No. 8 Huskers Notch Win over No. 6 Oklahoma

Norman, Okla. ? Sophomore Emily Parsons captured two individual event titles and the all-around crown to lead the No. 8 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team to a season high 196.85 on its way to a victory over No. 6 Oklahoma (196.00) Saturday night in front of nearly 1,000 fans at the Howard McCasland Field House.

 

The Huskers, who improved to 6-2-1 on the season, scored 49.0 or better on all four events for the first time this year in a strong effort from start to finish.

 

Parsons claimed first-place finishes on beam (9.925) and floor (9.90) en route to the all-around title (39.55) in a solid effort that also left her in second on vault (9.90) and fourth on bars (9.825).

 

“Emily is just so solid,” Head Coach Dan Kendig said. “Anytime you can score a 39.55 anywhere, but especially on the road ? that’s unbelievable. She continues to do great gymnastics and hit great routines, whether it’s at home or on the road.”

 

Freshman Tricia Woo tied with Parsons for the floor title, while redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche earned the Huskers’ fourth individual crown of the evening with a score of 9.875 on bars. 

Nebraska’s only other four-event competitor, freshman Kylie Stone, finished third in the all-around (39.00), while junior Michele Zabawa earned second-place honors on the uneven bars with a strong 9.85, as well as a fourth-place showing on vault (9.85) with junior Stephanie Carter.

 

“This was Kylie’s first time out on floor tonight,” Kendig said. “Besides a couple of small steps at the end, the rest of her routine was great. It’s exciting to see her get her feet wet, and I think we’re going to see some wonderful routines from her this year.”

 

NU began the competition on the uneven bars, where Meloche set the pace with a score of 9.875 to snag the event title. Zabawa posted a 9.85 for second, and Parsons and sophomores Desire' Sniatynski and Brittney Williams finished in a four-way tie for fourth with a 9.825 each. Stone, competing on the event for the first time in her collegiate career, added a 9.75 to place ninth, and Nebraska finished the event with a 49.20, narrowly trailing Oklahoma after the first rotation, as the Tigers opened with a 49.325 on vault.

 

The Huskers responded with a 49.20 on vault, led by Parsons’ second-place 9.90. Zabawa and junior Stephanie Carter equaled each other with a mark of 9.85, tying Zabawa’s season best and leaving them in fourth place. Woo and Stone each notched a 9.80 to tie for ninth, while freshman Sabrina Long followed with a 9.775 to tie her career best. NU took the lead over the Sooners, 98.40-98.225, at the halfway point.

 

Nebraska moved on to the floor exercise for its third event of the dual, where Parsons and Woo led the team with a stellar 9.90 to tie for the event crown. Sniatynski finished with fifth-place honors by scoring a 9.825, and Carter and Long matched marks of 9.775 to place ninth. Stone also made her floor debut for the Huskers, notching a 9.70 to bring the Huskers to a team score of 49.175 for a season best and extend the lead over OU, 147.575-146.825, heading into the final event.

 

NU capped the evening on balance beam, where Parsons’ solid 9.925 performance earned her the event title and broke her old career high of 9.90 set at the 2005 NCAA Super Six Finals. Woo and Carter took home third-place honors by earning a 9.875, a score that tied Carter’s career high from the 2004 Masters Classic. Zabawa followed in fifth place with a score of 9.85, while Stone’s score of 9.75 left her in ninth. Nebraska finished with a season-best 49.275 to seal the win over its Big 12 rival and improve the team’s all-time record with OU to 55-16.

 

“Our team was unbelievable tonight,” Kendig said. “They came in here and hit routines, and that’s what you need to do when you’re on the road. We attribute it to working out five days straight last week, which was a first in the time that I’ve been at Nebraska. I thought they might have been a little fatigued coming in, but it sure didn’t show in competition. This was really a total team effort tonight.”

 

The Huskers will continue a three-week road stretch by traveling to State College, Pa., to take on No. 15 Penn State, Rutgers and Yale next Friday, Feb. 10, at PSU’s Rec Hall. Competition is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. (CST).

 

 

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor      All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.85                        9.875      9.775

Alise Cecchini                                                                     

Kylee Johnson                                                                    

Sabrina Long                       9.775                                      9.775

Vanessa Meloche                                               9.875

Dani Millis                                                                            

Emily Parsons                      9.90        9.825      9.925      9.90        39.55

Desire’ Sniatynski                                               9.825      9.275      9.825

Kylie Stone                           9.80        9.75        9.75        9.70        39.00

Brittney Williams                                  9.825

Tricia Woo                             9.80                        9.875      9.90

Michele Zabawa                 9.85        9.85        9.85

Team Scores                       Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor      Total

Nebraska                              49.20      49.20      49.275   49.175   196.85

Oklahoma                             49.325   48.90      48.60      49.175   196.00