Huskers Set to Compete for National Title

Huskers Compete for National Championship

The No. 9 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team (7-14-1, 2-11-1 Big Ten) travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the 2016 NCAA Championships on April 15-16. Nebraska is one of 12 teams that will compete for the 2016 National Title. All six other Big Ten teams qualified as well, including Ohio State, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State and Michigan. The remaining qualifying teams are Oklahoma, Stanford, California, Air Force and Navy.

The championships begin on Friday, April 15, with two preliminary sessions. Nebraska, along with Oklahoma, California, Minnesota, Penn State and Navy, will compete in the first session, which begins at 1 p.m. (ET). The remaining six teams will compete in the evening session, starting at 7 p.m. (ET). The top three teams from each session will advance to the finals on Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. (ET).  Saturday will also serve as the all-around and individual finals. Fans can follow the action all weekend long, on twitter (@NebraskaMensGym) or view a live stream at NCAA.com.  For live results, tickets and more information regarding the championships, fans are encouraged to visit www.sportsincbus.com.

Last Time Out

Daniel Leal claimed his first Big Ten medal at the Big Ten Championships on April 1-2 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The sophomore placed second on parallel bars and was the only Husker to bring home a medal. Leal posted a personal-best score on parallel bars on Friday night (15.20) to earn a spot in the finals on Saturday night. On Saturday night, the Cali, Colombia native put on a show at the event finals, sticking his landing and shattering his score from the previous night.  Leal earned a new career-best score on the event (15.425).

Four other Huskers competed at the individual event finals. Jordan King qualified for the pommel horse finals after posting a career-best score (14.85) on April 1. At the finals on April 2, King placed 10th with his score of 13.425. Antonio Castro competed in the pommel horse finals and was awarded a 14.975 for his effort, earning Nebraska’s highest pommel horse score of the night and finishing in fourth place overall.      

Ethan Lottman qualified for the pommel horse finals with an impressive score of 15.20 on April 1. On April 2, the Omaha, Neb., earned a score of 14.65, earning eighth place overall.

Anton Stephenson was the only Husker to qualify for multiple events. The freshman earned a spot in the vault and parallel bars finals, after an impressive night on Friday that included a personal-best score on parallel bars (15.30). At the finals on Saturday, Stephenson posted a 14.325 on vault and a 14.55 on parallel bars. The Fishers, Ind., native placed sixth and eighth, respectively.      

As a team, Nebraska finished sixth with a score of 421.450, which included the highest pommel horse score across all teams (72.300).

Huskers In the Rankings      

The Huskers rank in the top 10 in four out of the six events, including a fourth-place ranking on  pommel horse and a fifth-place ranking on floor. Individually, NU has six gymnasts ranked in the top 25. Lottman is the top-ranked Husker. The Omaha, Neb., native is tied for third on pommel horse. The senior is joined in the top 10 by Leal and Stephenson, who rank ninth on parallel bars and tenth in the all-around, respectively. Leal jumped 15 spots after placing second on parallel bars at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. Stephenson is also ranked on floor (17th), parallel bars (13th) and vault (15th). Connor Adamsick ranks 24th on floor. Castro comes in at No. 11 on pommel horse.  King moved up in the rankings after qualifying for the 2016 Big Ten Championships Individual Event Finals on pommel horse. The freshman from Houston, Texas, ranks 22nd in the pommel horse rankings. 

Breaking Down the Championships

The Oklahoma Sooners hold the No. 1 spot as the defending national champions. Stanford comes in second, followed by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 California and No. 5 Minnesota. The remaining Big Ten teams occupy spots in the Top 11, including No. 6 Illinois, No. 7 Iowa, No. 8 Penn State and No. 11 Michigan. Air Force is ranked tenth. No. 13 Navy is the final team competing at the NCAA Championships.  The Midshipmen earned an automatic bid, after placing first at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships to beat out No. 12 Army for a spot at the NCAA Championships.

As the final meet of the season, placement at the NCAA Championships will determine the final national ranking of each team. The Huskers look for a top-eight finish to match or better their highest finish since 1999, when the team took third at nationals. In 2014, NU finished eighth with a score of 426.350, its best finish in 15 years.