No. 8 Nebraska Faces Tough Masters Classic

?Head Coach: Dan Kendig (14th Year)          

?Current Record: 11-3 (2-1 Big 12)

?2007 High Score: 196.975 (at Hearts Invitational, 2/17/07)

?Last Meet: 1st/5, 196.975 (at Hearts Invitational, 2/17/07)

?2006 NCAA Finish: 5th (196.125)

                               

The eighth-ranked Nebraska women’s gymnastics team returns to Lincoln for its second home meet of the year at the BobDevaneySportsCenter on Sunday, Feb. 25. The annual Masters Classic, which features No. 3 Stanford and No. 21 NC State, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. No. 9 LSU, which was initially slated to compete at the Masters Classic, was unable to complete the trip to Lincoln due to inclement weather.

 

Nebraska is 11-3 on the year after a season-high 196.975 first-place finish at the Hearts Invitational at NC State last Saturday night. The Huskers swept the individual event titles and scored a 49.0 or better on vault, beam and floor.

 

NU boasts an unbeaten series record with NC State (6-0), in addition to an all-time series mark of 5-1 with Stanford.

 

Following the four-team matchup, Nebraska takes on No. 5 Utah on March 4 at 2 p.m. at the DevaneyCenter.

 

Scouting the Competition: No. 21 North CarolinaState Wolfpack

?Head Coach: Mark Stevenson (27th Year)   

?2007 Record: 9-7

?2007 High Score: 194.625 (vs. Georgia, Iowa, Ohio State, 1/12/07)

?Last Meet: 3rd/5, Hearts Invitational, 2/17/07 (score)

?2006 NCAA Finish: Did Not Qualify

 

A Glance at the Wolfpack...

?North CarolinaState’s top returning gymnast is senior Amanda Jones, who scored a 38.90 all-around score at the 2006 EAGL Championships.

?Nebraska and NC State last met on Feb. 17 at the Hearts Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. The Huskers finished first with a 196.975, while the Wolfpack placed third (194.60).

?Junior Leigha Hancock was named EAGL Specialist of the Week on Feb. 20 after her performance at the Hearts Invitational. Hancock scored a season-high 9.90 on floor and finished third on vault (9.875).

 

Scouting the Competition: No. 3 Stanford Cardinal

?Head Coach: Kristen Smyth (Seventh Year)

?2007 Record: 8-1

?2007 High Score: 197.275 (vs. Oregon State, Iowa State, San Jose State, 2/9/07)

?Last Meet: Win, 196.40-195.375 (at Arizona, 2/16/07)

?2006 NCAA Finish: Did Not Qualify

 

A Glance at the Cardinal...

?Stanford’s top returner is junior Tabitha Yim, a seven-time All-American who finished third on floor at the 2006 NCAA Championships.

?Stanford boasts one of the nation’s top performers on bars in junior Liz Tricase, who was previously ranked No. 1 nationally on bars and third on vault as recently as Feb. 12.

?The Cardinal last faced Nebraska in 2003 in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships. Nebraska took first in the session with a 197.325, besting Stanford’s 196.20 for fifth place.

 

Focusing on 18 Years of Masters Classic History

Nebraska has played host to the annual Masters Classic since 1989, and the meet has evolved into one of the nation’s finest regular-season competitions. NU has claimed 14 of the 17 team trophies, winning the meet back-to-back years of 1989 and 1990, and from 1995 to 2006.

?Only three teams other than Nebraska have won the Masters Classic: Alabama in 1991, Arizona in 1992 and MichiganState in 1993.

?No Masters Classic was held in 1994.

?No gymnast has ever scored a perfect 10.0 at the Masters Classic.

?Two former Huskers, Richelle Simpson and Tami Harris, hold every individual record at the Masters Classic. Simpson is first on the charts in the all-around (39.80), vault (9.975), beam (9.975) and floor (9.975). Harris scored a 9.975 on bars to hold that record.

 

Reviewing the Weekend: Nebraska at Hearts Invitational

?Nebraska posted a season-high score of 196.975 to win the Hearts Invitational with NC State, West Virginia, George Washington and William & Mary.

?Junior Emily Parsons scored the first perfect 10.0 of her career with her performance on vault. Nebraska’s last competitor to score a 10.0 was Richelle Simpson, who achieved a perfect score on floor at Arkansas on March 19, 2005.

?Parsons competed as an all-arounder for the first time this season and captured four individual event crowns: all-around (39.525), vault (10.0), beam (9.90) and floor (9.95). Her 9.95 on floor was a season best.

?Parsons now owns 64 individual crowns in her Husker career.

?Sophomore Kylie Stone notched a career-best 39.425 to finish second in the all-around, while also tying for the bars title (9.825) with senior Michele Zabawa.

?Junior Desire’ Sniatynski finished third in the all-around standings with a 39.30.

?Sniatynski, senior Stephanie Carter and sophomore Tricia Woo set or tied season highs on floor with matching marks of 9.875 to finish fourth.

?Zabawa tallied a 9.90 on vault to tie her career high, which she set as a freshman on March 6, 2004 in a dual at Minnesota.

 

Parsons’ Perfect 10 Produces 10th Conference Honor

Emily Parsons’ first career perfect 10.0 score on vault at NC State did more than move the junior higher into Nebraska’s record books. It also earned her the 10th Big 12 Gymnast of the Week/Event Specialist of the Week award of her career for the week of Feb. 20, the conference office announced Tuesday. Parsons has also garnered Event-Specialist-of-the-Week nods three times this season, bringing her to a career total of 10 weekly conference awards.

 

In addition, Parsons maintains her status as the nation’s No. 1 vaulter with an average of 9.945 after her flawless performance at NC State. She captured four individual event titles in Raleigh, finishing first on vault, beam (9.90), floor (9.95) and the all-around (39.525). Parsons has claimed 64 event crowns in just over two seasons at Nebraska.

 

Parsons has earned seven All-America awards in the last two seasons and finished fourth on vault and sixth on floor in the individual event finals at the 2006 NCAA Championships. Parsons was also named the South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year and snagged Big 12 Conference crowns on vault and beam in 2006. In a sophomore season that saw her earn four All-Big 12 nods (vault, beam, floor and the all-around), Parsons went on to claim NCAA regional titles on vault, floor and the all-around for the second straight year.

 

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 322-118-4 overall and 226-44-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 24th year of coaching and owns a career record of 435-231-4.

 

A six-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to eight conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 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, 2005 and 2006. Kendig was honored as the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003, a year in which the Huskers finished fourth nationally.

 

Under Kendig's guidance in 2006, Nebraska finished with a 26-11-1 overall record. The Huskers placed second (196.275) in the NCAA Southeast Regional behind Georgia and also placed fifth (196.175) in its eighth consecutive NCAA Championships appearance. Seven of Kendig's gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (AA, V, FX), Tricia Woo (BB, FX), Vanessa Meloche (UB) Michele Zabawa (UB) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB), Stephanie Carter (FX) and Kylie Stone (V) -- earned a total of 10 All-America honors.

 

Kendig is assisted by associate head coach Danna Durante, who is in her fifth season with Nebraska, and assistant coach Tim Garrison, who is in his first year on the Husker staff.

 

Sniatynski Emerges as All-Arounder in Husker Lineup

Junior Desire’ Sniatynski has emerged as Nebraska’s top all-around competitor, as she ranks 24th nationally in the all-around standings with an average of 39.155. She is also rated 16th nationally on bars with a 9.865 average. After her career-high 39.375 performance at Missouri, Sniatynski was recognized with her first career Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week award on Jan. 31.

 

The Kenosha, Wis., native followed up with a 39.25 score to place second against Oklahoma on Feb. 2, when she also took a share of the floor title with teammates Emily Parsons and Kylie Stone with a 9.85. In addition, Sniatynski finished second on bars (9.85), third on vault (9.80) and seventh on beam (9.75). She most recently took second-place honors in the all-around at the Hearts Invitational with a 39.30, in addition to a season-high 9.875 on floor.

 

A two-time All-American on bars, Sniatynski is the defending co-Big 12 bars champion. She has earned a total of 12 individual event crowns in just over two full seasons of competition for the Huskers.

 

Rock-Solid Stone Notches Career High All-Around at NC State

Sophomore Kylie Stone scored a career-high all-around score on Saturday night with a 39.425 to take second-place honors behind fellow Husker Emily Parsons (39.525). Stone tied with teammate Michele Zabawa for the bars title, her third individual crown of the year, with a score of 9.825. The Calgary, Alberta, native also finished second on beam with a career-best 9.85, second on floor (9.90) and fifth on vault (9.85).

 

After a superb showing at Michigan on Feb. 9, Stone was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week for the first time in her career. She was recognized after garnering the floor title against the Wolverines with a 9.925, while tallying an outstanding career-high 9.90 on vault.

 

A second-team All-American on vault, Stone headlined the steady 2006 freshman class and was an All-Big 12 honoree in the all-around with a 39.25 performance at the Big 12 Championships in Lincoln. She came to Nebraska with an impressive list of accomplishments, having been a 2004 Canadian Olympian and a four-time Canadian senior national champion.

 

Zabawa, Carter Tie Career Nights in Raleigh

Nebraska’s two seniors, Michele Zabawa and Stephanie Carter, each tied career best marks on their respective events at the Hearts Invitational at NC State. Zabawa notched a 9.90 to take second on vault and tie her career high, which was established in her freshman year on March 6, 2004 in a dual with Minnesota. The Omaha, Neb., native and three-time All-American also tied with teammate Kylie Stone for her first bars title of the season.

 

Carter also had a career-tying competition in North Carolina, contributing a 9.875 on floor to match her career mark, which she has hit twice in 2007 and a total of four times at Nebraska. Carter, who earned All-America status on floor in 2006, placed fourth on floor with fellow Huskers Tricia Woo and Desire’ Sniatynski, and added a 9.875 on vault for third-place honors.

 

A Bright Future: The New Husker Class Contributes to NU Lineup

Nebraska welcomed three true freshmen to its roster this season, as Maria Scaffidi, Kathryn Howard and Molly Ohnoutka joined the Huskers for 2007. A native of Sussex, Wis., Scaffidi is a former junior international elite gymnast. At the 2000 Junior Pan American Championships, Scaffidi led the U.S. team to a first-place finish, while also taking the all-around and beam crowns. Scaffidi scored a season-high 38.55 in the all-around at Missouri and finished fourth on vault (9.825). At Michigan, she notched season-best scores on floor (9.85) and bars (9.80) for fifth and sixth, respectively.

 

Howard joined NU after the fall semester, having graduated early from KeystoneNationalHigh School. The Huntsville, Texas, native has made an immediate impact on the beam lineup, as she finished second on the event at Missouri on Jan. 26 with a career-high score of 9.875. Howard also achieved the Huskers’ highest beam score at Michigan with a 9.80 for second.

 

Ohnoutka, who hails from Omaha, Neb., will redshirt in 2007 while she rehabilitates an injury suffered during her senior year of high school.

 

Sophomore All-Americans Become Seasoned Veterans

Nebraska’s sophomore class includes a trio of returning All-Americans in Tricia Woo, Kylie Stone and Vanessa Meloche. Woo, a native of Milpitas, Calif., took first-team honors on floor at the NCAA Championships to finish 10th, and second-team honors on beam. She has been as solid in her second year, as she tied with teammate Emily Parsons for first on beam with a season-high 9.90 against Oklahoma. At NC State’s Hearts Invitational, Woo tied for third on beam (9.825) and fourth on floor with a season-best-tying 9.875.

 

The class also boasts a pair of former Canadian National Team members in Meloche and Stone. Meloche, a first-team All-American and the reigning Big 12 champion on bars, came out strong in her inaugural season as a Husker to win six individual bars titles. A seven-year member of the national team, she was the 2002 Canadian National bars champion. Meloche has claimed three bars titles in 2007, but suffered an injury on her landing on bars at Michigan two weeks ago. The extent of her injury is unknown at this point, and Meloche will continue to undergo evaluations in Lincoln in preparation for the Masters Classic.

 

A second-team All-American on vault in 2006, Stone grabbed an all-around crown and a floor title at PennState in 2006 to break into the NU lineup full-time. Before beginning her career at Nebraska, Stone competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and finished 14th in the all-around at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif., making her the highest-finishing Canadian female all-arounder in World Championships history.

 

Six Huskers Named to Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Six current or former Nebraska women’s gymnasts were placed on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll, the conference office announced Feb. 5. The honor roll recognizes student-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the previous semester, and within Nebraska’s 270 selections, 33 earned perfect 4.0 GPAs.

 

Former Husker Jamie Saas led the impressive contingent of women’s gymnasts on the list. Seniors Stephanie Carter and Michele Zabawa were honored for the seventh and sixth time, respectively. Sophomores Vanessa Meloche and Tricia Woo, as well as freshman Molly Ohnoutka, also achieved the conference academic honor. Meloche has been selected three times, while Woo and Ohnoutka both earned the honor for the first time in their careers.

 

One Year Ago: The 2006 Masters Classic

The last Masters Classic on Feb. 26, 2006, saw Nebraska finish first in a field of four teams that included San JoseState, Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. NU posted a score of 195.25 to capture its 12th consecutive Masters Classic team title, besting the Spartans (192.825), CMU (191.80) and NIU (191.625). The Huskers scored a 49.0 or better on vault and bars, stretching their then-home unbeaten streak at the DevaneyCenter to 60 meets.

 

Nebraska swept the individual event titles, as Emily Parsons finished first on vault (9.90) and floor (9.875) on the way to her fourth all-around title of the year (38.75). Vanessa Meloche also scored a career-best 9.95 to take her fourth bars crown, and Tricia Woo took home her first career beam title with a 9.90.