Huskers Take First at Masters Classic

Lincoln - The 15th-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastics team finished first out of four teams at the 27th-annual Masters Classic on Saturday, scoring a season-high 197.175 to defeat No. 19 California, No. 24 Utah State and Southeast Missouri in front of 2,232 fans on Senior Night at the Devaney Center.

The Cornhuskers (13-3, 4-1 Big Ten) used a balanced performance to post the third-highest score in the history of the event. California finished second with a score of 196.400, just ahead of Utah State's 196.200. Southeast Missouri rounded out the field with a score of 190.325.

Freshman Taylor Houchin had a career night for the Big Red, scoring a personal-best 39.650 to take the all-around title. Houchin's all-around score broke Nebraska's freshman record, and earned her the second highest score in Masters Classic history. Houchin won the floor title, scoring a career-high 9.95 for a second-straight week, as well as the vault title with a career-high-tying 9.90. She was also crowned the beam winner with California's Sofie Seilnacht, as each scored a 9.925. Ashley Lambert claimed the bars title on her Senior Night, posting a career-high 9.90.

Seniors Lambert and Jennie Laeng displayed a strong performance on their Senior Night, as Lambert scored her career high of 9.90 on bars, and Laeng tied her career-high of 9.925 on floor. 

Rotation One
NU started off the meet on vault, racking up a 49.150. Houchin led the way for the Big Red, posting a 9.90. Lambert and Sienna Crouse followed with a pair of 9.85s. Laeng and Megan Schweihofer each scored a 9.775 to round out the Husker scoring. 

California scored a 49.150 on floor, Utah State opened with a 49.125 on bars and Southeast Missouri posted a 46.675 on beam.

Rotation Two
On bars, the Huskers held onto the lead, scoring a 49.325. Lambert led the way for the Big Red, earning her career high of 9.90. Houchin and Schweihofer followed closely behind, with each posting a 9.875. Crouse and Abbie Epperson added a 9.85 and 9.825, respectively.

The Aggies earned a 49.125 on beam, while the Golden Bears scored a 49.050 on vault and SEMO notched a 48.675 on floor.  At the end of rotation two, Nebraska held the lead with a 98.475. 

Rotation Three
The Huskers moved to beam for the third rotation, totaling up a season-high 49.275. Houchin was NU's top performer, posting a 9.925. Breen and Grace Williams scored a 9.875 and 9.85, respectively. Epperson and Laeng followed closely behind with scores of 9.825 and 9.80.

California notched a 48.925 on bars, while Southeast Missouri earned a 47.700 on vault. Utah State ended rotation three with a score of 49.075 on floor. At the end of the third rotation, Nebraska led with a 147.740. 

Rotation Four
The Huskers closed out the meet with a strong performance on floor, posting a 49.425. Houchin again led the Huskers, posting a career-high-tying 9.95. Laeng closed her Senior Night with a career-high 9.925, while Lambert added a 9.875 and Crouse notched a 9.85. Williams closed out the Husker scoring with a 9.825. 

The Bears ended with a 49.275 on beam, while USU posted a 48.875 on vault and the Redhawks finished with a 47.275 on bars. 

Up Next
The Huskers will return to action in two weeks, as they travel to Champaign, Ill., to compete against Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State and Ohio State at the B1G Five Meet. The meet is set to begin at 2 p.m. (CT) on March 11, and it will be televised live on BTN and streamed on BTN2Go.com. The meet serves as a qualifier to the Big Ten Championships on March 18, as the top three team finishers at each B1G Five Meet (at Illinois and at Iowa) will qualify for the evening session of the Championships, while the bottom two finishers from each will be seeded into the morning session.

Notes

• Nebraska's score of 197.175 was a season high and the third-highest score in Masters Classic history
• Nebraska's score of 49.275 on beam was a season high and tied for the fourth-highest beam score in Masters Classic history
• Nebraska's score of 49.425 is tied for the second-highest floor score in Masters Classic history
• Sienna Crouse set a new career high on vault with a 9.85
• Abbie Epperson matched season highs with a 9.825 on bars and a 9.825 on beam
• Taylor Houchin set new career highs with scores of 9.925 on beam, 9.875 on bars and 39.650 in the all-around
• Houchin tied career highs with scores of 9.95 on floor and 9.90 on vault
• Houchin's 39.650 in the all-around set a new Nebraska freshman record and was the second-highest all-around score in Masters Classic history
• Her all-around score was Nebraska's season high, and the highest all-around score for Nebraska since Emily Wong scored a 39.650 on March 1, 2014
• Houchin's 9.95 on floor tied a Nebraska freshman record and is tied for the second-highest floor score in Masters Classic history
• Jennie Laeng tied her career high with a 9.925 on floor
• Laeng's floor score is tied for the eighth-highest floor score in Masters Classic history
• Ashley Lambert set a career high with a 9.90 on bars

Name	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	All-Around
Danielle Breen	--	--	9.875	9.10	--
Sienna Crouse	9.85	9.85	--	9.85	--
Abbie Epperson	9.70	9.825	9.825	--	--
Taylor Houchin	9.90	9.875	9.925	9.95	39.650
Jennie Laeng	9.775	9.10	9.80	9.925	38.600
Ashley Lambert	9.85	9.90	--	9.875	--
Megan Schweihofer	9.775	9.875	9.60	--	--
Grace Williams	--	--	9.85	9.825	--
Team	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
Nebraska	49.150	49.325	49.275	49.425	197.175
California	49.050	48.925	49.275	49.150	196.400
Utah State	48.875	49.125	49.125	49.075	196.200
Southeast Missouri	47.700	47.275	46.675	48.675	190.325