Huskers Finish Second at Big 12 Championship

Lincoln ? Sophomores Emily Parsons and Desire’ Sniatynski and redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche were crowned conference event champions Saturday night in the No. 11 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team’s 196.275 second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship.

 

In front of 1,903 fans at the BobDevaneySportsCenter, Parsons claimed the 46th and 47th individual event titles of her career, finishing first on vault (9.90) and balance beam (9.90) while also placing second in the all-around (39.375). Sniatynski, who is one of the Huskers’ three returning All-Americans, and Meloche also tied for first on the uneven bars with a score of 9.85.

 

“We are so proud of Emily, Desire’ and Vanessa for being Big 12 champions,” Head Coach Dan Kendig said. “Emily is a very talented gymnast, and she had a great meet with three 9.90s. Her confidence level is up, and she is really handling the pressure of big competition at this point in the season.

 

“Desire’ and Vanessa both battled injuries in some sense; Vanessa has dealt with injuries for her entire gymnastics career and turned in an outstanding routine tonight. Desire’ was working against her injury from last week, and she stuck her landing on bars despite a turned ankle. She’s a tough kid and a tough competitor, and that’s why she is a rock in the times when our team needs a little push.”

 

Six Huskers were honored with All-Big 12 awards, which are presented to the top four finishers on each event and the all-around. Parsons earned all-conference nods on vault, beam, floor and the all-around, while freshman Tricia Woo was honored on beam after finishing third. Junior Stephanie Carter, who placed third on vault, and freshman Kylie Stone, who finished fourth in the all-around, also garnered All-Big 12 honors, while Meloche and Sniatynski earned their share on bars.

 

The Huskers, who improved to 16-6-1 on the season, scored a 49.0 or better on all four events for the third time this year.

 

No. 4 Iowa State (196.425) won its second Big 12 conference in program history after a first-place finish in 2000. No. 6 Oklahoma finished third (195.35) behind the second-place Huskers, and No. 13 Missouri placed fourth (194.85). Nebraska had won every Big 12 team championship in the last nine years, with the exception of Oklahoma’s win in 2004 and IowaState’s victory in 2000.

 

NU began the competition on floor exercise, where Parsons led the way with a score of 9.90 to tie for second. Woo followed with a 9.875 to finish sixth, while Carter added a strong 9.85 for seventh-place honors. Stone posted a 12th-place-worthy 9.825, and sophomore Brittney Williams recorded a 9.70 for finish 17th. Freshman Sabrina Long also scored a 9.625 to finish 21st, bringing Nebraska to an event score of 49.15 to take an early lead over IowaState (49.025), Oklahoma (48.85) and Missouri (48.725).

 

The Huskers then moved to vault and found their leader in Parsons, who tied with IowaState’s Janet Anson for the event title (9.90). Carter earned a 9.875 to take home third-place honors, and Stone turned in a solid 9.85 to finish fifth. Zabawa placed sixth with a 9.825, and Williams, competing in the vault lineup for just the fourth time this season, added a 9.65 for 21st to equal a team score of 49.10. NU continued its lead with a running score of 98.25 ahead of ISU (97.925), OU (97.75) and MU (97.025).

 

“I am so proud of our team and the way every one of our athletes competed tonight,” Kendig said. “They warmed up well and had a great week of training, then came out and had four good events in competition. This team has really grown up in the last two weeks, and we are exactly where we need to be for championship-level meets. We’re excited about what the next two weeks will bring as we head into regionals.”

 

Nebraska moved on to the uneven bars for its third event of the meet, where Meloche and Sniatynski posted matching scores of 9.85 to grab the event title. Zabawa, who was the defending Big 12 uneven bars champion, added a 9.80 for sixth place, while Stone notched a 9.775 to finish 10th. Williams, who finished 15th, and Parsons, landing in the 20th-place spot, contributed scores of 9.725 and 9.675, respectively, helping the Huskers to an event score of 49.00. NU (147.25) went into the fourth rotation still leading over the Cyclones (146.975), as well as the Sooners (146.85) and Tigers (146.15).

 

The Huskers capped the evening on balance beam, where Parsons gave a stellar 9.90 performance to capture the second conference beam title of her career. Woo landed in a three-way tie for third with a 9.875, and Zabawa and Stone posted a 9.80 each to finish seventh. Carter and Long earned a 9.675 each for 22nd place, and Nebraska put together a score of 49.025 for its final event.

 

Nebraska will await its NCAA regional fate for the remainder of the weekend, as announcements will be made Monday morning for each of the nation’s qualifying teams. Regional meets will be held at Arkansas, Stanford, Iowa State, LSU, Michigan and Georgia on April 8.