Nebraska Opens Conference Action at Iowa State

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (18th Year)
• Current Team Record: 0-1 (0-0 Big 12)
• 2011 High Score: 194.95 (at Florida, 1/7/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 7th (196.175)

The 11th-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team opens its conference schedule at No. 23 Iowa State this Friday, Jan. 14 in Ames, Iowa. Competition is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CST) at Hilton Coliseum. Nebraska leads Iowa State       
in the all-time series, 88-14-1. The two teams last met at the 2010 Big 12 Championships where the Huskers posted a score of 196.625 to Iowa State's 194.85.

Following their opening weekend, the Huskers return to Lincoln for their first home meet of the season against Utah on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Devaney Center.

Scouting the Competition: No. 23 Iowa State

• Head Coach: Jay Ronayne (5th Year)
• 2011 Record: 1-0
• 2011 High Score: 193.475 (vs. Auburn, 1/7/11)
• 2011 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at the Cyclones...

• Iowa State's top returning gymnast is junior Michelle Browning. Browning claimed the all-around title (39.175) in the Cyclones' home opener against Auburn on Jan. 7. Browning also took home the floor crown (9.85) and was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 11 for her efforts.

Freshman Michelle Shealy captured the balance beam title against Auburn, hitting a score of 9.85. She earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week accolades on Jan. 11.

Iowa State's score of 193.475 against the Tigers was its highest season-opening score since the 2007 campaign. Iowa State last met Nebraska at the 2010 Big 12 Championships on March 27. Nebraska took second in the meet with a score of 196.625 and ISU posted a 194.85 for fourth.

Nebraska's Competition Order at Iowa State

Rotation                        Iowa State                     Nebraska

1                                     Vault                               Uneven Bars

2                                    Uneven Bars                   Vault

3                                   Balance Beam                Floor Exercise

4                                    Floor Exercise                 Balance Beam

Huskers in the National Ranks

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team is ranked No. 11 nationally this week in the latest GymInfo poll released Monday. The poll, which is calculated by total season average, also ranks NU third in the South Central region and second in the Big 12 Conference, behind Oklahoma. In addition, the Huskers are tied for 15th nationally in team vault scoring (48.775.), 10th on bars (48.875), tied for 16th on beam (48.45) and 14th on floor (48.85).

Individually, senior Brittnee Habbib is tied for 13th on bars (9.85), and junior Lora Evenstad posted a 9.875 average on floor to tie for 10th in the rankings. Additionally, sophomore Janelle Giblin is tied for 23rd on bars (9.825).

Huskers See Strong Performances in 2011

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team has entered into the 2011 season with the potential for national success and the goal to capture the Big 12 championship. With four returning All-Americans, as well as a total of nine returning letterwinners and four newcomers, the Huskers once again should rank high among the nation's elite collegiate programs. Head Coach Dan Kendig, who enters his 18th season at NU, Associate Head Coach Danna Durante and Assistant Coach Tim Garrison are poised to guide Nebraska to its 15th NCAA Championships appearance.

"We have a great group and a great team," Kendig said. "They are very talented and strong athletes and a fun group to work with. They walk in every day excited about what will be thrown at them. The training is hard, the work ethic is there and they guard against going through the motions. Wherever this team wants to go, they'll be able to accomplish it."

All-Americans Shine for Nebraska

Although Nebraska faces a schedule filled with the country's best teams, the Huskers own an impressive roster of their own, supplemented by four returning All-Americans. Junior Lora Evenstad and sophomore Brittany Skinner both earned first-team accolades on vault at the 2010 NCAA Championships, while sophomore Janelle Giblin and junior Kassandra Nathe captured second-team honors on bars.

Kendig Builds One of Nation's Top Programs at Nebraska

Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 34 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In 18 seasons at Nebraska, Kendig is 394-151-4 overall and 270-59-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 28th year of coaching and owns a career record of 507-263-5.

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 13 NCAA Championship appearances in the past 16 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 2010, Nebraska finished with a 23-8 overall record. The Huskers took seventh at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Fla., in their 27th straight NCAA postseason appearance. Five of Kendig's gymnasts --Lora Evenstad (V), Brittany Skinner (V), Janelle Giblin (UB), Kathryn Howard (UB) and Kassandra Nathe (UB) -- earned All-America honors.

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

NU Looks to Seniors for Leadership, Experience

Erin Davis is one of NU's most experienced gymnasts and adds a distinctive spark and energy on all of her events for the Huskers. As a junior, Davis had a breakout year in 2010, highlighted by a perfect 10.0 on vault against Minnesota and Illinois on Jan. 15. Davis earned a share of her first Big 12 event title at the championships on March 27, as she tied for first on vault. She tallied her first regional crown on vault and tied for first at the NCAA Lexington Regional on April 10. She notched nine individual titles in 2010 and posted nine scores of 9.90 or better on vault. Davis was consistently ranked among the top-five vaulters in the country throughout the season.

Brittnee Habbib returned to the Husker lineup ready to lead the squad on bars, beam and floor. Habbib did just that in the season opener as she took second on bars with a score of 9.85 as the Huskers took on Florida on Jan. 7.

Maria Scaffidi also returned to NU's lineup as a strong and focused all-around competitor. She returned from injury in 2010 and didn't miss a beat, totaling six individual titles in 2010, including four in the all-around.

Maddie Steinauer returned as a solid contributor for the Huskers after her inaugural year with NU in 2010. Steinauer added the Big 12 vault title to her list of accomplishments as a junior, while posting career-high scores on all events. To open her senior campaign, Steinauer hit a 9.75 on vault, a 9.80 on beam and a 9.825 on floor for the Huskers against Florida on Jan. 7. She tied her career highs on both beam and floor against the Gators.

Juniors Provide Spark

Lora Evenstad entered her third year with the Huskers as one of NU's strongest competitors. A first-team All-American on vault in 2010, she also captured the Big 12 vault and floor crowns in her sophomore season. As one of the most talented gymnasts Nebraska has had in recent years, she is relied upon for her strong skills and performances. Evenstad took fourth on floor against Florida with a team-high score of 9.875. She also posted a 9.80 on vault and a 9.75 on bars.

Kassandra Nathe returned as a steady and indispensible gymnast for NU.  A second-team All-American on bars, she tallied a career-high 9.85 on bars and 9.875 on beam, en route to posting two individual event titles as a sophomore.

Kaitlin Reid joined the Huskers after spending two seasons at Cal State Fullerton, where she was a bars and beam specialist for the Titans. The Huskers will look for steady improvement from her as she competes for a spot in NU's lineups.

Sophomores Set Themselves Apart

Janelle Giblin and Brittany Skinner are already playing valuable roles for NU in 2011. Giblin earned second-team All-America honors on bars in 2010 and opened her sophomore campaign by debuting on two new events for the Huskers, competing on vault and beam. Skinner received first-team All-America accolades on vault as a freshman and proved to be a valuable all-around competitor. Skinner received marks of 9.775 on vault, 9.75 on bars and 9.625 on beam as NU took on Florida on Jan. 7.

Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class

Nebraska welcomed three freshmen to its roster in 2011: Deanna Barmore, Jamie Schleppenbach and Emily Wong. All three freshmen contributed in the Husker lineups against Florida, competing on seven out of 23 routines.

Barmore, a native of Omaha, Neb., competed for Coach Barb Bottieri at Nebraska Gold Gymnastics in Omaha and was a four-time national qualifier.  She contributed on NU's vault and beam lineups against the Gators on Jan. 7.

Schleppenbach comes to Nebraska from the Nebraska School of Gymnastics in Lincoln. She took second in the all-around at the 2009 Level 10 Region IV Championships, while placing fifth in the all-around at the 2010 Region IV Championships. She competed at the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships in 2010 and took fourth on vault. Schleppenbach aided the Huskers on vault and floor in her first collegiate meet, hitting a 9.75 and 9.65, respectively.

Wong is also a Level 10 product from Red River Valley Gymnastics in Grand Forks, N.D. She was the North Dakota state all-around champion in 2008 and 2009, in addition to being the North Dakota vault, bars, beam and floor champion in 2009. She placed fifth in the all-around, fourth on bars and third on beam at the 2009 regionals. Wong proved to be very impressive in her Husker debut, tallying a 9.675 on bars, 9.775 on beam and a 9.80 on floor.