Huskers Travel to No. 10 Florida on Friday

Huskers Travel to No. 10 Florida on Friday

The 19th-ranked Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will travel to Gainesville, Fla., this Friday, Jan. 21 for a match-up against No. 10 Florida at the O’Connell Center. The Gators are 4-2 on the season after beginning the year by finishing second (194.45) at the Super Six Challenge behind Georgia (194.85), followed by a close loss to LSU, 195-625-195.55 on Jan. 15.

 

Nebraska looks to rebound from an 0-2 start to the season, with an opening loss to No. 3 Michigan and a loss at No. 2 UCLA on Friday, Jan. 17. The winless start is the first time since 1983 that NU has begun the season without a win in its first two contests.

 

The meet against the Bruins in Los Angeles, Calif., saw the Huskers fall 197.05-192.65. Nebraska freshman Emily Parsons starred for the Huskers by capturing individual titles on floor exercise (9.90) and vault (9.90), but UCLA still ran away with the competition with two event titles and four of the top all-around scores.

 

Parsons placed fifth in the all-around with a 38.925. Along with her floor exercise and vault titles, she also tied for sixth on bars (9.80) and fourth on floor (9.725), while sophomore Kristi Esposito followed with fourth- and sixth-place finishes on floor and vault, respectively, to finish sixth in the all-around competition with a 38.425.

 

Sophomore Michele Zabawa added the final piece of a three-way tie with Parsons and Esposito for sixth on bars. Senior Richelle Simpson earned third-place honors on the balance beam with a 9.90 and tied for sixth (9.75) on vault. NU’s other top performers included sophomore Stephanie Carter, the fourth-place finisher on vault (9.825), and freshman Desire Sniatynski, who placed fifth (9.85) on bars.

 

UCLA, led by Olympians Kate Richardson, Kristen Maloney and Tasha Schwikert, claimed two out of four individual titles, as well as the all-around crown, which went to Richardson, an eight-time All-American. Schwikert scored the Bruins’ first 10.0 of the season on the uneven bars to take first on the event, and three-time NCAA champion Maloney claimed the balance beam title with a 9.975.

 

Scouting the Gators

Head Coach - Rhonda Faehn

2004 Overall Record - 19-12        SEC Finish - 4th (197.225)

2004 Regional Finish - 2nd (197.05)         2004 NCAA Finish - 5th (196.80)

 

Head Coach Rhonda Faehn’s Florida squad heads into its third meet of the season ranked 10th nationally. Since 1983, the Gators have made 21 NCAA Championships appearances, most recently in 2004 when they finished fifth (196.80).

 

UF returns nine letterwinners for 2005, including seven All-Americans. Senior Erinn Dooley, a six-time All-American, headlines the experienced Gator squad. Dooley finished fourth (9.875) in vault finals at last year’s NCAA Championships. Joining Dooley as returning All-Americans are senior Orley Szmuch and sophomores Savannah Evans, Breanne King, Samantha Lutz, Katie Rue and Chantelle Tousek, who have a combined nine All-America awards. Szmuch, a four-time All-American, advanced to the 2004 NCAA beam finals and finished 10th (9.75).

 

Faehn, who is in her third year at Florida, is a former assistant coach at Nebraska. She helped the Huskers to four consecutive Super Six Finals appearances from 1999 to 2002.

 

The Last Time Nebraska and Florida Met...

Friday’s meet in Gainesville marks the third straight season the Huskers and Gators will compete against each other. Nebraska leads the all-time series against Florida 9-7.

 

The Huskers last met the Gators at the 2004 NCAA Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. In Session I, Florida tied Stanford for first with a 196.85, and Nebraska placed fourth (196.15). NU finished 10th after the preliminary sessions, and Florida advanced to a Super Six Finals appearance. The Gators placed fifth in the team competition and had seven gymnasts earn All-America status the next night. Nebraska’s Kristi Esposito finished third on balance beam (9.90) to garner first-team All-America honors on beam and the all-around, and Libby Landgraf was named first-team on bars and second-team vault. Huskers Michele Zabawa and Jamie Saas also earned second-team honors on vault and beam, respectively.

 

Up Next for the Huskers...

Nebraska will travel to Columbia, Mo., on Jan. 28 to take on its first Big 12 Conference opponent, Missouri. The Tigers, led by senior All-American Alisha Robinson, placed third at the Arizona Invitational (191.70) on Jan. 15. Missouri takes on Centenary Friday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. in Columbia.

 

Coaching Milestones

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 29 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In 12 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 264-93-3 overall and 190-33-1 in regular season meets. Kendig enters his 22nd year of coaching and owns a career record of 362-194-3.

 

A six-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to eight conference championships and three straight regional championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

 

He has also led Nebraska to nine NCAA Championships appearances in the past 11 seasons, including NCAA Super Six Finals appearances in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Kendig was honored as the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003, a year in which the Huskers finished with a final ranking of fourth in the nation.

 

Under Kendig's tenure in 2004, Nebraska finished with a 15-9-1 overall record. The Huskers placed second (196.375) in the Southeast regional behind eventual NCAA champion UCLA. NU also placed 10th (196.150) in its sixth consecutive NCAA Championships appearance. Three of Kendig's gymnasts -- Libby Landgraf (V, UB), Kristi Esposito (AA, BB) and Michele Zabawa (V) -- earned a total of five All-America honors.

 

Kendig is assisted by Danna Durante, who is in her third season with Nebraska, and Adrian Burde, who is in his fourth year on the Husker staff.

 

Simpson Returns for Senior Season

Senior Richelle Simpson is expected to lead the Huskers in 2005, as last year her senior season was cut short due to a knee injury. The Toronto, Ontario native was granted a medical hardship year by the NCAA and now looks to defend her status as a 10-time All-American at Nebraska.

 

In 2003, Simpson led NU to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, which were hosted in Lincoln. She was crowned national champion on the floor exercise (9.963) and the all-around (39.675), finishing ahead of UCLA's 2002 NCAA all-around champion Jamie Dantzscher and Kate Richardson in third place. Simpson earned first-team All-America accolades on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and the all-around. She is the only woman in Nebraska gymnastics history named an All-American on all five events.

 

Nebraska Results at UCLA (Jan. 17)

Name                           Vault    Bars     Beam   Floor    All-Around

Stephanie Carter            9.825    ---        9.35      9.075          ---

Kristi Esposito               9.525    9.80      9.375    9.725       38.425

Emily Parsons               9.90      9.80      9.325    9.90            ---

Jamie Saas                     ---       ---        9.825    9.10            ---

Richelle Simpson           9.75      9.775    9.90        ---             ---

Desire’ Sniatynski          9.525    9.85      9.025      ---             ---

Brittney Williams           9.70      9.775      ---       9.35            ---

Michele Zabawa   ---       9.80        ---         ---             ---

   Team Totals              48.70    49.025  47.775  47.15      192.65