Seventh-Ranked Huskers Host 21st Masters Classic

• Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (18th Year)
• Current Team Record: 4-7 (3-1 Big 12)
• 2011 High Score: 196.075 (at Missouri, 2/4/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: 7th (196.175)                       

The seventh-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team hosts the 21st Masters Classic with No. 15 Iowa, Kentucky and Bowling Green on Sunday, Feb. 27. Competition is scheduled for 2 p.m. (CST) at the Devaney Center. Nebraska leads the all-time series with the Hawkeyes 15-3. NU last met Iowa in 2010 at the IGI Chicago Style Invite where Nebraska posted a 196.475 to Iowa's 193.625. The Huskers lead the all-time series with Kentucky 7-0. NU last saw the Wildcats at the 2010 NCAA Lexington Regional where Nebraska came in second with a 195.875 and Kentucky placed fifth with a 194.975. Sunday's meeting will be the first competition between the Falcons of Bowling Green and the Huskers.

Nebraska's next home meet is on Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. as the Huskers take on Arizona State.

Scouting the Competition: No. 15 Iowa

• Head Coach: Larissa Libby (7th Year)
• 2011 Record: 5-5
• 2011 High Score: 196.35 (vs. Denver, 2/11/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at Iowa...

• The Hawkeyes are tied for the No. 16 spot on vault, occupy the No. 6 spot on bars, the No. 16 spot on beam and the No. 13 spot on floor.
• Senior Rebecca Simbhudas is ranked ninth in the all-around nationally. She is also No. 13 on bars, ranked fifth on beam and tied for 11th on floor. She won her third all-around title of the season against Iowa State last week.
• Senior Houry Gebeshian is 19th on bars in the national rankings.

Scouting the Competition: Kentucky

• Assistant Coaches: Chuck Dickerson (4th Year), Heather Hite (2nd Year)
• 2011 Record: 2-6
• 2011 High Score: 195.05 (vs. Ohio State, 2/20/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at Kentucky...

• Kentucky is ranked No. 11 on vault. UK recorded a school-record 49.40 on the event in a 195.725-195.05 loss to Ohio State last Sunday.
• Senior Andrea Mitchell is No. 24 in the national all-around standings, while junior Whitney Rose in No. 11 on vault.
• Senior Phylicia Richard recorded a 9.95 on vault against the Buckeyes to come in first.

Scouting the Competition: Bowling Green

• Head Coach: Kerrie Beach (3rd Year)
• 2011 Record: 1-6
• 2011 High Score: 190.225 (vs. Illinois-Chicago, 1/9/11)
• 2010 NCAA Finish: DNQ

A Glance at Bowling Green...

• The Falcons are 1-6 on the year, most recently falling to Ball State 192.325-187.75 last Sunday. Bowling Green came away with three individual awards on bars, beam and floor.
• Senior Kasey Fillmore has had her best two meets of the season over the past two weeks. Against Eastern Michigan she scored a 37.10 in the all-around, winning the individual crown. She posted a 38.10 in the all-around versus Ball State, finishing third.
• Freshman Megan Harrington has won the individual crown on beam for the past two weeks. She scored a 9.45 against Eastern Michigan and posted a career-best 9.70 versus Ball State last weekend.

Competition Order at Masters Classic

Rotation            Vault               Bars                     Beam                  Floor

1                      Nebraska         Bowling Green   Kentucky             Iowa

2                      Iowa                   Nebraska           Bowling Green   Kentucky

3                      Kentucky            Iowa                     Nebraska           Bowling Green

4                      Bowling Green  Kentucky              Iowa                    Nebraska

Power of Pink

Gymnasts and fans are encouraged to wear Pink on Sunday in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. Various "Pink" promotions and giveaways will take place during the meet.

Girls Day Out

Massage therapists from UNL Campus Recreation will be located around the concourse for fans to swing by and get a mini massage an hour prior to the meet. First come first serve. Fan can also enter to win a $25 gift card for the Campus Recreation Massage Center.

Huskers in the National Ranks

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team is ranked seventh this week in the latest GymInfo poll. The poll, which is calculated by regional qualifying score, also ranks NU second in the South Central region and in the Big 12 Conference. In addition, the Huskers are ranked second nationally in team vault scoring (49.285), eighth on bars (48.985), 21st on beam (48.522) and are 10th on floor (48.94).

Individually, senior Erin Davis is tied for first on vault, with an RQS of 9.910. Davis has captured four vault titles as a senior. Junior Lora Evenstad is ranked fourth on floor (9.885), while freshman Jamie Schleppenbach debuted in the rankings at No. 17 on vault (9.85). Sophomore Janelle Giblin is tied for 14th on vault (9.855) and is ranked 12th on bars (9.85).

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 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 Tally 11 on Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team placed 11 gymnasts among 358 Husker student-athletes honored as members of the Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll, the conference office announced. The honor roll recognizes student-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the previous semester, and within Nebraska's 358 selections, 43 earned perfect 4.0 GPAs.

Senior Maria Scaffidi led the impressive contingent of women's gymnasts on the list, as she posted a perfect 4.0 GPA and was included for the seventh time in her career. Juniors Lora Evenstad and Kassandra Nathe also earned their fifth honor, while freshman Janelle Giblin received the third such accolade of her career. Senior Erin Davis, junior Kaitlin Reid and freshmen Deanna Barmore and Emily Wong all earned nods on the honor roll as well. Additionally, former Huskers Hannah Bower, Kristin Fyffe and Stephanie Seich were honored for the second, fifth and fourth time, respectively. 

Huskers Garner Conference Honors

Senior Erin Davis was honored as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday, Feb. 8. She picked up her third straight Event Specialist of the Week honor, and fifth of her career, after claiming two vault titles this past weekend. She is the fourth gymnast, and third Husker, to win three Event Specialist honors in a season since the award was created in 2007 and first to win three in a row.

Davis was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after posting a 9.925 on vault against Missouri on Friday, Feb. 4 and again versus Oklahoma on Sunday, Feb. 6. She captured the title against the Tigers, where she also scored 9.85 on the floor, and tied for first against OU. She is currently tied for first in the nation on vault.

Prior to Davis' awards, NU saw Lora Evenstad earn Gymnast of the Week honors after making her first all-around performance at the Metroplex Challenge.

Competing Against the Nation's Elite

Nebraska is 4-7 on the season, counting its only losses to top-10 opponents such as No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Utah, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 7 Utah and No. 8 Michigan.

Giblin, Evenstad Debut as All-Arounders

Sophomore All-American Janelle Giblin debuted as an all-arounder for Nebraska against Iowa State, totaling a 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. The native of San Ramon, Calif., posted a score of 9.85 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22. She added scores of 9.875 on bars, 9.70 on beam, 9.80 on floor and 39.125 in the all-around at the Metroplex Challenge. Giblin added a career-high 9.875 on vault and a 39.125 in the all-around against Missouri on Feb. 4. She posted a career-high-tying 9.875 on bars against Oklahoma on Feb. 6. She matched her career-best score on bars at Michigan and on vault and beam at Denver. She is currently tied for 14th on vault and is 12th on bars.

Junior All-American Lora Evenstad made her all-around debut at the Metroplex Challenge, posting an impressive score of 39.275. She notched scores of 9.875 on vault, 9.85 on bars and a career high on beam (9.775). Evenstad tied her career high of 9.90 on vault and posted a new career-high 9.925 on bars at Michigan. She hit another 9.90 on floor at Denver on Feb. 19. She is currently ranked fourth on floor nationally. 

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. She was named the Co-Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week for her efforts. Davis earned the vault crown for the second straight week, hitting a 9.925 at the Metroplex Challenge, she also posted a 9.80 on floor. Davis was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week for the second-straight week. Davis did not disappoint against Missouri on Feb. 4 and against Oklahoma two days later, hitting a 9.925 on the event in both meets, and adding two more event crowns to her accomplishments for the year. She picked up her third straight Event Specialist of the Week honor, and fifth of her career, after claiming the two vault titles. She is the fourth gymnast, and third Husker, to win three Event Specialist honors in a season since the award was created in 2007 and first to win three in a row. She posted a season-high 9.95 on vault at Michigan on Feb. 13, taking second in the event. She tied her season-high floor score with a 9.85 at Denver. Davis is currently tied for first in the nation on vault, averaging a 9.91. 

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 9.85 on bars against Utah, tying for third in the event. She matched that same bars score at Michigan on Feb. 13.

Maria Scaffidi has competed on bars, beam and floor for the Huskers in 2011, hitting a season high against Utah of 9.825. She added a career-high 9.85 on beam at the Metroplex Challenge on Jan. 29. Scaffidi hit a season-high 9.825 on floor at Missouri on Feb. 4. She tabbed a 9.825 again at Michigan on Feb. 13.

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 9.825 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22. Steinauer was clutch for the Huskers at Missouri, hitting a season-high 9.85 on vault and tallying career highs on beam (9.90) and floor (9.825). She earned her second beam title of the year with her performance at Missouri.  She tied her season-high vault score (9.875) at Denver.

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. As the Huskers took on Utah on Jan. 22, Evenstad hit a 9.85 on vault and took the floor crown with a season-high 9.90. She made her all-around debut at the Metroplex Challenge, posting an impressive score of 39.275. She notched season highs on vault (9.875) and bars (9.85) and a career high on beam (9.775). She was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 1. She notched a 9.90 on floor to tie her season high at Missouri on Feb. 4. Evenstad tied her career high of 9.90 on vault and posted a new career-high 9.925 on bars for the event crown at Michigan. She hit another 9.90 on floor at Denver on Feb. 19. She is currently ranked fourth on floor nationally. 

Kassandra Nathe returned as a steady and indispensable 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. She earned a 9.60 on bars at the Metroplex Challenge in her Husker debut.

Sophomores Set Themselves Apart

Sophomore All-American Janelle Giblin debuted as an all-arounder for Nebraska against Iowa State, totaling a 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.The native of San Ramon, Calif., posted a score of 9.85 on vault against Utah on Jan. 22. She added scores of 9.875 on bars, 9.70 on beam, 9.80 on floor and 39.125 in the all-around at the Metroplex Challenge. Giblin added a career-high 9.875 on vault and a 39.125 in the all-around against Missouri on Feb. 4. She posted a career-high-tying 9.875 on bars against Oklahoma on Feb. 6. She matched her career-best score on bars at Michigan and on vault and beam at Denver. She is currently tied for 14th on vault and is 12th on bars.

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 score of 9.825. Skinner hit a season high on vault, notching a 9.80, against Utah on Jan. 22. Skinner hit a season-high 9.85 on vault and 9.675 on beam at the Metroplex Challenge on Jan. 29. She tied her career high score on vault with a 9.90 at Missouri. She tacked on a 9.825 on bars against the Tigers and tabbed a season-high 9.775 on beam against Oklahoma. She posted a season-high 9.875 on bars at Michigan on Feb. 13.

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. 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 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. She notched a pair of 9.85s on vault at Missouri and against Oklahoma. Schleppenbach tied her career-high 9.875 on vault at Denver and ranks 17th on the event nationally.

Wong is also a Level 10 product from Red River Valley Gymnastics in Grand Forks, N.D. She 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 notched a 9.80 on bars against Utah on Jan. 22 and came in third on beam after scoring a 9.80. She came in second on bars at Missouri, hitting a career-best 9.85. Wong tied her career-high mark of 9.70 on floor against the Tigers as well.