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- Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (18th Year)
- Current Team Record: 8-7 (3-1 Big 12)
- 2011 High Score: 197.30 (vs. Arizona State, 3/6/11)
- 2010 NCAA Finish: 7th (196.175)
The No. 10 Nebraska women's gymnastics team hosts to No. 21 Iowa State in NU's final home meet of the 2011 season this Sunday, March 13 at the Devaney Center beginning at 2 p.m. Nebraska will honor four seniors -- Erin Davis, Brittnee Habbib, Maria Scaffidi and Maddie Steinauer -- with post meet festivities. The Huskers have an all-time record of 90-14-1 against Iowa State. NU last topped ISU, 195.45-194.725, in Ames, Iowa on Jan. 14.
Nebraska is 8-7 on the year after posting a season-high score in a 197.30-192.75 win over Arizona State last Sunday at the Devaney Center. In front of a crowd of 1,352 fans, NU swept all five individual honors and hit a 49.00 or better on all four events.
Nebraska heads to the 2011 Big 12 Championships on March 19 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. Competition for the league crown is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Scouting the Competition: Iowa State
- Head Coach: Jay Ronayne (5th Year)
- 2011 Record: 7-4-2
- 2011 High Score: 196.35 (vs. Iowa, 2/18/11)
- 2010 NCAA Finish: DNQ
A Glance at the Cyclones...
- Last week the Cyclones tied No. 20 Minnesota 195.325-195.325 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State finished out its home season against the Gophers.
- Iowa State is ranked No. 21 in the latest GymInfo Poll. The Cyclones are also No. 14 on bars and floor.
- Junior Michelle Browning has been named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 11 and March 8. She has competed in the all-around for Iowa State in every meet in 2011.
Competition Order vs. Iowa State
Rotation Nebraska Iowa State
1 Vault Uneven Bars
2 Uneven Bars Vault
3 Balance Beam Floor Exercise
4 Floor Exercise Balance Beam
Huskers in the National Ranks
The Nebraska women's gymnastics team is ranked 10th 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 (49.35), 10th on bars (49.14), 22nd on beam (48.655) and are tied for eighth on floor (49.08).
Individually, senior Erin Davis is ranked first on vault, with an RQS of 9.935. Davis posted a perfect 10.0 on the event against Arizona State and has earned six vault crowns on the season. This is the second-straight week she has held the No. 1 spot on vault. Junior Lora Evenstad is tied for 18th on vault (9.875) and is ranked fourth on floor (9.89), while freshman Jamie Schleppenbach is tied for No. 21 in the vault rankings (9.87). Sophomore Janelle Giblin is tied for 22nd on bars (9.86).
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 the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week and freshman Jamie Schleppenbach was awarded Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors, the conference office announced Tuesday. It marked Davis' seventh career Event Specialist of the Week accolades. The senior's five honors this season are the most by a gymnast in a single year since the award began in 2007. Schleppenbach collected her first Newcomer of the Year distinction.
Davis earned the honor after posting a perfect 10.0 on vault to take the event title against Arizona State last Sunday. It marked the second such score of her career, previously receiving it against Minnesota and Illinois in 2010. Until Sunday, she had hit four scores of 9.925 and had posted two 9.95s on vault. Ranked No. 1 on the event nationally, she earned her sixth vault title of the season with the score. The mark helped Nebraska to their fourth-highest team vault total in school history (49.575) and first total score of 197.00 or better since competing at Kentucky in 2007. She was also named Event Specialist of the Week on Jan. 25, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8.
Schleppenbach hit a career-high 9.925 on vault against Arizona State on Sunday, placing third in the event. The Lincoln, Neb., native had previously recorded four 9.875s on vault before receiving her career-high mark on Sunday as NU defeated ASU, 197.30-192.75.
Prior to Davis' and Schleppenbach's 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 Alabama, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Utah and No. 9 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. 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. Giblin matched her career-best score on bars at Michigan and at the Masters Classic and on vault and beam at Denver. She also hit a career-high 9.85 on floor at the Masters Classic. She posted a career-best 9.85 on beam and 39.275 in the all-around against Arizona State, taking first in both events. She is currently tied for 22nd on bars nationally.
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 hit a 9.90 on vault and posted a new career-high 9.925 on bars at Michigan. She tabbed another 9.90 on floor at Denver on Feb. 19, and tallied a 9.90 on vault and a career-high-tying 9.925 on floor at the Masters Classic. Evenstad added a career-best 9.95 on vault against Arizona State. She is currently tied for 18th on vault and is 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, and tied her season-high floor score with a 9.85 at Denver. She tabbed a 9.95 on vault at the Masters Classic, in addition to hitting a 9.85 on floor for the second-straight week and was named the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week on March 1. She posted a perfect 10.0 on vault against Arizona State to take the event title. It marked the second such score of her career, previously receiving it against Minnesota and Illinois in 2010. Davis earned her sixth vault title of the season and was named the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week on March 8. Her five honors this season are the most by a gymnast in a single year since the award began in 2007.
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. She tallied a 9.85 on beam against Arizona State to claim the event title.
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. She tabbed a 9.825 again at Michigan on Feb. 13. Scaffidi posted a 9.875 on bars at the Masters Classic for first on the event. Scaffidi hit a career-high 9.925 on bars against Arizona State for the event title, while also tabbing a season-high 9.875 on floor to tie for first-place.
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. Steinauer tied her season-high vault score (9.875) at Denver. She hit a 9.825 at the Masters Classic, tying her career-high mark for the sixth time.
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. At Iowa State on Jan. 14, she captured the floor title with a score of 9.875. 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 then-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. Evenstad notched a 9.90 on floor to tie her season high at Missouri on Feb. 4. She 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 and tabbed a 9.90 on vault and a career-high-tying 9.925 on floor at the Masters Classic. Evenstad hit a career-high 9.95 on vault against Arizona State. She also tied for first on floor with a mark of 9.875. She is currently tied for 18th on vault and is ranked fourth on floor nationally.
Kassandra Nathe has been sidelined with an injury so far in 2011. 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. She returned in her second year with NU as a talented and indispensable gymnast.
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. 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. Giblin matched her career-best score on bars at Michigan and at the Masters Classic and on vault and beam at Denver. She also hit a career-high 9.85 on floor at the Masters Classic. She posted a career-best 9.85 on beam and 39.275 in the all-around against Arizona State, taking first in both events. She is currently tied for 22nd on bars nationally.
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. Skinner tabbed a season-high 9.875 on bars at Michigan on Feb. 13. She notched a season-best 9.80 on beam against Arizona State
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 again at the Masters Classic. She posted a career-high 9.925 on vault against Arizona State, after previously topping out at 9.875 four times this season. She was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on March 8 and is tied for 21st 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. Wong notched a 9.80 on bars against Utah on Jan. 22 and came in third on beam after scoring a 9.80. She took second on bars at Missouri, hitting a 9.85. Wong notched two career-highs on bars (9.875) and floor (9.825) at the Masters Classic. She matched her career-high on floor (9.875) and beam (9.875) against Arizona State on March 6.