Nebraska Faces Washington in Season Opener

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (17th Year)
• Current Team Record: 0-0 (0-0 Big 12)
• 2009 High Score: 196.75 (at Arizona State with Cal State Fullerton and Ball State, 3/13/09)
• 2009 NCAA Finish: DNQ                  

The 15th-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team opens its 2010 season at No. 25 Washington this Friday, Jan. 8 in Seattle, Wash. Competition is scheduled for 9 p.m. (CST) at Bank of America Arena, and Nebraska boasts an all-time record of 10-5 over the Huskies.

Following their opening weekend, the Huskers open their home schedule against Minnesota and Illinois on Friday, Jan. 15 at the Devaney Center. NU will look to returning All-American  Kylie Stone to lead its lineup in 2009.

Scouting the Competition: No. 25 Washington Huskies

• Head Coach: Joanne Bowers (4th Year)
• 2009 Record: 11-7
• 2009 High Score: 196.00 (vs. Oregon State, Illinois and Eastern Michigan, 2/21/09)
• 2009 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at the Huskies...

• Washington's top returning gymnast is sophomore Hatsune Akaogi, who competed in the all-around in every meet for the Huskies in 2009.
• Junior Kristin Linton competed in 11 of the Huskies' 12 meets in her sophomore season. She tallied three bars titles and one beam title for Washington in 2009.
• Washington last met Nebraska at the NCAA West Regional on April 14, 2007, which NU won with a 196.675. The Huskies posted a 193.30 

Nebraska's Competition Order at Washington

Rotation                    Washington                   Nebraska

1                              Vault                             Uneven Bars

2                              Uneven Bars                  Vault

3                              Balance Beam               Floor Exercise

4                              Floor Exercise               Balance Beam

 

Stone Leads Huskers into 2010 Season

Senior Kylie Stone will lead Nebraska in 2010 after earning her second All-America award in 2009. The Calgary, Alberta, native was named the 2009 Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year after winning 18 individual titles, including five in the all-around and seven on floor. She was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week four times as well as being named All-Big 12 and to the All-Big 12 Championship Team.

Stone was Nebraska's lone competitor at the 2009 NCAA Championships. She took fourth in the all-around at the NCAA Southeast Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships. At nationals, 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.

Howard Set to Headline Nebraska's Bars and Beam Lineups

Senior Kathryn Howard returns to the Husker lineup ready to lead a young squad on bars and beam. She enters her senior season bringing considerable experience and clutch performances over her Husker career. A clean gymnast, Howard performs with beautiful lines and will be an asset to Nebraska's success this season. An All-Big 12 performer on beam, she is also a leader in the classroom for NU, as a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection.

Huskers to Host 2010 Big 12 Championships

Nebraska, which last hosted the Big 12 Championships in 2006, will prepare to hold the 2010 Big 12 Championships at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on March 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through the Nebraska Ticket Office at Huskers.com or by calling 800-8BIGRED. The Huskers have been crowned Big 12 Champions eight times.

Kendig Builds One of Nation's Top Programs at Nebraska

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 33 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In 17 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 371-143-4 overall and 260-57-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 27th year of coaching and owns a career record of 484-255-5.

An eight-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to 11 conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 2002. He was most recently named the 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year.

He has also led Nebraska to 11 NCAA Championship appearances in the past 15 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 2009, Nebraska finished with a 16-7 overall record. The Huskers placed third at the NCAA Southeast Regional in their 26th straight NCAA postseason appearance. One of Kendig's gymnasts -- Kylie Stone (UB) -- earned an All-America honor. Additionally, Britney Williams captured her first Big 12 title on bars at the competition in Ames, Iowa.

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

Scaffidi leads Juniors

Maria Scaffidi returns to NU's lineup after missing the 2009 season due to an injury suffered in preseason training. A consistent all-around performer for the Huskers in 2008, she brings a strong and explosive style of gymnastics back to Nebraska's lineup.

Erin Davis gained experience on vault and floor as a sophomore and proved to be one of the Huskers' clutch performers on both events. Davis took home All-Big 12 honors on vault as a sophomore and will serve as a solid veteran competitor on the event. She started 2009 by winning the first event crown of her career, taking top honors on vault at Denver. She also tallied career highs on vault and floor and won her second vault crown of the season at Michigan.

Brittnee Habbib returns to Nebraska's lineup as an experienced performer. Habbib consistently contributed on bars, beam and floor throughout her sophomore campaign and is poised to do so again this year, with a big demand for her elegant style of gymnastics. She posted a strong performance for Nebraska at Iowa State in 2009, taking second on floor. She tied her career high of 9.875 on bars against Michigan, as she took second in the event.

Transfer Maddie Steinauer comes to the Huskers from Cal State Fullerton, where she was a solid contributor on vault for the Titans. The Omaha, Neb., native will bring her increased level of skill to NU's squad.

Sophomores Provide Spark

Lora Evenstad, Kristin Fyffe and Kassandra Nathe return as sophomores to add depth to the NU squad. Evenstad, the 2009 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, begins her sophomore campaign as a leading candidate for the Huskers' floor lineup. She will look to continue an impressive start to her Nebraska career in 2010. 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 in 2009. At the Big 12 Championships she earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Championship team after finishing second on floor (9.90).

 Nathe will provide invaluable experience for NU, after competing in every meet as an all-arounder in 2009. Her hard work will help the Huskers as they head into 2010. At the Big 12 Championships, she hit a career high 9.85 on vault to take third and was named to the All-Big 12 Championship team for her performance. Nathe placed ninth in the all-around (38.85), 15th on vault (9.825) and 11th on bars (9.80) at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional.

Fyffe was a solid contributor on vault and beam for NU and will look to do the same in 2010. With a set of new skills, she will be aiming to make a greater impact for NU. In 2009 she posted a score of 9.80 on vault against Oklahoma and tied her career high mark of 9.80 on beam at the Masters Classic. Fyffe continually improved over the course of the season, wrapping up the regular season with a career high 9.825 on vault at Arizona State.

Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class

Nebraska welcomes three freshmen to its roster: Hannah Bower, Janelle Giblin and Brittany Skinner.

Bower, a native of Loveland, Colo., was the first three-time 5A Colorado all-around champion. In addition to etching her name in Colorado gymnastics history, she was inducted into the Colorado Sports Women's Hall of Fame.

Giblin comes to Lincoln from Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara, Calif. A level 10 competitor, she was the 2008 state bars, beam, floor and all-around champion en route to taking the 2008 regional level 10 bars, beam, floor and all-around crowns.

Skinner is also a level 10 product from Airborne Gymnastics. She was a three-time level 10 national qualifier and four-time level 10 regional qualifier. In 2009 she made the NorCal State Team while taking second on bars and placing third in the all-around at the state meet. She was also the 2009 Regional vault and all-around champion, while taking a second on beam.