All-Americans, Freshmen Provide Spark in 2009

Lincoln- The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team completed the 2009 season with a third-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional and an overall record of 16-7 in its 26th straight NCAA postseason appearance. Junior Kylie Stone tallied another All-America honor to her list of achievements at the 2009 NCAA Championships, while also being named the Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year. Along with Stone’s award, Nebraska swept the Big 12 postseason honors as Head Coach Dan Kendig was named Coach of the Year and freshman Lora Evenstad received Newcomer-of-the-Year accolades.

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Senior Tricia Woo entered her final season poised with the kind of experience in the gym that a young Husker squad could rely on. A three-time All-American, she won nine titles in 2009, including seven on beam and two on floor. She was honored as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week four times (Jan. 27, Feb. 10, Feb. 24 and March 18) and continually performed at a high level for NU.

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Woo opened the 2009 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. Woo totaled new career highs on vault, beam and floor in her senior campaign, posting a 9.925 on vault at the Masters Classic, hitting a 9.95 on beam and recording a 9.925 twice on floor as NU went on to upset then-No. 7 Oklahoma. In her last regular-season meet, Woo took the beam crown at UCLA hitting a 9.925. At the conclusion of the regular season, she tallied All-Big 12 honors on beam and floor. As the Huskers entered the postseason at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional, Woo narrowly missed qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Championships, coming in second on beam (9.90). She also took ninth on floor, hitting a 9.825.

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Senior Brittney Williams came into the 2009 season set to lead NU’s bars lineup after suffering an Achilles tear in early 2008. The All-Big 12 performer on bars claimed the first conference crown of her career at the 2009 Big 12 Championships in Ames (9.90). She garnered her second All-Big 12 accolades on bars and was named to the All-Big 12 Championship team for her performance in Ames.

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Williams earned the first event title of her senior season, tying for first on bars (9.875) at Missouri. She had a stellar weekend on the road at Arizona State and UCLA, capturing both bars crowns with a 9.875 at ASU and a career high-tying 9.90 at UCLA. Williams barely missed qualifying as an individual at the NCAA Southeast Regional, producing a second-place finish on bars (9.90). Her intangibles and leadership qualities strengthened an inexperienced NU team. Even after tweaking her ankle in warm-ups at Iowa State, she turned in an inspiring performance on bars as she took third with a 9.875.

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Junior Kylie Stone had a stellar comeback season, after missing 2008 with an injury suffered in preseason training. The 2006 All-American on vault was Nebraska’s only individual to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional. She took fourth in the all-around with a score of 39.20 to advance to the national championships. At the 2009 NCAA Championships Stone again proved her will and determination. After suffering an injury in practice the week before the meet, she turned in a solid bars performance to score a 9.85 and earn second-team All-America honors.

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Prior to the Big 12 Championships, Stone garnered All-Big 12 honors on vault and floor. At the Championships on March 21, she placed second on floor (9.90) and took fourth in the all-around (39.30). She was named to the All-Big 12 Championship team on floor and in the all-around in addition to being awarded 2009 Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Year accolades.? She was selected as Big 12 Gymnast of the Week four times (Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 24) in 2009.

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Junior Kathryn Howard opened the season as a strong competitor on beam for the Huskers. An All-Big 12 performer on beam as a freshman, she took second on the event against Penn State, scoring a 9.80. Howard posted a career-high 9.85 on bars against Iowa State on March 8 to tie for the event crown. At the 2009 Big 12 Championships, Howard added a 9.80 for fifth on beam.

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Sophomore Erin Davis provided experience to Nebraska’s vault and floor lineups in her second year with the Huskers. She started the year by winning the first event crown of her career, taking top honors on vault at Denver (9.825). She tallied career highs on vault (9.875) and floor (9.825), winning her second vault crown of the season at Michigan. At the completion of the regular season, Davis was honored as an All-Big 12 selection on vault.

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Sophomore Brittnee Habbib emerged as a solid three-event competitor for NU. She posted a strong performance for Nebraska at Iowa State, taking second on floor (9.825). She tied her career high of 9.875 on bars against Michigan, as she took second in the event. At UNO’s Classic hosted by Arizona State, Habbib notched another career high of 9.875 on floor.

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Freshman Lora Evenstad kicked off her Husker career in smashing form, proving to be a stellar performer on floor and a solid contributor on vault and bars. She made her Devaney Center debut with a strong 9.90 on floor and a third-place finish to help the Huskers defeat Penn State. She shined in the meet against Iowa State on March 8, taking event crowns on vault (9.875) and floor (9.925). Evenstad was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week on March 10 for her efforts against the Cyclones. In addition, she hit a season-high 9.875 on bars against UCLA. At the Big 12 Championships in Ames, Evenstad was named the 2009 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Championship team after finishing second on floor (9.90). At the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional she came in seventh on floor, after earning a score of 9.85.

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Freshman Kristin Fyffe showed to be a consistent asset on vault and beam for NU in 2009. She posted a score of 9.80 on vault against Oklahoma and tied her season-high mark of 9.80 on beam at the Masters Classic. She continually improved over the course of the season, wrapping up the regular season with a season-high 9.825 on vault at Arizona State.

Freshman Kassandra Nathe provided a surprising spark in the Husker lineup, competing as an all-arounder for every competition. She debuted strong for NU, capturing her second-straight second-place finish in the all-around at Iowa State (39.00). She posted a season-leading 39.175 in the all-around against Utah. In the last few weeks of the season, Nathe consistently tied or hit season highs in every event. She tied her season high on bars (9.825) and vault (9.85) and Arizona State and tied her season high on beam (9.80) at UCLA, in addition to coming in third in the all-around (39.10) against the Bruins. At the Big 12 Championships, Nathe hit a 9.85 on vault to take third and was named to the All-Big 12 Championship team for her performance in the conference meet.

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Freshmen Kailey Ryan, Stephanie Seich and Claire Stingley all provided solid encouragement and reserve competition for the Huskers. Stingley and Seich saw action in 2009 as exhibition performers, both progressing well over the course of the season on beam and floor, respectively. Ryan was slowed by a preseason injury, but still made progress in practice.

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Junior Maria Scaffidi was unable to compete in 2009 due to an injury suffered in preseason training. She will return to the Huskers’ lineup, vying to regain her spot as an all-arounder in 2010 after rehabilitation.

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With the Huskers’ 16-7 record, Head Coach Dan Kendig finished his 16th season at Nebraska with a program-best 371-143-4, continuing his impressive career as the winningest coach in NU women’s gymnastics history. During Kendig’s tenure, the Huskers have qualified for the NCAA Championships 12 times, making nine appearances at the Super Six Finals. Kendig has coached 28 All-Americans to 98 first- or second-team honors.

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2009 Season Highlights

?????????? NU finished with a 16-7 record and placed third at the NCAA Southeast Regional after making its?26th consecutive?NCAA postseason appearance in program history.

?????????? One Husker earned an All-America award: junior Kylie Stone (UB)

?????????? Four Huskers earned All-Big 12 honors: seniors Tricia Woo (BB, FX) and Brittney Williams (UB), Stone (V, FX) and sophomore Erin Davis (V).

?????????? Four Huskers were named to the All-Big 12 Championship Team for their performances at the conference meet: Brittney Williams (UB), Kylie Stone (AA, FX) and freshmen Lora Evenstad (FX) and Kassandra Nathe (V).

?????????? Kylie Stone was honored as the 2009 Big 12 Gymnast of the Year, the first award of her career.

?????????? Lora Evenstad was recognized as the 2009 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, capping a stellar freshman campaign.

?????????? Head Coach Dan Kendig was named the 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year, the sixth award of his career.

?????????? Three Huskers were named to the academic All-Big 12 team, as junior Kathryn Howard and Tricia Woo earned first-team honors and Kylie Stone received a place on the second team.

?????????? Kylie Stone was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week four times in 2009 (Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 24)

??????????Two Huskers earned at least one Big 12 Event-Specialist-of-the-Week award in 2009: Tricia Woo (Jan. 27, Feb. 10, Feb. 24, March 18); Lora Evenstad (March 10).

?????????? Nebraska swept the weekly Big 12 awards twice in 2009 (Jan. 27 and Feb. 24).

?????????? NU placed 11 gymnasts on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll: Tricia Woo, Kylie Stone, Kathryn Howard, Lora Evenstad, Kristin Fyffe, Kassandra Nathe, Kailey Ryan, Claire Stingley, former-Huskers Sabrina Long, Vanessa Meloche and Desire’ Sniatynski.

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