Huskers Surge Into Super Six

Corvallis, Ore. ? The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team finished first in the afternoon preliminary session of the NCAA Championships with a score of 196.325 at OregonStateUniversity on Thursday to advance to the NCAA team finals. The Huskers, who scored a 49.0 or better on vault, bars and floor, improved to 25-7-1 on the season at OSU’s Gill Goliseum. Nebraska will advance to its eighth overall NCAA Super Six Finals Friday night at 9 p.m. (CST) to contend for a national title along with Alabama (196.25), Utah (196.175) and Georgia, Iowa State and Florida from tonight's preliminary session.

 

NU finished first ahead of the Crimson Tide and Utes, as well as Michigan (196.00), LSU (195.65) and Oklahoma (195.525).

 

Seven Huskers combined for a total of nine All-America awards, highlighted by sophomore Emily Parsons’ three first-team accolades on vault, floor and the all-around. Freshman Tricia Woo earned first-team honors on floor and second-team All-America status on beam, while redshirt freshman Vanessa Meloche earned first-team recognition on bars. Parsons will compete on vault and floor in Saturday night’s individual event finals, while Woo will also contend for the NCAA floor title and Meloche will compete on bars.

 

Juniors Stephanie Carter (floor) and Michele Zabawa (bars), sophomore Desire’ Sniatynski (bars) and freshman Kylie Stone (vault) were also named second-team All-Americans on their respective events.

 

Parsons finished fourth in the all-around standings with a 39.40, while also placing first on floor (9.95) and vault (9.925). As Nebraska’s only other four-event competitor, Stone finished 12th with a score of 39.075.

 

“Our team gave an unbelievable performance today,” Head Coach Dan Kendig said. “It was really fun watching the team today because Nebraska has fought all year long to get to this point. We’ve worked so hard with nine gymnasts competing most all year along, and those same nine carried the load today. Youth and inexperience marked our season earlier, but since March, we have absolutely been on fire. These athletes aren’t young anymore; they are focused and feel invincible and feel like they can go in and take control of this tomorrow night at the Super Six Finals.”

 

NU opened the competition on bars after a first-rotation bye, and Meloche led the way with a score of 9.85 to finish fourth. Sniatynski and Zabawa tied for eighth-place honors (9.825), while sophomore Brittney Williams notched a 9.80 to land in 15th. Stone added a 19th-place 9.775, and Parsons earned a 9.70, bringing the Huskers to a 49.075 finish on the event heading into the third rotation.

 

Nebraska moved on to beam, where Woo’s strong 9.825 led her to fifth-place honors. Carter and Parsons, who was a second-team All-American on beam as a freshman, earned marks of 9.80 each to tie for ninth, ahead of a 21st-place finish (9.775) from Zabawa. Stone and Sniatynski scored a 9.625 and 9.60, respectively, helping NU to finish with an event total of 48.825, a third-place standing behind Alabama (98.275) and LSU (98.10) at the halfway point.

 

The Huskers then moved on to the floor exercise and were led by Parsons, who gave her usual stellar performance to earn a 9.95 for first place over three-time NCAA champion Ashley Miles of Alabama. Woo followed up in third with a 9.90, and Carter added a 9.85 for eighth. Stone’s 9.825 earned her 17th-place honors, and Sniatynski finished with a 9.80 for 25th. Nebraska finished the event with a season-best 49.325 and headed into the fifth rotation with a running score of 147.225.

 

Nebraska capped the afternoon on vault, where Parsons was again NU’s event leader with a 9.95 to tie for first with Miles of Alabama. Stone’s score of 9.85 left her in seventh, while Carter finished 11th (9.825). Zabawa posted a 9.75 for 21st, Williams added a 9.725 to seal NU's spot in the Super Six Finals, and freshman Sabrina Long earned a 9.50 for her leadoff effort. Nebraska closed with an event score of 49.10 and a first-place NCAA preliminary finish.

 

“We had a good, solid start on bars, and we were happy going into the third rotation after that,” Kendig said. “We went straight to beam, and scores were a little tight there for every team here today; we had to rally after that point with scores being so close. When we came back out on floor, we had five gymnasts who took that time to rock and roll, and that was fun to see. Then we went to vault and rocked there with five great vaults to seal the win.”

 

Nebraska will compete in tomorrow night’s NCAA Super Six Finals at Gill Coliseum at 9 p.m. The Huskers will begin on beam, followed by a bye before floor, floor, vault, a bye before bars and bars. Tickets are available through the Oregon State ticket office at 1-800-462-3287 or at www.osubeavers.com.