Huskers Ranked No. 8 in Preseason Poll

Lincoln ? The 2006 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team was ranked eighth nationally in the pre-season poll released Thursday by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches.

Defending NCAA champion Georgia earned the top spot, receiving 15 first-place votes, while Utah was ranked No. 2 with five votes. UCLA (3) and Alabama (2) claimed the No. 3 and No. 4 rankings, respectively. Michigan, Florida and LSU grabbed the three other spots ahead of Nebraska, while Stanford and Oklahoma round out the top 10 teams.

NU returns three All-Americans for the 2006 season, including four-time honoree Emily Parsons, who led Nebraska to a sixth-place finish at the 2005 Super Six Finals in Auburn, Ala.

The Huskers will open the year in Baton Rouge, La., at the Super Six Challenge on Jan. 6. The competition will match NU against the fourth-ranked Tide, No. 7 LSU, No. 11 Iowa State, No. 15 Auburn and 16th-ranked Missouri, and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Center.