Huskers Gain Experience in 2015 Debut

Colorado Springs, Colo.—The No.10 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team fought through early struggles and injuries en route to the team’s score of 420.15, placing third behind No.1 Oklahoma and No.11 Air Force.

Nebraska was paced by a duo of talented freshmen with solid performances in multiple events. Freshman Kyle King led the way for the Big Red throughout the night, hitting four for four routines. In his collegiate gymnastics debut, King put up a big 15.00 on vault, tying with Arizona State’s Ty Loughridge for second place. King also posted the highest floor score for NU, tallying a 14.65. Fellow freshman Alex Magsam earned steady scores in his first meet as a Husker, claiming NU’s top spot on rings with a 14.30.

The Huskers started the meet on pommel horse, where the men battled through tough falls to earn a 68.10. Senior veteran Andrew House paved the way for NU, notching a career-high 14.45 on the event. Sophomore Travis Gollott notched a solid 13.75, while classmate Antonio Castro tallied a 13.50.

Nebraska then moved to the rings for the second rotation of the night. Freshman Alex Magsam earned a career-high 14.30 to lead the team on rings. Fellow freshman Daniel Leal posted a solid 13.90 in his first Husker campaign, while senior Louis Klein added a 13.95 to NU’s 69.40 total. 2014 Big Ten rings medalist and anchor Robbie Kocks was forced to cut his routine short after sustaining a bicep injury.

Nebraska finished out the first half of the competition on a high note on vault. The team tallied a score of 72.75, NU’s highest event score of the night. King led the way with a 15.00 mark, followed by redshirt freshman Connor Adamsick’s solid score of 14.65 and Leal’s 14.55.

NU next moved to parallel bars for the fourth rotation. Junior returning All-American Sam Chamberlain paved the way, earning a score of 14.50 in the event. Sophomore transfer Chris Stephenson delivered in his first event of the night with a 14.350. Leal added a 14.20 to round out the event.

In the fifth rotation Nebraska moved to high bar, where Klein paved the way. The senior posted a solid 14.80 and finished fourth on the event. Sophomore Austin Epperson posted a 14.05, while Stephenson notched a respectable 13.60.

The Huskers finished out the meet on floor, hoping to put up some hit routines in the final event of the night. King earned a score of 14.65 en route to a sixth-place finish. Stephenson was not far behind and added a career-high 14.60 to the tally. Junior Ethan Lottman also earned a career-high 14.55 to bring NU’s total to 70.55.

Nebraska concluded the meet with a team score of 420.150, finishing third behind first-place Oklahoma and Air Force.

NU next travels to Palo Alto, Calif. to battle No.1 Oklahoma and No.8 California hosted by No.4 Stanford. The meet will be held at the Burnham-Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. CT. 

 

Team Score                  Total

1. Oklahoma                441.550

2. Air Force                   427.150

3. Nebraska                 420.150

4. Arizona State            395.100

5. SCU                            364.300