No. 10 Nebraska Heads to Metroplex Challenge

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (18th Year)
• Current Team Record: 1-2 (1-0 Big 12)
• 2011 High Score: 195.45 (at Iowa State, 1/14/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 7th (196.175)

The 10th-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team travels to Fort Worth, Texas to take on No. 6 Alabama, No. 25 LSU and Missouri in the Metroplex Challenge this Saturday, Jan. 29. Competition is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Alabama leads the all-time series with the Huskers, 24-6. NU last met the Crimson Tide on April 10, 2010 at the NCAA Lexington Regional, where Alabama topped the Huskers, 197.40-195.875. Nebraska leads the all-time series with Missouri 67-6, they last saw Missouri at the Big 12 Championships on March 27 when Nebraska came in second (196.625) and Missouri took third (195.90). The Huskers lead LSU in the all-time series, 11-9-2. NU last met the Tigers at the NCAA Preliminary Session l on April 22, 2010. NU took fourth with a 196.175 and LSU came in fifth, scoring a 196.025.

Nebraska travels to Missouri on Friday, Feb. 4, for a conference dual with the Tigers at 6:30 p.m. NU immediately returns home on Sunday, Feb. 6 to face Big 12 foe Oklahoma at 2 p.m. at the Devaney Center. 

Scouting the Competition: No. 6 Alabama

• Head Coach: Sarah Patterson (33rd Year)
• 2011 Record: 3-0
• 2011 High Score: 196.325 (vs. Boise State, 1/21/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 3rd

A Glance at Alabama...

• Alabama jumped five places in the national rankings this week, landing at No. 6 on the heels of its best score of the season, a 196.325, to beat Boise State last Friday.
• Senior Kayla Hoffman is 11th and freshman Sarah DeMeo is 20th in the all-around. Hoffman is also sixth on vault and 13th on floor while DeMeo is sixth on beam. Freshman Diandra Milliner is fifth on vault and 13th on floor
• Junior Geralen Stack-Eaton is eighth on vault while sophomore Ashley Sledge is 13th. Freshman Hannah Toussaint is sixth on floor and sophomore Becca Alexin is 12th on bars.

Scouting the Competition: No. 25 LSU

• Head Coach: D-D Breaux (33rd year)
• 2011 Record: 0-3
• 2011 High Score: 194.50 (at Auburn, 1/14/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 9th

A Glance at LSU...

• LSU checked in at No. 25 in the national rankings with a 193.942 season average. LSU has now appeared in the top 25 for 142 consecutive weeks, a streak that dates back to March 5, 2001.
• In the event rankings, LSU moved up one spot to No. 10 on vault with a 48.967 average. Last week against top-ranked Florida, LSU posted a season-high 49.125 on vault.
• Freshman Sarie Morrison scored a season-best 39.100 all-around total as the Tigers took on No. 1 Florida last weekend.

Scouting the Competition: Missouri

• Head Coach: Rob Drass (12th Year)
• 2011 Record: 1-2
• 2011 High Score: 194.925 (vs. SEMO, 1/15/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 12th

A Glance at Missouri...  

• The Big 12 Conference named junior Mary Burke Gymnast of the Week for the second consecutive week on Jan. 25. Burke is one of only three gymnasts in program history to have been named Gymnast of the Week three or more times during their career.
• Burke earned her second all-around title this season, scoring 39.200 above ISU's Michelle Shealy who put up a 39.125. The title is the third of Burke's career, and it is her second consecutive award this season. Alex Gold came in third in the all-around, posting a 38.700.
• The Tigers recorded their second highest score of the season against Iowa State (194.55).

Nebraska's Competition Order at Metroplex Challenge

Rotation                        Vault                 Bars                 Beam                Floor

I                                   LSU                  Missouri            Alabama           Nebraska

II                                   Nebraska          LSU                  Missouri            Alabama

III                                  Alabama           Nebraska          LSU                  Missouri

IV                                 Missouri            Alabama           Nebraska          LSU

Huskers in the National Ranks

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team is ranked No. 10 nationally in the latest GymInfo poll released Monday. The poll, which is calculated by total season average, also ranks NU second in the South Central region and in the Big 12 Conference. In addition, the Huskers are ranked sixth nationally in team vault scoring (49.05), 12th on bars (48.85) and are tied eighth on floor (48.90).

Individually, senior Erin Davis is tied for second on vault, with an average of 9.925. Davis took the vault title against Utah, as she competed on the event for the first time this season. Junior Lora Evenstad is fifth on floor (9.885) after earning the floor crown against Utah with a score of 9.90, and sophomore Janelle Giblin is 22nd in the all-around (39.025).

Huskers See Strong Performances in 2011

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team has entered 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.

Huskers Garner Conference Honors

Senior Erin Davis was honored as Co-Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. She was recognized for the first time this season and the third time in her career.

Davis was named Co-Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after posting a 9.925 score on vault in her inaugural performance of the season, as the Huskers competed against fourth-ranked Utah last Friday. The senior earned the vault title and is currently tied for second in the nation in vault rankings. Her mark of 9.925 is the highest in the Big 12 this season in the vault event. She also recorded a 9.725 score on the floor for NU.

Giblin Debuts as All-Arounder

Sophomore All-American Janelle Giblin debuted as an all-arounder for Nebraska against Iowa State, totaling a career-high score of 39.025. It marked the first all-around performance of her career and made her the first all-arounder to compete for the Huskers in 2011. Giblin is 22nd in the national all-around rankings. The native of San Ramon, Calif., posted a career-high score of 9.85 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22. She also matched her career-high on bars (9.85) to tie for third in the event.

NU Looks to Seniors for Leadership, Experience

Erin Davis debuted with a bang for the Huskers in the third week of competition against Utah. The senior from Round Rock, Texas hit a season-high 9.925 on vault and is currently tied for second in the nation on the event. She was named the Co-Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week for her efforts.

Brittnee Habbib opened her senior year by leading the Huskers 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. Habbib notched her first event title of the season with a 9.825 on beam at Iowa State, tying for first-place in the event. She posted a season-high-tying 9.85 on bars against Utah, tying for third in the event.

Maria Scaffidi 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. She has competed on bars, beam and floor for the Huskers in 2011, hitting season highs against Utah of 9.825 and 9.625 on bars and floor, respectively.

Maddie Steinauer opened her senior campaign by hitting 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. She earned a mark of 9.825 on beam at Iowa State, tying for the event crown. Steinauer posted a season-high 9.825 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22.

Evenstad, Juniors Supply Spark

All-American Lora Evenstad opened the season by taking 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. At Iowa State on Jan. 14, she captured the floor title with a score of 9.875. She took second on vault, notching a 9.85 and posted a 9.75 on bars. As the Huskers took on Utah on Jan. 22, Evenstad tied her season-high of 9.85 on vault and took the floor crown with a season-high 9.90. She is currently tied for seventh in the national floor rankings with an average of 9.875.

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

All-American Janelle Giblin opened her sophomore campaign by debuting on two new events for the Huskers, competing on vault and beam. Giblin debuted as an all-arounder for Nebraska against Iowa State, totaling a career-high score of 39.025. It marked the first all-around performance of her career and made her the first all-arounder to compete for the Huskers in 2011. Giblin is 22nd in the national all-around rankings. The native of San Ramon, Calif., posted a career-high score of 9.85 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22. She also matched her career-high on bars (9.85) to tie for third in the event.

First-Team All-American 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. She earned the bars title at Iowa State with a season-high 9.825. Skinner hit a season high on vault, notching a 9.80, against Utah on Jan. 22.

Freshmen Provide Solid Contributions

Nebraska welcomed three freshmen to its roster in 2011: Deanna Barmore, Jamie Schleppenbach and Emily Wong. All three freshmen have provided strong contributions for the Huskers in their first collegiate meets.

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. She notched a career-high 9.725 on vault at Iowa State on Jan. 14.

Schleppenbach came 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. Schleppenbach aided the Huskers on vault and floor in her first collegiate meet at Florida, hitting a 9.75 and 9.65, respectively. She captured her first event title at Iowa State with a 9.875 on vault. Schleppenbach also hit a 9.775 on floor for NU.  She posted or tied career highs on every event against Utah on Jan. 22, hitting a 9.875 on vault, a 9.075 on beam and a 9.775 on floor.

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. 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.  At Iowa State on Jan. 14, she earned a share of the beam title with a mark of 9.825. She also posted a 9.775 on floor. Wong hit a career-high 9.80 on bars against Utah on Jan 22 and came in third on beam after scoring a 9.80.