No. 5 Huskers Set for Annual Masters Classic

The fifth-ranked Nebraska gymnastics team will play host to No. 10 Denver, No. 20 Auburn and Kentucky at the 11th annual Masters Classic this Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 2 p.m. NU is 3-4 on the season and will look to defend its 54-meet home unbeaten streak, as well as 10 consecutive Masters Classic titles.

 

With its season-high national ranking, Nebraska is gunning for its third home victory this year. The Huskers picked up their biggest win of the year by defeating then-No. 1 Utah, 196.65-196.60, Sunday afternoon at the DevaneyCenter.

 

Freshman Emily Parsons captured two event titles and tied senior Richelle Simpson for second-place honors in the all-around with a score of 39.475. Parsons claimed the floor (9.925) and vault (9.925) titles, while tying for second (9.90) on beam and finishing 11th on bars (9.725). Simpson tied for second on floor (9.90) and beam (9.90) and also tied for fourth on vault (9.875) and sixth on bars (9.80). In addition, sophomore Michele Zabawa earned the uneven bars title with a 9.85.

 

Scouting the Pioneers

Head Coach - Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart          2005 Record - 7-5

2004 Overall Record - 10-12                             2004 Regional Finish - 3rd (195.50)

2004 NCAA Finish - Did Not Qualify

 

Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart’s squad heads into its ninth meet of the season ranked No. 10 nationally after posting a 196.00-195.65 victory over 19th-ranked Minnesota on Feb. 19. In 2004, the Pioneers finished third at the NCAA North Central Regional (195.50) behind NCAA Championship qualifiers Stanford and Iowa.

 

Despite losing former All-American Ashley Shible and six letterwinners, Denver returns three NCAA qualifiers in sophomore all-arounders Heather Huffaker and Casey Dobyns. 

 

The Pioneers have experience from five other returning letterwinners, including senior Stephanie Lorber, junior Cassidy Willingham and sophomores Katie Andrews and Tiffany Tello. Denver welcomed five freshmen with Junior Olympic experience to its roster this year, as well as two transfers in junior Alisha Stephenson (OregonState) and sophomore Gretchen Goerlitz (UtahState).

 

Kutcher-Rinehart is in her seventh season with the Pioneers and holds a career record of 113-53. In 2001, she coached Denver to its first-ever NCAA Championships appearance. Under Kutcher-Rinehart’s guise, two Pioneer gymnasts, Shible and Jenny Ebdon, earned All-America honors in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

 

NU last took on Denver on Feb. 21, 2004, narrowly defeating the Pioneers 196.60-196.425 while bringing the Huskers to a 17-5 all-time series lead. Denver last visited the DevaneyCenter at the 2001 Masters Classic, which Nebraska won with a score of 197.375-193.70.

 

Scouting the Tigers

Head Coach - Jeff Thompson               2005 Record - 2-5

2004 Overall Record - 12-11                  2004 Regional Finish - Did Not Qualify

2004 NCAA Finish - Did Not Qualify

 

Under the watch of Head Coach Jeff Thompson, Auburn enters its ninth competition of the year ranked 20th nationally. The Tigers most recently fell to No. 7 Oklahoma, 195.00-191.50 at home and will play host to top-ranked LSU this Friday, Feb. 25. In 2004, AU finished fifth at the Southeastern Conference (197.00) behind NCAA qualifiers Florida, Georgia, Alabama and LSU.

 

Auburn headed into this season after losing five letterwinners, but returned eight gymnasts with collegiate experience. Senior Courtney Puckett highlights the Tigers’ lineup, as the all-around competitor was named a second-team All-American on the uneven bars in 2003, the same year that Auburn last qualified for the NCAA Championships.

 

Among the team’s other key returners are seniors Robin O’Rear and Kayce Stein, who competed on three events at the 2003 NCAAs, as well as junior Danielle Holtz and sophomores Shanna Somero and Rachael Tarantino. The Tigers added a talented freshman class of seven gymnasts to their lineup for 2005, including 2002 Junior Olympic all-around champion Julie Dwyer.

Thompson is in his sixth season as Auburn’s head coach and holds a career record of 43-60. While Puckett has been his only All-American at Auburn, Thompson has coached two Olympic gold medalists Jaycie Phelps and Amanda Borden. To cap the 2005 season, Thompson’s program will host the NCAA Championships at Auburn, April 21-23.

 

Nebraska leads the all-time series with the Tigers at 5-0, as the Huskers last defeated AU 196.875-195.80 at the 2003 NCAA Championships held in Lincoln.

 

Scouting the Wildcats

Head Coach - Hajile “Mo” Muhammad                        2005 Record - 4-5

2004 Overall Record - 4-18                                            2004 Regional Finish - Did Not Qualify

2004 NCAA Finish - Did Not Qualify

 

Kentucky will take on the Huskers at the Masters Classic under the direction of Head Coach Hajile “Mo” Muhammad, who is in his second season as the Wildcats’ head coach. This year Kentucky has achieved a national ranking as high as No. 17 and will take on No. 6 Florida in Gainesville this Friday, Feb. 25. Currently 4-5 on the season, the Wildcats most recently suffered a 196.925-195.55 loss to No. 1 LSU on Feb. 18 at home. In 2004, UK finished seventh at the Southeastern Conference Championships (193.85).

 

Kentucky returns 10 letterwinners, including senior Michelle Gales, who was the only Wildcat gymnast to compete at a 2004 NCAA regional. Gales finished the regional competition with an all-around score of 39.025. Most notable among Kentucky’s other returnees are seniors Lindsay Cameron, Kara Prestigiacomo, Krista Prestigiacomo and junior Staci O’Keefe. The Wildcats added five freshmen to their 2005 roster, including Amanda Coates, Kristen Kaufman and Kristen O’Shields, all of whom are former Junior Olympic National qualifiers.

 

The Huskers lead the all-time series against Kentucky, 3-0. NU last posted a win over the Wildcats in 2001 at the Arizona State Invite, where the Huskers placed first with a 197.10 over ASU (195.575), UK (194.35) and Iowa (193.425).

 

Up Next for the Huskers...

Nebraska will play host to No. 19 Minnesota and Air Force next Sunday, March 6, at the BobDevaneySportsCenter at 2 p.m.

 

Parsons Earns Second Big 12 Gymnast of the Week Honor

Freshman Emily Parsons was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for meets Feb. 15-21, the conference office announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The freshman from St. Charles, Mo., earned the honor for the second time in her career.

 

Parsons won two event titles and tied for second in the all-around with a season-high 39.475 in Nebraska’s win over No. 4 Utah. She claimed her fifth floor title and third vault title by tying her season-high of 9.925 in both events. Parsons placed second on balance beam with a season-high 9.90 and added a 9.70 on uneven bars.

 

Parsons joins senior Richelle Simpson as one of two Huskers to earn Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week accolades. Simpson earned the honor for the week of Jan. 18-24 for the seventh time in her Husker career.

 

Coaching Milestones

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 29-year history of the Nebraska women's gymnastics program. In 12 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 265-95-3 overall and 190-35-1 in regular season meets. Kendig enters his 22nd year of coaching and owns a career record of 364-195-3.

 

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

 

He has also led Nebraska to nine NCAA Championship 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 fourth at the NCAAs.

 

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 leading the Huskers again in 2005, after her 2004 season was cut short by a knee injury. The Toronto, Ontario native was granted a medical hardship year by the NCAA and hopes to defend her status as a nine-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. 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 first-team All-American on all five events in the same season.

 

Nebraska Results at Michigan (Jan. 7)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.750      ---           9.950      9.700            ---

Kristi Esposito                     9.625      9.800      9.850      9.800      39.075

Kylee Johnson                     ---            9.625        ---            ---                ---

Emily Parsons                     ---            9.700      9.825      9.850            ---

Jamie Saas                          ---            ---           9.200      9.750            ---

Richelle Simpson               9.725      9.800      9.800      9.325      38.650

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.325      9.750      9.825        ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.700      9.750        ---          9.525            ---

    Team Totals                     48.125   48.800   48.65      48.625   194.20

 

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

 

Nebraska Results at Florida (Jan. 21)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.90        ---           9.825      9.80              ---

Kristi Esposito                     9.70        9.90        9.825      9.675          39.10

Emily Parsons                     9.90        9.80        9.70        9.90            39.30

Jamie Saas                            ---          ---           9.90        9.60              ---

Richelle Simpson               9.975      9.875      9.90        9.90            39.65

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.225      9.90        9.05          ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.775      9.775        ---          9.70              ---

Michele Zabawa                    ---          9.825        ---            ---                ---

    Team Totals                     49.25      49.30      49.15      48.975     196.675

 

Nebraska Results at Missouri (Jan. 28)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.875      ---           9.725      9.85              ---

Kristi Esposito                     9.275      9.80        9.90        9.875          38.85

Emily Parsons                     9.95        9.55        9.375      9.925          38.80

Jamie Saas                            ---          ---           9.90        9.825            ---

Richelle Simpson               10.00      9.075      9.925      9.825          38.825

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.75        9.875      9.825        ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.80        9.75          ---          9.875            ---

Michele Zabawa                  ---            9.825        ---            ---                ---

    Team Totals                     49.375   48.80      49.275   49.35        196.800

 

Nebraska Results vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 5)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 ---             ---          9.625        ---                ---

Kristi Esposito                     9.625      9.925      9.85        9.825          39.225

Kylee Johnson                       ---            ---            ---          9.70              ---

Emily Parsons                     9.95        9.70        9.825      9.925          39.40

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

Richelle Simpson               9.875      9.825      9.925      9.875          39.50

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.80        9.85        8.225        ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.725      9.825        ---          9.85              ---

Michele Zabawa                  9.775      9.85          ---            ---                ---

    Team Totals                     49.125   49.275   49.075   49.30        196.775

 

Nebraska Results at Iowa State (Feb. 11)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.95        ---           9.825        ---                ---

Kristi Esposito                       ---          9.825      9.875      9.85              ---

Dani Millis                               ---          ---             ---          9.30              ---

Emily Parsons                     9.95        9.70        9.85        9.825         39.325

Jamie Saas                            ---          ---           9.85        9.825            ---

Richelle Simpson               9.975      9.775      9.675      9.90           39.325

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.675      9.875      8.975        ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.775      9.80          ---          9.85              ---

Michele Zabawa                  9.825      9.75          ---            ---                ---

    Team Totals                     49.475   49.025   49.075   49.20        196.775

 

Nebraska Results vs. Utah (Feb. 20)

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.875      ---           9.675      9.85              ---

Kristi Esposito                       ---          9.80        9.20        9.80              ---

Dani Millis                               ---          ---             ---          ---                ---

Emily Parsons                     9.925      9.725      9.90        9.925         39.475

Jamie Saas                          ---           ---           9.90        9.775            ---

Richelle Simpson               9.875      9.80        9.90        9.90           39.475

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.80        9.775        ---            ---                ---

Brittney Williams                  9.75        9.775        ---          9.75              ---

Michele Zabawa                  9.75        9.85          9.80        ---                ---

    Team Totals                     49.225   49.000   49.175   49.250     196.650