Nebraska Faces Florida in Season Opener

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (18th Year)
• Current Team Record: 0-0 (0-0 Big 12)
• 2010 High Score: 196.625 (Big 12 Championships, 3/27/10)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 7th (196.175)                             
  

The 10th-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team opens its 2011 season at No. 3 Florida this Friday, Jan. 7 in Gainesville, Fla. Competition is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CST) at the Stephen O'Connell Center. Florida leads Nebraska in the all-time series, 19-9. The two teams last met in 2008 when the Gators topped the Huskers, 197.525-196.10.

Following their opening weekend, the Huskers open the conference schedule at Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 14 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Scouting the Competition: No. 3 Florida Gators

• Head Coach: Rhonda Faehn (9th Year)
• 2010 Record: 31-7
• 2010 High Score: 197.675 (at NCAA Salt Lake City Regional, 4/10/10)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 5th (197.00)

A Glance at the Gators...

Florida's top returning gymnast is four-time All-American Maranda Smith, who earned first-team All-America accolades on bars in 2010. She also captured nine individual titles for the Gators in her junior season. Sophomore Marissa King became a four-time All-American in 2010, earning honors in the all-around, on vault, beam and floor. Her four All-America honors in 2010 matched the highest number for a Gator freshman. Florida also returns All-Americans Ashanée Dickerson, Alicia Goodwin and Elizabeth Mahlich. Florida last met Nebraska at the NCAA Southeast Regional on April 12, 2008. Florida took first in the meet with a score of 197.525 and NU posted a 196.10 for third.

Nebraska's Competition Order at Florida

Rotation                        Florida                          Nebraska

1                                      Vault                            Uneven Bars

2                                      Uneven Bars             Vault

3                                       Balance Beam        Floor Exercise

4                                       Floor Exercise        Balance Beam

Huskers See Strong Performances in 2011

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team heads 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.

Huskers Tabbed 10th in Preseason Poll

Nebraska was ranked 10th in the Preseason Coaches Poll, released Dec. 1, 2010 by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC). The Huskers will face six teams in the top 10 this season, including third-ranked Florida, No. 5 Utah, No. 2 Alabama, fifth-ranked Oklahoma, sixth-ranked Stanford and No. 9 Michigan.

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 returns to the Husker lineup ready to lead the squad on bars, beam and floor. She enters her senior season bringing considerable experience and clutch performances over her Husker career. A truly entertaining gymnast, Habbib will be a key asset to Nebraska's success this season. The 2010 NCAA Lexington Regional bars champion, she posted career-high marks of 9.90 on bars and 9.85 on beam in 2010 and earned first-team academic All-Big 12 accolades.

Maria Scaffidi also returns 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 is expected to be a consistent competitor for the Huskers in 2011.

Maddie Steinauer returns 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.

Juniors Provide Spark

Lora Evenstad will enter 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 will be relied upon for her strong skills and performances.

Kassandra Nathe returns as a steady and indispensible gymnast for NU.  A second-team All-American on bars, she will look to lead NU's bars and beam squads in competition again in 2011. As a sophomore she tallied a career-high 9.85 on bars and 9.875 on beam, en route to posting two individual event titles.

Kaitlin Reid joins 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 will all play valuable roles for NU in 2011. Giblin earned second-team All-America honors on bars in 2010 and will have the potential to compete on numerous events for NU. Skinner received first-team All-America accolades on vault as a freshman and proved to be a valuable all-around competitor. Her powerful gymnastics will elevate NU's ability to compete with the nation's best in 2011.

Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class

Nebraska welcomes three freshmen to its roster in 2011: Deanna Barmore, Jamie Schleppenbach and Emily Wong.

Barmore, a native of Omaha, Neb., competed for Coach Barb Bottieri at Nebraska Gold Gymnastics in Omaha and was a four-time national qualifier. 

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.

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.