With Role Models of Her Own, Evenstad Now the One Inspiring Future Huskers

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When Nebraska's Lora Evenstad was in high school at Grand Forks, N.D., the world was her oyster. She could have gone just about anywhere on scholarship, including to Saturday night opponent Utah, which, along with Georgia, is the standard by which NCAA women's gymnastics programs are measured.

Fourth-ranked Utah defeated ninth-ranked Nebraska, 196.200 to 194.750, in the season's home opener at the Devaney Center, but Evanstad, a first-team All-American, won the floor exercise title with a score of 9.90 while teammate Erin Davis won the vault with a 9.925.

Evenstad, whose parents have attended roughly 200 consecutive meets in which she has competed since age 7, approached her college scholarship decision like she does everything else - with commitment and passion. Deep down, she knew where she wanted to go, but Grand Forks club coach James Bayer encouraged her to take visits so she could do some comparative shopping.

The premise that "the more things you know, the more places you'll go" was a good one because it only reinforced what was already in Evenstad's heart. She made official visits to Michigan, Nebraska and Utah and took unofficial trips to Arkansas, Iowa State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma.

Good thing she did, too, because Evenstad learned another child-based truth, with more apologies to Dr. Seuss: "You are you, and that is truer than true, and no one alive is youer than you."

For Evenstad, the questions may be complicated, but the answers are simple. When you're talented and hard-working and know the world is there for the taking, you make sure you go someplace where you feel extremely comfortable.

Seven-School Tour Reinforced Her Thinking

Evenstad chose Nebraska - a decision that she feels as steadfast about today as she did three years ago, or five years ago, or even seven years ago. Comparing college homes helped her deliver yet another Seuss-like truth: From there to here, and here to there, Nebraska had everything everywhere.

Saturday night's battle between two top 10 teams showcased some of the best athletes in college women's gymnastics, including Evenstad, who has climbed a tall mountain for Dan Kendig, Nebraska's two-time NCAA Coach-of-the-Year and six-time Big 12 Conference Coach-of-the-Year.

"Lora is one of, if not the most talented young lady we've ever had here," Kendig said.

What qualifies her for such status?

"Lora is just a perfectionist in everything she does, and in talking to her parents, she's been that way since growing up in age-group programs," Kendig said.

Evenstad, we should point out, first dreamed about competing for Nebraska when she was a sixth-grader and attending Nebraska camps in the summer and competitive meets in the winter.

Parents Enabled Lincoln's Gravitational Pull

Give Dean and Vicky Evenstad five full recruiting stars. Lora's parents, after all, were more than willing to drive their energetic daughter on nearly 1,000-mile round trips at least twice a year for seven straight years.

"Lora's parents really do deserve a gold medal," Kendig said. "They're like that Super Bowl ad that features the same group that keeps showing up at every Super Bowl in between weddings, birthdays and funerals. Somehow, the Evenstads manage to make it to places you would never guess they would end up, but they're always there - whether it's Florida or California, Washington or Arizona. Go to Penn State, and look up in the stands, and you'll see Lora's mom and dad."

Evanstad assures us that her parents have never missed a single competition.

Dean Evanstad is a research specialist at the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, and Vicky Evenstad is a credentials coordinator at Altru Health System.

The Evenstads never have nor ever will question the hours they've put into following their daughter's passion because every time they made the eight-hour jaunt to Lincoln, they saw a Level 10 gymnast fall in love with the sights, the sounds, the stage and the overall Big Red scene in which she now plays a major role.

Evenstad, Erstad: North Dakotans for Nebraska

Pardon the interruption, but did we mention that Evenstad's favorite sport to watch is Nebraska football? She's a Husker through-and-through and just might be Nebraska's female equivalent of Darin Erstad, a Jamestown, N.D., native who fell in love with Lincoln and moved back after spending 14 years in Major League Baseball. Erstad, of course, is now the Huskers' hitting coach.

"I love Nebraska," Evenstad said, admitting that when her gymnastics career ends, she would enjoy applying her passion for nutrition and wellness to live and work in Lincoln.

Yes, fascinating childhood dreams can color the visions that dance in a young lady's head. Even though Utah is a school known for huge crowds and perennially high NCAA accomplishments - including four national championships and seven runner-up finishes since 1987 - Nebraska has always had Evenstad's mind. They also had her heart - the reason she was so eager to sign her national letter-of-intent.

"I knew I would have good coaches and good teammates," she said. "I knew how amazing the academic staff was, and I knew there would be daily opportunities to make a difference in the community. Nebraska is everything I thought it would be and more."

Great experiences emerge from great expectations.

"I was hooked when I was in sixth and seventh grades," Evenstad recalled. "Every time we'd come down to Nebraska for a meet or a camp, we'd buy a gymnastics poster or a T-shirt for all the team members to sign. And every time Nebraska was on TV, we'd watch and wish we were there."

Now She's the One Plastered on Bedroom Walls

The posters became daily reminders that spurred a young lady's drive and stoked her determination to become part of the team she most admired.

"Every day, on my bedroom wall, I would see gymnasts from that 2003 team that finished fourth in the nation - Richelle Simpson, A.J. Lamb, Gina Bruce ... they really inspired me," Evanstad said.

Actually, that poster still resonates for the reigning Big 12 champion in both vault and floor exercise.

"When I went home for Christmas, it was still on my bedroom wall," Evanstad said. "It still has very special meaning for me."

She may not realize it, but her picture is the one now plastered on bedroom walls, and she's the one inspiring future Husker recruits.

"Lora has awesome power. She can flip. She can twist. Challenge her to do anything, and she'll go right after it," Kendig said. "She has the talent, the passion - everything it takes. And as great as she is individually, the best thing about Lora is that she always puts team above self."

Distributed Leadership, Shared Decision-Making

Nebraska doesn't have gymnastics captains. Leadership is distributed, and Evenstad thinks the eclectic approach works because it brings together a conglomeration of styles and personalities that's critical to overall creativity.

"At Nebraska, we're all about execution and excellence in our routines," she said. "We train hard, and we don't complain about what we're asked to do. We push ourselves, and we push each other."

The leadership for that approach comes in multiples.

Those who lead by example or in their own determined way are seniors Maddie Steinauer, Brittnee Habbib andMaria Scaffidi, junior Kassandra Nathe, sophomore Janelle Giblin and freshmen Emily Wong and Jamie Schleppenbach. Wong came to Nebraska from the same Red River Valley Gymnastics Club as Evenstad, who helped recruit her. 

Senior Brittany Skinner and sophomore Davis are the rah-rah leaders that "are loud and get us all pumped up," said Evenstad, who is more of a hybrid leader that embodies excellence in execution, encouragement and entertainment.

"You won't ever see me yelling," Evenstad said. "I'm better at calming people down. If someone's nervous, I can help."

She can help recruit, too, and is the first to explain the commitment Nebraska has made to gymnastics.

"We've always been a great program, but it just keeps getting better every year," Evenstad said. "My freshman year, we got a new locker room and last year, our practice facility at Mabel Lee Hall got a makeover."

The Huskers increased their workout space by 2,000 square feet. The $400,000 project included new carpet, a lounge and signage.

"It's bigger, and we now have softer landings and pits, so it reduces the wear-and-tear on everyday training," Kendig said. "We also have new TVs and TiVos, so every time you do something in the gym, you have immediate feedback."

Technology Helps Perfect a Powerful Routine

Evenstad has used that feedback to improve her performance in all three events in which she competes.

As great as she is as a first-team All-American on vault, fans relished watching the power Evanstad shows in floor exercise. In three competitions, she has scored no lower than 9.825 this season. Saturday night against Utah, she won the crowd with another inspiring performance to the upbeat and dramatic Liquid Dance music from "Slumdog Millionaire".

"This is my second year using that music," she said, explaining how two flips and a "full end" twist to the first pass launches a performance that ends dramatically with a Rudi -- a front flip with a 1½ -twist.

Kendig sees this as a breakout season for Evenstad, and if you missed Saturday's Utah dual, make sure to mark Sunday, Feb. 6, on your calendar. That's when defending national runner-up and current No. 2-ranked Oklahoma visits the Devaney for UNL Faculty and Staff Day.

The weekend after that, Nebraska joins Stanford in a power-packed meet at Michigan.

On Feb. 27, Mar. 6 and Mar. 13, Nebraska will host three consecutive Sunday home meets before competing Mar. 19 in the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo.; April 2 in the NCAA Regionals and April 15-17 in the NCAA Championships.

"We've never been shy about scheduling great teams, home or away," Kendig said.

"That's why I came to Nebraska," Evenstad said. "Every year, you get every chance in the world to prove that you're among the very best in the country."

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Voices from Husker Nation

Good article, and very interesting to read how Lora was hooked on the Huskers years ago. We just want her to know how much she inspires today's young gymnasts who watch her. I know one who has her signature on the current gymnastics poster, and Lora is right dab in the middle of it. It is a prized possession. Laura Larson, Omaha, Nebraska

We read the column on Lora Evenstad and watched the Utah dual on Huskers.com. We intend to make it to at least one Sunday meet this season, and maybe even two. Good luck, Lora! You are a Husker hero!!  Anne Johnson, Omaha, Nebraska