No. 8 Nebraska Hosts No. 9 Minnesota and No. 11 Iowa on Senior Night

    The No. 8 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team returns home for its final home competition of the season when the Huskers play host to No. 9 Minnesota and No. 11 Iowa at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
    In its final regular-season contest of the year, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics program will honor four seniors who will be participating in their final home meets as Huskers. Bear Danley, Cory Baumgarten, Matthew Forrest, and Anthony Ingrelli will all be recognized for their contributions to the program in competition and in the classroom.
    Nebraska’s final home competition will have a distinct Big Ten flavor with the Golden Gophers and Hawkeyes coming to town. NU has already faced both programs this season on the road, and will see them frequently as the Huskers join the Big Ten Conference in 2011-12.
    Last week, the Huskers also competed against a pair of Big Ten powers on the road at Columbus, Ohio, falling to No. 9 Ohio State (350.35) and No. 4 Illinois (346.350) at St. John Arena on March 16. However, the Huskers won a pair of individual titles at Ohio State, including freshman Wyatt Aycock’s first all-around crown.

Scouting Minnesota, Iowa
    Tonight’s competition will feature the second head-to-head meetings between Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa this season. On Jan. 22, the Golden Gophers topped the Huskers, 344.100-333.100, at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. Iowa, which is coached by former Husker JD Reive, also defeated NU in Iowa City one month ago.
    Minnesota, which is led by Coach Mike Burns, ranks fourth nationally on vault (63.433), seventh nationally on floor (58.667), eighth on high bar (57.100), 11th on still rings (57.233) and 12th on pommel horse (55.367).
    Minnesota’s Zack Chase is the defending Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Last week he earned a career high on floor with a 15.10 and on parallel bars with a 14.20. Chase is ranked third in the country on vault with a 16.20.
    DJ Repp leads the Golden Gophers as their top all-arounder. Repp ranks 19th nationally (82.467), and he joins Chase among the top 10 vaulters in the nation at No. 7.
    Iowa comes to Lincoln ranked No. 11 nationally. The Hawkeyes’ strongest event is pommel horse, where senior All-American Mike Jiang and fellow senior Ben Ketelsen have helped Iowa to a No. 8 national ranking. Jiang and Ketelsen  posted season-high scores of 14.90 on horse last week.
    The Hawkeyes are also ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation on still rings, entering the weekend ranked ninth with a 57.467 average. Sophomore all-arounder Anton Gryshayev leads Iowa on the event with a 15.067 average (17th).
    Iowa’s vault team ranks 11th in the country with three gymnasts ranked among the top 20, including Ketelsen, sophomore Matt McGrath and junior Javier Balboa.
    On parallel bars, freshman Lance Alberhasky and sophomore Broderick Shemansky have led the Hawkeyes to a No.11 team ranking this week on this event.  
    The Hawkeye high bar team rank 12th, led by Shemansky’s 14.40 average, while the Iowa floor team ranks 14th in the country led by McGrath’s No. 8 individual ranking (14.417).  

Aycock Captures All-Around Crown at Ohio State
    Freshman Wyatt Aycock won the first all-around title of his career, but No. 7 Nebraska finished third in a talent-filled triangular with No. 4 Illinois and No. 9 Ohio State at St. John Arena on March 12.
     Aycock provided the biggest highlight for the Huskers with his career-high 84.400 to captured the individual all-around crown. Aycock scored a career-high 14.20 on  rings, 15.050 on vault, 14.300 on parallel bars, 13.850 on floor, 13.600 on high bar and 13.400 on horse.
     Andreas Hofer, who won NU’s other event title with a season-high 14.700 on bars, added an 81.050 in the all-around to take second.
     Nebraska opened the competition on rings, where Aycock (14.200) and fellow freshmen Eric Schryver (14.100) and C.J. Schaaf (13.900) all tallied career highs.  The Huskers earned a 56.050 team score on the event. OSU’s 2010 NCAA champion Brandon Wynn won with a 15.500.
     Junior Will Eastman led NU on floor with a 14.550, as the Huskers managed a 55.300 team score. Illinois’ Chad Wiest took the event title.
    On horse NU notched a 50.350 team score led by Aycock’s 13.400, while Schryver added a 12.900. The Fighting Illini’s Daniel Ribeiro won the horse title with a 15.300.
    Hofer led NU on high bar with a 13.950, while Bear Danley and David Jacobs each added 13.900s. Nebraska notched a 55.350 on the event, while OSU’s Kris Done captured the event title with a 15.250.
    Nebraska notched its best event score of the night with a 60.500 on vault. Freshman Andrew House led the Huskers with a 15.300, while fellow freshmen Schaaf (15.150) and Aycock (15.050) also provided strong scores. OSU’s Jeff Treleaven won the vault title with a career-high 16.400.
    The Huskers finished the night out on parallel bars, as Hofer produced a season-high 14.700 to claim the event crown. Aycock (14.300) and Schryver (14.150) also provided solid performances.