Huskers Open Season at Arizona State

Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-0)
@ Arizona State (0-0) with Bowling Green (0-0)

Friday, January 8, 8 p.m. CT – Wells Fargo Arena (Tempe, Ariz.)

The 11th-ranked Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will kick off its 2016 season Friday as the Cornhuskers take on Arizona State and Bowling Green at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., at 8 p.m. CT.

The meet will be the 51st all-time matchup between the Huskers and the Sun Devils, with ASU holding a 30-20 advantage. NU won the schools’ last meeting in 2014 by a score of 196.65-195.575. This will be the second meeting between Nebraska and Bowling Green. The Huskers defeated the Falcons at the 2011 Masters Classic in Lincoln by a score of 196.50-189.45.

Huskers head coach Dan Kendig is excited about the opportunities and the challenges that the 2016 slate presents.

 “I am most excited about getting a starting point,” said Kendig. “The girls have worked hard throughout the fall and winter break and we are ready to get things started.”         

NU returns six letterwinners from last years’ squad which finished eighth nationally after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Semifinals. All-Americans Hollie Blanske and Ashley Lambert return in 2016, as do senior Madison McConkey and Big Ten Co-Champion Jennie Laeng, a quartet that looks to lead a squad with six new faces.

“The upperclassmen are working hard and the freshmen are right there with them,” Kendig said. “The team has been put in positions to be successful and we are excited to get things started to see where we are and how we can improve.”

Arizona State, ranked 36th in the preseason NACGC/W poll, went 2-11 last season and finished eighth at the Pac-12 Championships with a team score of 192.700. The Sun Devils return six gymnasts from last year’s squad, including Taylor Allex, an NCAA qualifier in the all-around in 2015. ASU is led by second-year head coach Dr. Rene’ Lyst, a 1997 graduate of Penn State.

Bowling Green, which is receiving votes in the preseason NACGC/W poll, enters the 2016 season coming off a strong 2015 campaign. The Falcons went 8-8 a season ago and defeated a pair of Big Ten opponents for their first wins over teams from the conference since 2002. BGSU returns eight gymnasts, led by 2015 MAC co-vault champion, Lauren Feely. Kerrie Turner is in her ninth year leading the Falcons, and is a 1999 graduate of Ursinus.

The Huskers will begin the meet on uneven bars then rotate to balance beam, floor exercise and vault. An internet stream will be available at http://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university and stats will be available at www.thesundevils.com.

Notes to Know

Scouting Arizona State
Arizona State went 2-11 last season and finished eighth at the Pac-12 Championships with a team score of 192.700. The Sun Devils return six gymnasts from last year’s squad, including Taylor Allex, an NCAA qualifier in the all-around in 2015. ASU is led by second-year head coach Dr. Rene’ Lyst, a 1997 graduate of Penn State.

Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green enters the 2016 season coming off a strong 2015 campaign. The Falcons went 8-8 a season ago and defeated a pair of Big Ten opponents for their first wins over teams from the conference since 2002. BGSU returns eight gymnasts, led by 2015 MAC co-vault champion, Lauren Feely. Kerrie Turner is in her ninth year leading the Falcons and is a 1999 graduate of Ursinus.

Huskers Enter Season Ranked No. 11
Nebraska is ranked 11th in the preseason NACGC/W Coaches Poll. The Huskers are scheduled to compete against 12 of the nation’s top 36 teams in 2015, including four against teams ranked in the top 20. Nebraska also has five more meets scheduled against teams receiving votes. The Big Ten is well-represented in the poll, as eight teams from the conference are ranked in the top 36, including five in the top 25.

Nebraska Picked Second in Big Ten Preseason Poll
The Huskers were picked to finish second by the Big Ten coaches in the conference’s preseason poll. Hollie Blanske and Ashley Lambert were named to the 20-member preseason Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List. Blanske is a three-time All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten performer, while Lambert was a second-team All-American and a second-team All-Big Ten performer in 2015.

2015 Television Schedule Announced
The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will make at least four television appearances in 2015. The Huskers are officially set to make three national TV appearances and one local TV appearance. Nebraska will appear on the Big Ten Network at the B1G Five Meet in Columbus, Ohio (March 12), and at the Big Ten Championships at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. (March 19) The Feb. 12 home dual against Minnesota is included in this year’s Tumble ‘n Rumble, as the Husker wrestling team will take on Northwestern simultaneously at the Devaney Center. The event is a part of BTN’s 2016 wrestling coverage. Nebraska’s home dual against Michigan on Jan. 29 will be carried locally on NET Television. The Huskers also will be streamed online in their Jan. 8 triangular meet against Arizona State and Bowling Green on ASU Live Stream.

All-Americans Return in 2016
Senior Hollie Blanske and junior Ashley Lambert were named All-Americans in 2015. Blanske was named to the first-team on floor exercise, while earning second team honors in the all-around. Lambert earned second-team honors in the floor exercise. Blanske also earned second-team NACGC/W All-America honors in the all-around.In addition, Blanske was named a first-team All-American in 2014 on the balance beam.

Seniors Look To Go Out On Top
Nebraska seniors Hollie Blanske and Madison McConkey are looking to provide leadership and experience to a young Husker squad in 2016. Blanske, an all-arounder from Oak Grove, Minn., is a three-time All-American and two-time All-Big Ten performer. McConkey, from Lincoln, Neb., worked hard to provide depth in her first three seasons, but will help the Huskers on bars and floor this season.

Talented Juniors Continue To Shine
Nebraska’s strong juniors will provide a boost to the team in 2016. Ashley Lambert, an all-arounder from Newport News, Va., was a second-team All-American in 2015 on floor as well as a second-team All-Big Ten performer. In 2015, Lambert became the first Husker since 2011 to score a perfect 10 in competition, hitting a 10 on vault against Penn State (1/17/15). One week later, Lambert became the first gymnast in Nebraska history to score perfect 10s in the same event in back-to-back weeks, scoring a 10 at Rutgers (1/24/15). Jennie Laeng is the defending Big Ten co-champion on bars with a 9.95 routine. The all-arounder from West Middlesex, Pa., is one of NU’s top bars performer and will help the Huskers on each event.

Sophomores Prepared To Step Up
Nebraska returns a pair of sophomores that were strong contributors as freshmen in 2015. Grace Williams, an all-arounder from Linden, Mich., captured four individual event titles in 2015 and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice (2/23/15, 3/2/15). Danielle Breen served as a two-event specialist in 2015, but should help the Huskers in every event this season. Breen, from Ames, Iowa, competed in every event on the uneven bars and balance beam a season ago, posting a spot on the podium after tying for third on bars with a 9.85 mark at the NCAA Ames Regional.

Freshmen Await Big Futures
Nebraska will look to six freshmen for strong performances in 2016 and beyond. Kelli Chung, from Torrance, Calif., is in the conversation to contribute on all four events. Her club teammate at Gym-Max in Southern California, Megan Kuo, also joins the Huskers in 2016. Megan Kuo, from Arcadia, Calif., will get a good look from the coaching staff on balance beam this season. Sienna Crouse, from Fargo, N.D., will look to make a big contribution on vault, bars and beam this season. Catelyn Orel, from Blue Springs, Mo., is a strong floor performer and is working hard to provide depth on each event. Megan Schweihofer is healthy after recovering from an injury suffered in club gymnastics last season. Schweihofer, from China, Mich., will be looked upon to provide great routines in each event. Kami Shows, from Winchester, Calif., has a strong work ethic and could provide strong routines on bars and beam in 2016.

Reviewing 2015
Nebraska went 28-9 in 2015, finishing eighth in the team competition at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Three Huskers combined for four All-America Awards at the national meet, as NU made its 23rd overall appearance at the championships. The Huskers combined for 43 individual titles and numerous conference and national awards on the season, helping NU remain one of the nation’s top programs.

Senior Jessie DeZiel capped her career as one of Nebraska’s most decorated gymnasts, grabbing two All-America awards to give her nine total for her career. She was named Nebraska’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Hollie Blanske and Ashley Lambert also captured All-America honors for the Huskers. DeZiel, Blanske, Lambert and Desire’ Stephens each captured All-Big Ten honors, while Jennie Laeng was the Big Ten co-champion on uneven bars. Nebraska continued its strong work in the classroom, as nine Huskers were named academic All-Big Ten and six were named NACGC/W Scholastic All-Americans.

Next Time Out
The Huskers will return to action Saturday, Jan. 16 to take on Big Ten Conference foe Penn State in University Park, Pa. The meet is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT. Penn State is ranked 17th in the NACGC/W Preseason Coaches Poll and was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions return just five gymnasts in 2016, while 10 members of the team are underclassmen. Penn State does not have a senior on its roster, but sophomore Briannah Tsang was named the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Tsang and Kiera Brown were named to the 2016 Big Ten Women’s Gymnasts to Watch List. Brown, a transfer from Georgia, will be a junior this year for the Nittany Lions. At Georgia, Brown was an All-SEC performer. Penn State opens its 2016 campaign Saturday against NC State.