No. 12 Nebraska Travels to No. 14 Michigan

 

?Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (16th Year)

?Current Team Record: 7-2 (3-0 Big 12)

?2009 High Score: 196.225 (Masters Classic, 2/22/09)

?2008 NCAA Finish: DNQ

 

The 12th-ranked Nebraska women’s gymnastics team travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Feb. 28 for a dual with No. 14 Michigan. Competition is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Crisler Arena, and Nebraska boasts an all-time record of 17-15-1 against the Wolverines. In their last meeting, Michigan topped the Huskers 196.575-196.075 on Feb. 7, 2008.

 

NU is 7-2 on the year after posting a season-high score of 196.225 to win the Masters Classic over No. 3 UCLA, Minnesota and NC State. The Huskers produced a season-high team score on vault (49.40), and Kylie Stone took the all-around title with a career-high score of 39.475.

 

Following the match-up with Michigan, the Huskers return home for their final meet of the season against Iowa State on Sunday, March 8 at the Devaney Center. Competition is set to begin at 2 p.m.

 

Nebraska’s Competition Order at Michigan

Rotation                        Michigan                       Nebraska

1                                  Vault                             Uneven Bars

2                                  Uneven Bars                 Vault

3                                  Balance Beam               Floor Exercise

4                                  Floor Exercise               Balance Beam

 

Scouting the Competition: No. 14 Michigan Wolverines

?Head Coach: Bev Plocki (18th Year)     

?2009 Record: 12-3

?2009 High Score: 195.925 (State of Michigan Classic, 2/6/09)

?Last Meet: Loss at Utah, 2/20/09 (195.35)

?2008 NCAA Finish: Fifth (196.075)

 

A Glance at the Wolverines...

?Michigan sits at the No. 14 spot in the national team rankings. The Wolverines also occupy the No. 9 spot on bars, the No. 22 spot on beam and the No. 8 position on floor.

?In Michigan’s last meet with Utah, junior Sarah Curtis tied a season high on vault with a 9.825. She is ranked 23rd nationally in the all-around averaging a mark of 38.984.

?Sophomore Kylee Botterman occupies the No. 9 spot in the national floor rankings. She anchored the floor rotation at Utah with a 9.875, posting Michigan’s highest floor score for the fifth time this season.

?Senior Becky Bernard is ranked 16th nationally on bars and posted the team’s top score for the fifth time in eight meets, scoring 9.875 at Utah.

 

“Pepsi Pack the House” Set for March 8

The dual with Iowa State on March 8 is NU’s “Pepsi Pack the House” promotion day, with $1 admission and $1 Pepsi (22 oz.)  products at the Devaney Center. The Huskers also held a Pepsi Pack the House promotion of Feb. 13.

 

Woo Leads Huskers into 2009 Season

Senior Tricia Woo leads Nebraska in 2009 after earning three All-America awards in her first three seasons at NU. The Milpitas, Calif., native claimed the 2008 beam and floor crowns at the NCAA Southeast Regional. She also captured the 2008 Big 12 beam title.

 

Woo was Nebraska’s final individual to qualify for the NCAA Championships and competed as a floor and beam specialist. She placed ninth (9.825) on beam and 10th (9.85) on floor in the preliminary session of the meet. In a junior season that saw Woo earn an all-conference nod on beam, she was honored as a Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week twice in 2008. 

 

Woo opened her senior season by tying Jessica Lopez for the beam crown at Denver. She scored a 9.90 on the event and entered the second week of competition ranked No. 1 nationally on beam. She added another strong beam performance at Missouri, scoring a 9.90 again and taking the event crown. In the Huskers’ first home meet of the season, Woo took the beam crown with a score of 9.85.  Woo posted a career-high score of 9.95 on beam as NU went on to upset No. 7 Oklahoma on Feb. 8. She also tied her career high on floor, with a mark of 9.925. Against then-No. 1 Utah, she took the floor title, with a score of 9.90, and she posted a career-high 9.925 on vault at the Masters Classic. Woo ranks sixth on beam nationally. She has been named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week three times this season, most recently on Feb. 24. 

 

Williams Headlines Nebraska’s Bars Lineup

After redshirting in 2008 due to an Achilles tear suffered in preseason training, senior Brittney Williams is poised to be a strong force as a bars specialist for the Huskers. Williams proved to be one of NU’s most dependable contributors in 2007, earning All-Big 12 honors on bars at the Big 12 Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Williams helped Nebraska to its ninth Super Six Finals appearance and a sixth-place finish for the Huskers.

 

Despite tweaking her ankle in warm-ups at Iowa State, Williams turned in an inspiring performance on bars to place third with a 9.825 and helped the Huskers top the Cyclones.  She claimed the first event title of her senior season, tying for first on bars (9.875) with Kylie Stone at Missouri. On Feb. 13, Williams tied for third on bars with a mark of 9.825.

 

Huskers to Host 2009 NCAA Championships

Nebraska, which last played host to the NCAA Championships in 2003, will prepare to hold the 2009 NCAA Championships at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in April. Preliminary competition begins on April 16, followed by the Super Six Finals on April 17 and the individual finals on April 18. Tickets are available through the Nebraska Ticket Office. All-session reserved adult tickets are $30, with all-session general admission tickets just $22 for adults and $18 for youth and seniors. Single-session reserved tickets will be $12 and single-session general admission tickets will be $9, but will only be available the day of competition. All-session tickets can be purchased at Huskers.com or by calling 800-8BIGRED. The Huskers have reached the NCAA Championships nine of the last 10 years.

           

Kendig Builds One of Nation’s Top Programs at Nebraska

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 32 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In 15 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 355-136-4 overall and 244-52-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 26th year of coaching and owns a career record of 468-248-5.

 

A seven-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to nine conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 2002.

 

He has also led Nebraska to 11 NCAA Championship appearances in the past 14 seasons, including NCAA Super Six Finals appearances in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. 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 2008, Nebraska finished with a 13-9 overall record. The Huskers placed third at the NCAA Southeast Regional in their 25th straight NCAA postseason appearance. Two of Kendig’s gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (BB, AA) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB) -- earned a total of three All-America honors. Additionally, Tricia Woo captured her first Big 12 title on beam at the competition in Norman.

 

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

 

All-American Stone leads Juniors

Junior Kylie Stone returned to the Husker lineup after missing last season due to an injury suffered in preseason training. Stone leads Nebraska’s all-around rotation and is a strong candidate for conference and national honors as a junior. A native of Calgary, Alberta, she earned second-team All-America honors on vault in 2006. Stone also grabbed All-Big 12 accolades on vault in her sophomore season. Before beginning her career at Nebraska, she 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. 

           

Stone started the 2009 season by winning the all-around at Denver (38.975) and tying for first on floor (9.825) with Denver’s Amanda Johanson. She took the all-around crown for the second-straight week at Iowa State, scoring a 39.35. She also took every event title except bars in Ames, leading the Huskers to the win. Stone was named Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week, sharing the award with Missouri’s Sarah Shire. In a competition where she squared-off with Shire at Missouri, Stone performed big again, tying for first in the all-around (39.35) and bars (9.875). At the first home meet of the season against Penn State, Stone tied her career-high mark on floor with a score of 9.925. She took the floor and the bars crowns with a 9.825. She also placed second in the all-around (39.275) and matched her season high on vault (9.85) for runner-up honors. Stone was recognized by the conference for the third-straight week, being named 12 Gymnast of the Week for her efforts against Penn State. In Nebraska’s win over Oklahoma, Stone took second on vault (9.85), bars (9.825) and floor (9.90). She tied for second on floor, hitting a 9.875 against Utah on Feb. 13. At the Masters Classic, she posted a career-high 39.475 to win the all-around, and a career-high 9.925 on vault. She was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for her efforts in the Huskers’ win.

 

Kathryn Howard enters the 2009 season as a strong competitor on beam for the Huskers. An All-Big 12 performer on beam as a freshman, she won her first career event title on beam at Oklahoma in 2008. In 2009 Howard took third on beam at Denver, scoring a 9.85. At Missouri, she placed fourth on beam, notching a 9.825. Howard took second on beam, scoring a 9.80, against Penn State. Howard posted a season-high score of 9.725 on bars against Oklahoma. She added a career-high 9.80 on bars against Utah.

 

Sophomores Gain Experience, Add Depth

Nebraska’s sophomore class includes key competitors Brittnee Habbib and Erin Davis. Both stepped up as specialists for the Huskers in 2008 and look to be leading candidates in the Husker lineups.

Habbib emerged as a three-event competitor in her inaugural season, consistently contributing on bars, beam and floor, as well as vault earlier in the season. At the conference level, she took the No. 10 spot in the Big 12 beam standings, as well as ranking 14th on bars.

 

This season, Habbib posted a strong performance at Iowa State for Nebraska, taking second on floor with a career-high 9.825. In Columbia, Mo., she took fifth on bars, with a 9.775 and on beam (9.80). In the dual with Penn State, Habbib took second on bars with a 9.80. She placed fourth on bars (9.775) as the Huskers beat the Sooners on Feb. 8. Against the Utes on Feb. 13, Habbib took second on bars with a season-high 9.85, and she hit a season-high 9.85 on floor at the Masters Classic.

Davis will provide experience to Nebraska’s vault and floor lineups in her second year with the Huskers. She stepped into the No. 2 spot in the floor lineup in 2008 and hit a career-best 9.80 on three occasions. At the Big 12 Championships, Davis placed 10th on vault.    

 

She started her second year with Nebraska by placing first on vault (9.825) at Denver and taking second at Iowa State (9.80). Davis scored a 9.80 and took third on vault in the Huskers’ win over the Nittany Lions. She notched a career-high 9.80 on floor against Utah, and tied her career-high mark of 9.85 on vault at the Masters Classic.

 

Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class

Nebraska welcomed five newcomers to its roster this season: freshmen Lora Evenstad, Kristin Fyffe, Kassandra Nathe, Claire Stingley and Kailey Ryan. In addition to the slew of newcomers, the Huskers return redshirt freshman Stephanie Seich to the lineup. She looks to make an impact after redshirting in her first year due to preseason forearm surgery.

 

Evenstad, the 2008 Junior Olympic All-Around Champion, brings NU valuable experience. The Grand Forks, N.D., native and product of Red River Valley Gymnastics also placed third on vault and floor at the 2008 J.O. Championships. In addition, she tied for eighth on bars and beam at the competition. Evenstad opened her Husker career by placing fifth on both vault (9.80) and bars (9.75) at Denver and second on floor (9.825) at Iowa State. She continued to perform well as she tied for third on vault at Missouri with a 9.80. Evenstad kicked-off her debut in the Devaney Center with a strong 9.90 on floor and a third-place finish as the Huskers defeated Penn State. On Feb. 8, Evenstad hit a season-high score of 9.775 on bars to tie for fourth. She tied for second on floor with a 9.875 against Utah, and notched a season-high 9.875 on vault at the Masters Classic. She also took second on floor (9.875) at the four-team competition.

 

Fyffe is a level 10 product of Queen City Gymnastics in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 2006 Ohio J.O. state vault champion placed sixth on beam and eighth in the all-around at Nationals that same year. She was a four-time national qualifier from 2003 to 2006. Fyffe proved herself as a strong competitor, notching a fifth-place finish on vault (9.725) at Iowa State. With more experience under her belt, Fyffe tied for fifth on beam (9.80) at Missouri. Fyffe posted a season-high vault score of 9.80 against OU. She tied her career-high mark of 9.80 on beam at the Masters Classic on Feb. 22.

 

A native of Sartell, Minn., Nathe is a level 10 product and the 2007 Region IV all-around and beam champion. She is a four-time National Championships qualifier from 2005 to 2008. At the 2008 J.O. National Championships, she tied for 13th on floor and 15th in the all-around. She took the Region IV beam crown in 2006. Nathe debuted strong for NU, capturing her second-straight second-place finish in the all-around at Iowa State (39.00). She also took third on bars (9.825) and beam (9.80) in Ames. In her first collegiate meet in Lincoln, Nathe took fourth on beam (9.70) and fifth on floor with a season-high mark of 9.775 against Penn State. Against the Sooners, Nathe received a season-high mark of 9.80 on vault and a 39.025 in the all-around. Against Utah, she hit season-highs in four events, with a 9.85 on vault, 9.80 on beam, 9.825 on floor and 39.175 in the all-around. She tied her season-high on floor the following week at the Masters Classic.

 

Stingley enters her first season with the Huskers as a level 10 product from GymNasti Gymnastics in Villa Park, Ill. She earned the 2006 Gateway Challenge level 10 championship and the level 9 J.O. National floor crown in 2005.

 

Ryan, a native of Franklin, N.C., is a level 10 product from Woodward Gymnastics Club and Weyandt’s Gymnastics. She was a two-time bar state champion in North Carolina level 9 and 10. She also earned bronze in the AA state competition.

 

All-Arounders Prove Strong for Nebraska

Junior Kylie Stone and freshman Kassandra Nathe starred for the Huskers at Denver and Iowa State, capturing the top two spots in the all-around for two weeks in a row. Both hit the 39-mark in the all-around, with Stone scoring a 39.35, and Nathe receiving a 39.00 at ISU. Stone also won every event title except for bars at Iowa State. The dominance continued at Missouri when Stone tied for first in the all-around (39.35) and on bars (9.875). Stone and Nathe took second and third in the all-around against Penn State, posting scores of 39.275 and 38.725, respectively. Stone received a career-high score of 39.475 at the Masters Classic to take top honors.

 

Stone Leads Huskers in Big 12 Awards

On Feb 25, Nebraska swept the weekly Big 12 Awards for the second time this season, as Stone was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week, and Woo was honored as Big 12 Event-Specialist-of-the-Week. Stone won two individual titles, including her fourth all-around crown, to lead No. 12 Nebraska to a win over No. 3 UCLA at the Masters Classic. Woo captured her fifth beam title of the season with a mark of 9.85 in NU’s win at the Masters Classic. The three-time All-American also tallied a career-best 9.95 on vault to tie for second. The award was the fifth of both gymnasts’ careers. Before that, NU swept the weekly awards on Jan. 26, with Stone being named Gymnast of the Week and Woo taking Event-Specialist-of-the-Week honors. Stone received the honors after winning the all-around title for the third consecutive week. She also achieved season-bests on bars and floor at Missouri. Woo was honored after posting a 9.90 on beam and taking the event title at Missouri.

 

Stone was honored for the third-straight week by the conference, being named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 3. Against Penn State, she took the bars (9.825) and floor (9.925) titles, tying her career best on floor. She also placed second in the all-around (39.275) and matched her season high on vault (9.85) for runner-up honors. Previously, Stone had earned Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week in the conference awards on Jan. 20. She shared the award with Missouri’s Sarah Shire after winning her second all-around title at Iowa State and earning a career-high tying mark on beam.