Huskers Top No. 10 Sooners in Home Opener

Lincoln ? The ninth-ranked Nebraska women’s gymnastics team produced scores of 49.0 or higher on all four events on its way to a 196.775-195.725 win over No. 10 Oklahoma on Saturday night in front of 1,050 fans at the BobDevaneySportsCenter.

 

With the win, the Huskers improved to 2-3 on the season and extended their home unbeaten streak in the DevaneyCenter to 53 regular-season competitions. The Huskers set or tied 12 season highs on their way to sweeping the individual event titles and the top two all-around spots.  

 

The Huskers saw a solid performance from senior Richelle Simpson, who captured her second all-around title of the year with a score of 39.50. Simpson tied her season high on beam with a 9.925 before finishing the competition with a 9.875 on floor exercise. The Toronto, Ontario, native added a 9.875 on vault to finish second on the event and a 9.825 on uneven bars.

 

“When Richelle feels good, she just performs and makes it look easy.” Head Coach Dan Kendig said. “That’s where she is now. She’s confident, healthy and I sense that we’re going to see these kinds of performances week in and week out.”

 

Freshman Emily Parsons tied her season high on three events, on the way to a season-best 39.40 tie for second place in the all-around. Parsons claimed her second vault title of the year by tying a season high with a 9.95, as well as her fourth floor crown with a 9.925. The St. Charles, Mo., native also tied her season high with a 9.825 on balance beam to finish in a tie for third.  

 

Sophomore Kristi Esposito added a solid all-around effort by finishing third with a season-high score of 39.20. Esposito posted a season high with a 9.925 to capture the uneven bars title and contributed a 9.85 on beam for a third-place finish, while tying for sixth on floor (9.825).

 

Nebraska began the competition on vault, where Parsons led the team with a 9.95, tying her career-high score to take the individual event title. Simpson followed in second place with a 9.875, and Sniatynski scored a career-high 9.80 to finish fourth. Zabawa’s season-high 9.775 left her in a tie for fifth with Oklahoma’s Kristen Cox and Tiffany Willin. Williams added a 9.725 to bring the Huskers to a 49.125.

 

The Huskers then moved on to the uneven bars. Esposito earned first-place honors on the event, scoring a season-high 9.925. Zabawa and Sniatynski each added a 9.85 to tie for third. Simpson and Williams tied for seventh with a 9.825 each. For Williams, the score was a season high. NU ended the event with a 49.275.

 

Four Huskers then swept the top four spots on balance beam with Simpson capturing the title with a 9.925, while Esposito took second with a 9.85. Parsons and Jamie Saas tied for third with a 9.825 to put Nebraska in firm control of the dual with the Sooners heading to the final rotation. The Huskers finished with a 49.075 on the event.

 

Parsons and Simpson continued their solid nights by taking the top two spots on floor, as Parsons tied her season high with a 9.925 to win the title. Simpson finished second with a 9.875, while Williams tied for fourth with a 9.85. Saas and Esposito tied for sixth with a 9.825, bringing the Huskers to a team total of 49.075.

 

“We were ready for this tonight,” Kendig said. “We were ready to come home and make a good showing. They competed with such confidence, and they’re going to continue to improve every week. Seeing their routines in front of a home crowd made such a big difference, and they were able to get focused and have fun tonight.”

 

The Huskers will travel to Ames, Iowa to take on No. 11 Iowa State next Friday, Feb. 11 at Hilton Coliseum. The dual is scheduled for 7 p.m.