Nebraska Headed to Super Six Finals

Salt Lake City, Utah ? The No. 6 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team posted a score of 196.625 Thursday afternoon to qualify to its ninth Super Six Finals appearance at the NCAA Championships at the University of Utah. The Huskers, who scored a 49.0 or better on all four events, improved to 26-7 on the season at Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center.

 

Nebraska will advance to team finals Friday night at 8 p.m. (CST) to contend for a national title along with Georgia (197.70), Florida (197.40), Utah (197.325), Stanford (197.20) and UCLA (196.475).

 

NU finished behind the Bulldogs and the Gators and ahead of Oklahoma (196.25), Alabama (196.125) and Oregon State (195.10) in the afternoon preliminary session.

 

Four Huskers combined for a total of six All-America awards, highlighted by junior Emily Parsons’ pair of first-team accolades on vault and floor, which brought the St. Charles, Mo., native to a career total of nine All-America awards. Senior Michele Zabawa earned first-team honors on vault and second-team All-America status on bars for a total of five All-America honors over four years, while sophomore Tricia Woo earned first-team recognition on beam to earn her third All-America nod. Junior Desire’ Sniatysnki also earned a second-team award on bars, making her a three-time All-American. First- through fourth-place finishers are named first-team All-Americans on their respective events or the all-around, while fifth- through eighth-place finishers comprise the second team.

 

Parsons will compete on vault and floor in Saturday night’s individual event finals, while Woo will perform on beam and  Zabawa will compete on vault to contend for NCAA individual crowns. Parsons tied for first on vault (9.95) and second on floor (9.90), and Zabawa placed third on vault (9.90). Woo tied for second on beam (9.90).

 

NU opened the competition on bars, and Zabawa and junior Desire’ Sniatynski led the way with matching scores of 9.85 to take eighth-place honors. Sophomore Kylie Stone notched a 9.80 to finish 18th, and freshman Maria Scaffidi followed with a 9.775 in her first bars appearance since Feb.17. Junior Brittney Williams added a 9.725, bringing the Huskers to a 49.0 finish on the event heading into the second rotation.

 

Nebraska moved on to beam, where Woo’s solid 9.90 led her to second-place honors. Parsons earned a mark of 9.85 to place 10th, just ahead of freshman Kathryn Howard’s 9.825 for 16th. Sniatynski added a 9.775, and Zabawa and Stone tied with scores of 9.75. NU finished with an event total of 49.10 and a running score of 98.10.

 

Following a bye, the Huskers continued to floor and were led by Parsons, who gave a 9.90 performance to take second place. Stone and Woo added a pair of 9.85 scores for 12th, and Sniatynski and senior Stephanie Carter contributed scores of 9.80 and 9.775, respectively. Nebraska finished the event with a 49.175 and headed into the fifth rotation with a running score of 147.275.

 

Nebraska capped the afternoon on vault, where Parsons was again NU’s event leader with a 9.95 to tie for first with Georgia’s Courtney Kupets. Zabawa’s season-high-tying score of 9.90 left her in third, while Scaffidi and Stone added marks of 9.85 for 16th. Sniatynski then posted a 9.80, and Carter added a 9.775. Nebraska closed the day with an vault score of 49.35 -- its second-highest of the season -- and a third-place NCAA preliminary finish.

 

Nebraska will compete in tomorrow night’s NCAA Super Six Finals at the Huntsman Center at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through the Oregon State ticket office at (801) 581-8849 or at www.utahutes.com.

 

 

Name                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Stephanie Carter                 9.775                                      9.775

Kathryn Howard                                                   9.825

Sabrina Long                      

Vanessa Meloche                              

Molly Ohnoutka                   

Emily Parsons                     9.95        8.725      9.85        9.90        38.425

Maria Scaffidi                       9.85        9.775                      9.725

Desire’ Sniatynski              9.80        9.85        9.775      9.80        39.225

Kylie Stone                           9.85        9.80        9.75        9.85        39.25

Brittney Williams                                  9.725

Tricia Woo                                                             9.90        9.85

Michele Zabawa                  9.90        9.85        9.75

 

Team                                     Vault      Bars       Beam     Floor       All-Around

Nebraska                      49.35      49.00      49.10      49.175   196.625

Georgia                        49.525   49.40      49.35      49.425   197.70

Florida                          49.25      49.30      49.425   49.425   197.40

Oklahoma                     49.35      48.80      48.925   49.175   196.25

Alabama                       49.05      49.125   49.10      48.85      196.125

Oregon State                       49.15      48.525   48.675   48.75      195.10

 

All-Around: 1. Courtney <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Kupets, Georgia (39.75); 2. Amanda Castillo, Florida (39.55); 3. Tiffany Tolnay, Georgia (39.50); 4. Kiara Redmond, Oklahoma (39.425); 5. Corey Hartung, Florida (39.40), Ashley Reed, Florida (39.40), Morgan Dennis, Alabama (39.40), Katie Heenan, Georgia (39.40)

Vault: 1. Emily Parsons, Nebraska (9.95), Courtney Kupets, Georgia (9.95); 3. Michele Zabawa, Nebraska (9.90), Savannah Evans, Florida (9.90), Amanda Castillo, Florida (9.90), Megan Dowlen, Georgia (9.90), Marcia Newby, Georgia (9.90), Tiffany Tolnay, Georgia (9.90), Brittney Koncak-Schumann, Oklahoma (9.90), Kiara Redmond, Oklahoma (9.90), Tasha Smith, Oregon State 9.90), Mandi Rodriguez, Oregon State (9.90)

Bars: 1. Courtney Kupets, Georgia (9.95); Melanie Sinclair, Florida (9.925); 3. Terin Humphrey, Alabama (9.90), Katie Heenan, Georgia (9.90); 5. Ashley Reed, Florida (9.875), Amanda Castillo, Florida (9.875), Grace Taylor, Georgia (9.875); 8. Michele Zabawa, Nebraska (9.85), Desire’ Sniatynski, Nebraska (9.85), Kassi Price, Alabama (9.875), Tiffany Tolnay, Georgia (9.875), Jami Lanz, Oregon State (9.875)

Beam: 1. Corey Hartung, Florida (9.925); 2. Tricia Woo, Nebraska (9.90), Melanie Sinclair, Florida (9.90), Amanda Castillo, Florida (9.90), Terin Humphrey, Alabama (9.90), Grace Taylor, Georgia (9.90), Courtney Kupets, Georgia (9.90); 8. Breanne King, Florida (9.875), Janet Anson, IowaState (9.875)

Floor: 1. Courtney Kupets, Georgia (9.95); 2. Emily Parsons, Nebraska (9.90), Savannah Evans, Florida (9.90), Ashley Reed, Florida (9.90), Corey Hartung, Florida (9.90), Morgan Dennis, Alabama (9.90), Tiffany Tolnay, Georgia (9.90), Kiara Redmond, Oklahoma (9.90)