Huskers Take Second at Super Six Challenge

Fayetteville, Ark. ? The No. 7 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team posted a score of 195.20 Friday night to finish second at the Super Six Challenge at Arkansas’ Barnhill Arena. The Huskers, who scored a 49.0 or better on vault and bars, improved to 4-1 on the season. Nebraska finished behind third-ranked Florida 196.55 and ahead of No. 14 Penn State (194.575), No. 9 LSU (194.125), No. 15 Arkansas (192.80) and No. 17 Denver (192.275). 

 

Sophomore Kylie Stone finished second in the all-around with a score of 39.125, while junior Desire’ Sniatynski set a new career high on bars with a score of 9.925 to tie for third place on the event with sophomore Vanessa Meloche. Junior Emily Parsons also finished second on vault (9.975) and beam (9.85). The seven-time All-American tied her career high vault score, which she previously achieved last season against Arkansas on March 19.

 

Two other Huskers ? Stone and junior Brittney Williams ? set or tied career bests of their own on bars, as they posted a 9.85 and 9.875, respectively. Williams’ score established a new career high for the third-year competitor, as she broke her previous best of 9.85. In addition, sophomore Tricia Woo earned third-place honors on floor with a 9.825.

 

“After a shaky start on beam, we came out and rocked floor and vault,” Head Coach Dan Kendig said. “Then we hit six big routines on bars. A low score on an event isn’t always bad. It’s not what happens; it’s how you react to it. I have a feeling from looking in the eyes of every competitor on our team that their reaction to tonight’s performance is going to be very positive. They know they’re better and well within reach of doing great things here. We could have easily packed it in and called it a day after the first rotation, but we climbed out of a hole from sixth to second place. I am proud of our team’s effort today.”

 

Nebraska opened the meet on beam, where Parsons led the way with a 9.85 for second. Stone followed with a 9.70, and Sniatynski added a 9.625. Woo contributed a 9.45, and freshman Kathryn Howard made her collegiate debut with a 9.125 showing. NU finished with an event total of 47.75 for fourth-place standing behind LSU (49.45), Florida (48.85) and Arkansas (48.075).

 

Following a bye, the Huskers moved on to floor, and Woo gave a solid performance for a third-place 9.825. Parsons, Stone and senior Stephanie Carter tied with a 9.80 each, while Sniatynski posted a 9.70 to give Nebraska a team score of 48.925. NU stood in fourth place with a 96.675 at the halfway point, behind LSU (98.30), Florida (97.90), PennState (96.875) and ahead of Arkansas (95.60) and Denver (95.425).

 

NU then moved on to vault, where Parsons was again the team’s event leader with a 9.975 that secured her second-place honors and tied her career best. Carter took home a score of 9.825, while Sniatynski finished with a 9.80 mark. Stone posted a 9.775, and senior Michele Zabawa and freshman Maria Scaffidi tied with matching scores of 9.75. The Huskers finished vault with an event score of 49.125 and headed into the fifth rotation with a running score of 145.775.

 

After a second bye, Nebraska capped the night on bars, where Meloche and Sniatynski set the tone with a 9.925 each to tie for third. Williams’ score of 9.875 earned her a new career best, and Stone was close behind with a 9.85. Zabawa finished with a 9.825 mark, bringing the Huskers to an event score of 49.40, their highest bars tally since a 49.45 showing at IowaState on March 14, 2004.

 

“I was so proud to see Brittney earn such a good score today,” Kendig said. “She has absolutely earned it. She’s been working hard and focusing on the details, and to have that performance the first meet out is very nice. With her in the third spot in our bars lineup, that’s only going to help us.

 

"I think the competition within the bars lineup is something we haven’t seen on that event in three or four years. We have strong scores all the way through, and now we’re at least eight gymnasts deep there. I know the competition is going to make the cream rise to the top, and we’re going to see even better bars from this team as the year progresses.”

 

After a weekend off, Nebraska returns to competition at IowaState on Jan. 19. Te first of three meetings with the Cyclones this year is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

 

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.825                                      9.80

Kathryn Howard                                                   9.125

Vanessa Meloche                                               9.925     

Emily Parsons                     9.975                      9.85        9.80

Maria Scaffidi                        9.75        9.775                      9.15                       

Desire’ Sniatynski               9.80        9.925      9.625      9.70        39.05

Kylie Stone                            9.775      9.85        9.70        9.80        39.125

Brittney Williams                                  9.875     

Tricia Woo                                                             9.45        9.825

Michele Zabawa                  9.75        9.825      8.85

Team Scores                       Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       Total

Nebraska                       49.125   49.40      47.75      48.925    195.20

Florida                           49.05     49.575    49.075   48.85       196.55

LSU                                        49.45      48.85      47.35      48.475    194.125

Penn State                            48.575    49.05      48.65      48.40      194.575

Denver                           48.675   48.675   46.75      48.875     192.275

Arkansas                        48.70      48.075   47.525   48.50       192.80