Nebraska Opens Home Schedule with Minnesota and Illinois

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (17th Year)
• Current Team Record: 1-0 (0-0 Big 12)
• 2010 High Score: 195.70 (at Washington, 1/8/10)
• 2009 NCAA Finish: DNQ

The third-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team takes on No. 23 Illinois and No. 20 Minnesota Friday, Jan. 15 in the Huskers' first home meet of the season. Competition is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Devaney Center. Nebraska boasts an all-time record of 13-2 against Illinois. In their last meeting, the Huskers won 195.35-192.525 on Feb. 29, 2007 in Ann Arbor, Mich. NU holds a 17-9-1 record over Minnesota, including a 196.225-195.075 win at the Masters Classic on Feb. 22, 2009.

NU is 1-0 on the year after kicking off the 2010 season with a 195.70-193.45 win over No. 25 Washington at Bank of America Arena in Seattle on Jan. 8. The Huskers hit 49.00 or better on beam and floor and swept individual honors on all four events.

NU returns to the Devaney Center on Sunday, Jan. 24, for a dual with No. 13 Michigan. The meet is slated to begin at 2 p.m.

Nebraska's Competition vs. Illinois and Minnesota

Rotation                        Vault                 Bars                 Beam                Floor

1                                  Nebraska          Minnesota         Open                Illinois

2                                  Illinois               Nebraska          Minnesota         Open

3                                  Open                Illinois               Nebraska          Minnesota

4                                  Minnesota         Open                Illinois               Nebraska

Scouting the Competition: No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini

• Head Coach: Bob Starkell (11th Year)
• 2009 Record: 17-7
• 2009 High Score: 196.75 (Big Ten Championships, 3/21/09)
• Last Meet: 2nd/4, at Salbasgeon Suites Invitational, 1/8/10 (192.85)
• 2009 NCAA Finish: 12th (195.05)

A Glance at the Illini...

• Last season Illinois produced the most successful campaign in school history. The Illini made their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championships, totaled two NCAA All-Americans, including the program's first NCAA first-team selection, and claimed a school-best No. 12 final national ranking.
• Illinois boasts three All-Americans: senior Sarah Schmidt, who earned second-team honors on floor in 2009; junior Allison Buckley, who earned second-team honors in 2008; and junior Melissa Fernandez, who earned Illinois its first NCAA first-team All-America honor. Fernandez took home her award after her performance on beam at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
• Buckley led the Illini in their season opener, winning the vault title (9.85) and finishing third in the all-around (38.70).

Scouting the Competition: No. 20 Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Head Coach: Meg Stephenson (13 years)
• 2009 Record: 12-14
• 2009 High Score: 196.75 (vs. Iowa, 3/14/09)
• Last Meet: Loss vs. Denver, 1/9/10 (193.375)
• 2009 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at the Gophers...

• Minnesota's top returning gymnast is senior Alexis Russell. She competed as an all-arounder in 11 meets in 2009 and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. She finished fourth in the all-around and runner-up on bars at the Big Ten Championships.
• In the Gophers' last meet, Russell won the all-around title against Denver with a 39.075.
• In the meet with the Pioneers, freshman Janell Campbell won the floor exercise with a 9.90, giving her the first event title of her Gopher career.

UNL Student Appreciation Night

The meet with Illinois and Minnesota is UNL Student Appreciation Night. UNL students get in free when they show a valid NU ID. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the first 100 UNL students who show their ID to the marketing representative at the north entrance of the Devaney Center will receive one free slice of Valentino's pizza.

Huskers in the National Ranks

After posting its highest season-opening score since 2004, Nebraska soared to No. 3 nationally in the latest GymInfo poll. The Huskers have not been ranked this high since they held the No. 1 spot heading into a meet with Minnesota and Air Force during the 2005 season.

Individually, junior Maria Scaffidi is tied for 18th in the all-around (39.00) and seventh on floor (9.875). Senior Kylie Stone is tied for 11th on vault (9.85) and ninth on beam (9.85), along with senior Kathryn Howard and junior Brittnee Habbib. Habbib also comes in tied at ninth on bars (9.85). Sophomore Lora Evenstad is tied for 14th on floor (9.85) and is included in the bars standings with an average of 9.825 for 25th.

Stone Leads Huskers into 2010 Season

Senior Kylie Stone leads Nebraska in 2010 after earning her second All-America award in 2009. She captured the first event title of her senior season against Washington, with a 9.85 on beam. The mark tied her career-high score.

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 returned to the Husker lineup ready to lead a young squad on bars and beam. She entered her senior season bringing considerable experience and clutch performances over her Husker career. Howard posted a 9.85 on beam against Washington to tie teammates Stone and Brittnee Habbib for the event title.

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 as All-Arounder

Maria Scaffidi returned 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. Scaffidi opened the 2010 season as if she hadn't missed a beat, earning the second all-around title of her career, after posting a solid 39.00 as she starred for the Huskers. She also took top honors on floor, tying her career-high mark of 9.875.

Erin Davis gained experience on vault and floor as a sophomore and proved to be one of the Huskers' clutch performers on both events. In opening her junior season, she helped the Huskers to a team vault score of 49.00 against Washington by posting a mark of 9.825.

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 returned to Nebraska's lineup in 2009 as an experienced performer. She kicked-off her junior campaign in stellar form, earning the first event titles of her career against Washington. Habbib took first on bars (9.85), and tied for first on beam (9.85). Her mark on beam tied her career-high score set in 2008.

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 came to the Huskers from Cal State Fullerton, where she was a solid contributor on vault for the Titans. She performed well in her Husker debut, competing on vault (9.75), beam (9.775) and floor (9.675) for Nebraska.

Sophomores Provide Spark

Lora Evenstad, Kristin Fyffe and Kassandra Nathe have returned as sophomores to add depth to the NU squad. Evenstad, the 2009 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, began her sophomore campaign as a leading candidate for the Huskers' floor lineup. She looks to continue an impressive start to her Nebraska career in 2010. Evenstad took second on bars and vault at Washington with a 9.825. She continued her solid night with a 9.85 on floor.

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 provides invaluable experience for NU, after competing in every meet as an all-arounder in 2009. While her hard work is helping the Huskers in 2010, she only competed on bars against Washington.

At the Big 12 Championships, Nathe hit a career-high 9.85 on vault to take third and was named to the All-Big 12 Championship team for her performance. She 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 looks to do the same in 2010. With a set of new skills, she is aiming to make a greater impact for NU. She saw action on beam for the Huskers at Washington.

In 2009 Fyffe 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 made her Husker debut at Washington, where she posted a 9.725 on vault and a 9.10 on floor.

Skinner 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 second on beam.