No. 10 Nebraska Takes on No. 4 OU and No. 13 UIC in Home Triangular

Coming off a convincing win against Air Force two weeks ago, the No. 10 Huskers are back in action Saturday at the Devaney Center to take on No.4 Oklahoma and No. 13 Illinois-Chicago.

This will be the second meeting between NU and OU this season, as Oklahoma topped Nebraska in the Rocky Mountiain Open three weeks ago, 346.500 to 334.500.

This will be the first meeting between NU and UIC this year. The most recent was last season at the Devaney Center, as the Huskers defeated UIC, 348.250 to 340.200.

Scouting Oklahoma
Oklahoma heads to Lincoln after win at home over Minnesota two weeks ago. The  Sooners enter Saturday's meet as the fourth-ranked team in the country. They are led by senior Steven Legendre and sophomore Jacob Dalton.

Last week in the Winter Cup Challenge, Dalton placed in the top three in four of his six events, and took home the all-around title.  With that win, Dalton is assured one of eight open spots on the U.S. Senior National Team.

Oklahoma is ranked in the top eight on all apparatuses as a team, as well as having individuals ranked in six events. On floor, the team ranks third in the nation. Individual rankings include Steven Legendre (1), Jacob Dalton (2), Alex Naddour (7), and Preston Ellsworth (20). On rings, the team ranks third in the nation, with individual rankings coming from Troy Nitzky (5), Steven Legendre (8) and Jacob Dalton (10). On vault, the team ranks first in the country with top-ranked Dalton(1) , Legendre(3), Jeremy Adams (10), and Ian Jackson (14). On parallel bars, the team ranks sixth with Dalton agained ranked at the top. On the high bar, the team ranks fifth in the nation with Dalton tabbed sixth. Four Sooners broke the top 20 in the national rankings in Dalton (3), Legendre (4), Naddour (9), and Ellsworth (13).

Scouting Illinois-Chicago
The University of Illinois-Chicago comes to Lincoln ranked as the No.13 team in the country. The Flames are coming off loss in Iowa City, against No.9 Iowa two weeks ago 329.300 to 342.100.

UIC’s highest team ranking is on the pommel horse, where they rank 11th with an average event score of 53.600. The Flames' pommel horse team is led by senior Dave Mohr and sophomore Mateusz Rybarski, who both earned 13.800 scores last week against Iowa.

The Flames rank 12th on parallel bar, where they are led by sophomore Kyle Voissem, who averages a 13.950. Voissem’s season-high is a 14.300 in the Windy City Invitational.

UIC’s team ranks are 14th the floor, 11th on pommel horse, 14th  on rings, 12th on parallel bar, 14th and on high bar.

Last Time Out
The No. 10 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team topped No. 11 Air Force 343.000-334.400 two weeks ago. Four Huskers captured individual event crowns on the afternoon, helping Nebraska notch a season-high 343.000 team total. Sophomore Andreas Hofer led NU’s hardware haul with his first two titles of the season. Hofer won the individual all-around crown with a season-high 85.450, which included victories on floor exercise (14.750) and high bar (14.450).

Senior All-American Anthony Ingrelli claimed his second straight title with a 14.450 on still rings. Freshman Eric Schryver captured the event title of his career with a 14.900 on pommel horse, while Bear Danley added a parallel bars crown with a 14.500.

Air Force’s Ben Zaiser claimed the Falcon’s lone event win of the day on vault with a 15.600.

Nebraska started the meet on floor, where they totaled a 57.100, including Hofer’s 14.750 to win the event. NU moved to pommel horse where Schryver’s career-high 14.900 led NU to a 54.450 event score, while fellow freshman Wyatt Aycock added a career-high 14.150 on the event on his way to a career-high 83.40 in his first career all-around competition.

On still rings, Ingrelli’s 14.450 won the event, while Donovan Arndt added a career-high 14.250. NU then notched its top event score of the day with a 61.800 on vault, led by Andrew House’s career-best 15.550 on the event. Hofer pitched in a 15.450, while Will Eastman and C.J. Schaaf both contributed scores of 15.400. All six Huskers scored at least 15.250 on the event, including Aycock’s career-best 15.300.

Danley led Nebraska’s 56.900 team score on parallel bars with his 14.500 individual total. Aycock added a solid 14.300, while Hofer contributed a 14.150 and Schaaf pitched in a career-high 13.950.

The Huskers closed out the victory with a 56.900 on high bar, led by Hofer’s 14.450. Danley and Mark Ringle each contributed scores of 14.250 on the event, which Schaaf added a career-best 13.950.

Most of the Huskers had an extra week off while four teamates, traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Winter Cup, a tournament where indivaduals compete for a chance to make the U.S. Senior National Team. Those four huskers were, Senior still rings specialist, Anthony Ingrelli, and freshman all-arounders Wyatt Aycock, C.J. Schaaf, and Eric Schryver. None of the huskers made it to the finals.