.  Minnesota                213.525

6.  Nebraska                 212.250