No. 6 Huskers Host Michigan

The sixth-ranked <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will return to Lincoln for its first home meet with preseason No. 6-ranked Michigan at the BobDevaneySportsCenter on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers opened the season last week at the Super Six Challenge in Baton Rouge, La., placing second with a score of 194.10 behind No. 4 Alabama (194.25). Sophomore Emily Parsons led the way for NU, tying a career high with a 9.95 to claim the vault title with Alabama’s Ashley Miles, while also finishing second in the all-around (39.225). In her first competition as a Husker since returning from multiple injuries, redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche, along with junior Michele Zabawa, landed in a four-way tie for first on the uneven bars.

 

NU returned three of its four All-Americans from the 2005 season, including four-time honoree Emily Parsons, who earned first-team recognition on floor exercise and was named to the second team on vault, balance beam and the all-around. Defending Big 12 Conference uneven bars champion Michele Zabawa is also a key member of the Nebraska lineup, having received second-team All-America status on vault (2004) and bars (2005), as well as second-team uneven bars honoree Desire’ Sniatynski.

 

Huskers’ First Home Meet to Feature Dollar Days

At Nebraska’s home opener with Michigan this Friday at 7 p.m., fans will enjoy the BobDevaneySportsCenter’s “Dollar Days” promotion. As the Huskers and Wolverines battle it out for the seventh consecutive year, meet attendees will receive $1 admission, $1 hot dogs and $1 Pepsi products.

 

ESPN to Air NCAA Honors Celebration Featuring Simpson

ESPN announced this week its intention to air the NCAA Honors Celebration throughout the month of January. The ceremony includes former Husker gymnast Richelle Simpson receiving the prestigious 2005 NCAA Top Eight Award. Simpson, who was a nine-time All-American at Nebraska, recently became NU’s NCAA-leading 15th Top Eight Award winner. The presentation will be shown Jan. 10 at 9 p.m., Jan. 11 at 4 p.m and Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. in two-hour time slots on ESPNU, as well as Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 in a one-hour slot. All times are central.

 

A Bright Future: The New Husker Class Competes at LSU

Three of Nebraska’s five freshman gymnasts made their collegiate debuts in Louisiana last week -- redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche and true freshmen Sabrina Long and Tricia Woo. While Meloche tied for the uneven bars crown at the Super Six Challenge with a score of 9.875, Long competed on vault (9.60), balance beam (9.375) and floor exercise (9.625), while Woo was featured on beam with a score of 9.575 and floor (9.625).

 

Canadian Duo Headlines Freshman Class

Nebraska’s youngest class includes a pair of Canadian National Team members in redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche and true freshman Kylie Stone. Meloche, who missed the 2005 season due to foot and knee injuries that kept her out of gymnastics for the past two years, enters the new season fully recovered and poised to contribute on the uneven bars and balance beam.

 

A seven-year Canadian National Team member, Meloche has excelled on the two events, as evidenced by her 2002 national bars title and a third-place finish on vault and bars at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, that same year.

 

Meloche’s first competition as a Husker was nothing short of the NU coaching staff’s expectation, as she finished in a four-way tie for first on bars with junior Michele Zabawa (9.875) at the Super Six Challenge.

 

Headlining the heralded freshman class is Stone, who joined the Huskers after the fall semester. Stone, who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, could contribute as an all-arounder, as she finished 14th in the all-around standings at the 2004 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Stone was the 2004 Canadian National all-around, beam and floor exercise champion, as well as a national titleholder on beam in 2003.

 

Kendig Builds One of Nation’s Top Programs at Nebraska

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 30 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In 13 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 289-105-3 overall and 205-37-1 in regular-season meets. Kendig enters his 23rd year of coaching and owns a career record of 402-217-3.

 

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 10 NCAA Championships appearances in the past 12 seasons, including NCAA Super Six Finals appearances in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. 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 2005, Nebraska finished with a 21-13 overall record. The Huskers placed second (196.30) in the NCAA South Central regional behind Michigan and also placed sixth (196.425) in its seventh consecutive NCAA Championships appearance. Four of Kendig's gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (AA, V, BB, FX), Kristi Esposito (BB), Michele Zabawa (UB) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB) -- earned a total of seven All-America honors.

 

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

 

Super Sophomore Parsons Leads NU into 2006 Season

Sophomore Emily Parsons is expected to lead the Huskers in 2006, as she was a four-time All-American as a freshman. The St. Charles, Mo., native finished third on floor exercise in the individual event finals at the NCAA Championships to garner first-team All-America honors, while also grabbing second-team accolades on vault, balance beam and in the all-around.

 

In 2005, Parsons was also named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and shared the conference beam title with former Husker All-American Richelle Simpson. In a season that saw Parsons earn two All-Big 12 nods (vault and beam), she went on to claim NCAA South Central regional titles on vault and floor, as well as the all-around crown over 2000 Olympian Elise Ray of Michigan.

 

The beginning of Parsons’ sophomore season has been just as impressive as her freshman campaign, as she finished second in the all-around with a score of 39.225 at last week’s Super Six Challenge in Baton Rouge, La. Parsons also earned the vault crown by tying her career high of 9.95, landing in a lock for first place with two-time NCAA vault champion Ashley Miles of Alabama. The vault title was the seventh vault title and 17th overall individual event crown in Parsons’ career at Nebraska.

 

Three NU Gymnasts Earn Event Titles

The Nebraska gymnastics team kept tradition alive at the Super Six Challenge, with three competitors nabbing three individual event titles. Sophomore Emily Parsons finished first on vault (9.95), while junior Michele Zabawa garnered the uneven bars crown with a score of 9.875. Redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche also tied with Zabawa for the bars title in her first appearance as a Husker.

 

Carter Enjoys First Career All-Around Appearance

Junior Stephanie Carter’s four event scores at the Super Six Challenge equaled a 38.775 and one other statistic -- her first career appearance as an all-around competitor. Carter, a native of Bryn Athyn, Pa., was primarily a three-event specialist for the Huskers in her freshman and sophomore seasons, competing consistently on vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Last Friday’s meet at LSU, however, marked the first time she was included in Nebraska’s uneven bars lineup, and Carter made the most of the opportunity by scoring a 9.625 en route to the team’s nation-leading 49.15 event score. Carter also finished sixth in the all-around, tied for third on vault (9.875) and added scores of 9.60 and 9.675 on beam and floor, respectively.

 

 

How the Huskers Fared at the Super Six Challenge

at LSU, Jan. 6, 2006 (Baton Rouge, La.)

Name                            Vault     Bars     Beam    Floor        AA

Stephanie Carter            9.875    9.625    9.60      9.675      38.775

Alise Cecchini                 ---         ---         ---         ---            ---

Kylee Johnson                 ---         ---         ---         ---            ---

Sabrina Long                   ---         ---         9.375    9.625       ---

Vanessa Meloche            ---       9.875      ---         ---            ---

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

Emily Parsons               9.95      9.75      9.775    9.75        39.225

Desire’ Sniatynski          9.75      9.85      9.35      9.60        38.55 

Kylie Stone                     ---         ---         ---         ---            ---

Brittney Williams           9.675    9.80        ---       9.025         ---

Tricia Woo                     ---           ---       9.575    9.625         ---

Michele Zabawa            9.75      9.875    8.625      ---             ---  

Team Totals                  49.00    49.15    47.675  48.275    194.10

 

Team                            Vault     Bars     Beam    Floor     Total

Alabama                       49.05    48.60    48.30    48.30    194.25

Nebraska                      49.00    49.15    47.675  48.275  194.10

Iowa State                     48.925  48.95    47.825  48.35    194.05

LSU                              48.85    49.075  48.125  47.85    193.90

Auburn                          48.675  49.025  48.00    47.975  193.65

Missouri                        48.425  48.675  47.875  47.725  192.70

 

Scouting the Competition: Michigan Wolverines

*Head Coach: Bev Plocki           *2005 Record: 22-2

*2005 High Score: 197.85 42005 Big Ten Finish: 1st (196.25)

*2005 Regional Finish: South Central, 1st (196.60)

*2005 NCAA Finish: 5th (196.575)

 

Quick Facts about the Wolverines...

*Michigan finished just ahead of the Huskers with a fifth-place showing at the 2005 NCAA Super Six Finals, scoring a 196.575.

*Senior Jenny Deiley is an eight-time All-American for the Wolverines, most recently earning first-team honors on vault in 2005.

* Friday’s competition in Lincoln is Michigan’s first meet of the season. In preseason                                  coaches rankings, UM was chosen as the No. 5 team in the nation.

 

The Last Time NU and Michigan Met...

Nebraska and Michigan last met at the 2005 NCAA Super Six Finals, where NU finished sixth with a score of 196.425 just behind the Wolverines, whose 196.575 left them in fifth place. Just a day before at the first preliminary session of the NCAA Championships, Nebraska placed third (195.875) behind the second-place Wolverines, who scored a 196.575.

 

In regular-season competition, the Huskers traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the Wolverines at Crisler Arena for the first meet of the 2005 season. Michigan posted a mark of 195.90 to give Nebraska (194.20) its first loss of the year.

 

Former Husker Kristi Esposito captured the all-around crown with a 39.075, while Richelle Simpson placed third with a score of 38.65 and finished fifth on beam. Esposito finished second on beam, tied for third on bars with Simpson and took fourth on floor, and Emily Parsons made her debut with third-place finishes on beam and floor. Desire’ Sniatynski also tied for third on beam with Parsons.