Huskers Ready for Raleigh Regional

No. 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers (21-7 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten) at NCAA Raleigh Regional 
Saturday, April 7, 3 p.m. CT -- Raleigh, N.C., Reynolds Coliseum
TV: ACC Network Extra
Live Scoring: GoPack.com
Host Regional Central 

LINCOLN, Neb. – No. 11 Nebraska Women’s Gymnastics will travel to Raleigh, N.C. to compete in the NCAA Raleigh Regional, hosted by NC State, on Saturday April 7 at 3 p.m. CT.

Raleigh Regional 
Nebraska, with a Regional Qualifying Score of 196.815 will compete against No. 2 LSU, (RQS 197.890), No. 14 Oregon State (RQS 196.780), No. 19 George Washington (RQS 196.460), host No. 20 NC State (196.440), and Big Ten foe Maryland (195.930).  The NCAA regional competition consists of 36 teams determined based on their Regional Qualifying Score and seeded by the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Committee. Included in the field are also 24 all-around competitors and 48 individual event specialists that are not on a qualifying team. The top two teams at the Raleigh Regional will advance to the NCAA National Semifinals.

The Raleigh Regional is the only regional to have five teams ranked in the top 20, respectively. Nebraska has qualified for an NCAA regional every year since 1984, and has advanced to the National Championship Semifinals 27 times, out of 32 times in the NCAA (AIAW history not included). Head Coach Dan Kendig has taken the Huskers to a regional every year in his 25 years, and qualified to the National Championship Semifinals 20 times. 

A total of eight individual event specialists and two all-arounders, will also be competing at the Raleigh Regional. Morgan Lane (North Carolina), Katie Waldman (William & Mary), Mary Elle Arduino (Towson), Taylor White (William & Mary) will compete as all-around competitors, while Khazia Hislop (North Carolina) and Madison Nettles (North Carolina) will compete on vault and Tyra McKellar (Towson) and Kaitlynn Hedelund (North Carolina) will compete on uneven bars. Waldman will rotate with Nebraska on Saturday, beginning on beam. 

Last Routine for Nebraska 
Nebraska is coming off a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships with a score of 196.950, its best score away from home this season. The Huskers finished the season with an RQS of 196.815, ranked 11th. The Big Red claimed four of the five individual titles at the Big Ten Championships, including Megan Schweihofer's outright all-around title. Nebraska put together its best bars meet of the season, with a score of 49.375 at the Big Ten Championships. 

Scouting the Regional Field
No. 2 LSU Tigers 
LSU enters the Raleigh Regional ranked No. 2, with an RQS of 197.890. The Tigers are led by head coach D-D Breaux, and average 197.587 and have posted a high score of 198.175. All-time against LSU, the series is tied 13-13-2. Nebraska last met LSU in 2017 where the Huskers fell to the Tigers 198.275 - 197.2125 at the NCAA Lincoln Regional. The Tigers have recorded four perfect 10s this season, one each on bars and beam respectively, and two coming on floor. Sarah Finnegan, a junior from Lee's Summit, Mo. and the SEC Gymnast of the Year, has earned three of those four 10s, one each on bars, beam and floor. The Tigers have scored over 197 in every meet this season, and have scored 198 or better four times. Most recently, LSU won the SEC Championships with a score of 197.400.

No. 14 Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State enters the Raleigh Regional ranked No. 14, with an RQS of 196.780. The Beavers are led by head coach Tanya Chaplin and have averaged a 196.580 this season and have scored a high of 197.300. Much like the Huskers, Oregon State has scored over 197 once. Vault is OSU's weakest event, only scoring a 9.90 or better once in the event. Floor is a strength for the Beavers, who have posted a team score of 49.575 this season. McKenna Singley, a junior from Bountiful, Utah, leads the Beavers in the all-around and has posted a season-high 39.400 twice this season. Oregon State is coming off of a fifth-place finish in the stacked Pac-12 Championships, where it scored a 196.575. All-time against Oregon State, Nebraska leads 16-12. The Huskers last met the Beavers in 2015 when Nebraska defeated OSU 196.675 - 195.875. 

No. 19 George Washington Colonials
George Washington enters the Raleigh Regional with an RQS of 196.460, ranked No. 19, its highest post-season rank in history. The Colonials are led by head coach Margie Foster-Cunningham, and average 195.921, with a season-high team score of 196.875. GW has hit a 196 or better six times this season, and is coming off a third-place finish at the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championships, where No. 20 NC State won the championships, and George Washington hit a 195.875 in the meet. The Colonials have hit a 9.90 or better in every event this season, and Camille Drouin-Allaire leads the all-arounders. Drouin-Allaire, a senior from Shoreham, N.Y., has posted a 39.600 twice this season. She shared the EAGL vault title with a score of 9.90. In the all-time series against George Washington, Nebraska leads 3-0, last meeting the Colonials in 2007 and winning 196.975 - 191.175. 

No. 20 North Carolina State Wolfpack
Host North Carolina State enters the Raleigh Regional ranked No. 20 with an RQS of 196.440. The Wolfpack is led by head coach Kim Landrus, who just coached the Pack to an EAGL Championship title on March 24. NC State posted a score of 196.625 to win the crown. Chelsea Knight, a senior from Waldorf, Md., won the EAGL all-around title with a score of 39.425. Knight has posted scores over 39.500 three times this season in the all-around. The Wolfpack have posted scores over 9.90 on every event, and are strongest on floor, where they have posted a season-high 49.450 as a team. In the all-time series against North Carolina State, Nebraska leads 10-2, and last met in 2016 where the Wolfpack defeated the Huskers by one tenth, 195.450 - 195.350. 

Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is the 31st seed in NCAA regionals, with an RQS of 195.930. The Terrapins are coached by Brett Nelligan, the Big Ten Coach of the Year, and average 195.411. The Terrapins have posted a season-high 196.575 and are coming off an eighth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships where they scored a 195.250. Audrey Barber, a freshman from Woodbridge, Va., has posted an all-around score of 39.475 twice this season and owns the team's best scores on vault (9.90) and bars (9.925). All-time against the Terrapins, Nebraska leads 11-1, last meeting last month at the Big Ten Championships, where Nebraska defeated Maryland 196.950 - 195.250. 

Huskers Finish Second at Big Ten Championships
Nebraska women’s gymnastics finished in second place at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill., earning a final team score of 196.950, its best score away-from-home this season. Michigan won the Big Ten Championship with a score of 197.200.

Through Session I, Nebraska was the team to beat in Session II, where six teams battled to top the Cornhuskers. Michigan won the Big Ten Championships with a score of 197.200, while Nebraska earned the runner-up spot with a score of 196.950. Illinois finished third with a 196.625, and Iowa finished fourth with a score of 196.400. Ohio State finished fifth (196.375), Minnesota finished sixth (196.225), Penn State finished seventh (195.500), Maryland finished eighth (195.250), Rutgers finished ninth (194.400) and Michigan State rounded out the Championships in tenth (194.400).

Huskers Claim Four Individual Big Ten Titles 
Only Michigan could best Nebraska, winning the Big Ten Championship title, but the Huskers claimed or shared four of the five individual titles on the day. Megan Schweihofer won the Big Ten all-around title outright with a career-best score of 39.525. Schweihofer also shared the Big Ten floor title with Briannah Tsang of Penn State with a score of 9.95. Grace Williams shared the Big Ten balance beam title with Bridget Hodan of Illinois and Lauren Marinez of Michigan with a score of 9.90. Taylor Houchin shared the Big Ten vault title with Jamie Stone of Ohio State with a score of 9.90. The last time the Huskers won at least four individual conference titles was also in 2013, when Nebraska swept all the individual conference champion titles. Nebraska did not win any individual titles in 2017.

Schweihofer Claims Big Ten All-Around Crown
Megan Schweihofer claimed the 2018 Big Ten All-Around Crown at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill., on March 24. Schweihofer hit a career-high 39.525 in the all-around, tying her season-high on bars with a 9.825 and her career-high on floor with a 9.95. She added a 9.85 on beam and a 9.825 on vault to reach her best all-around score of 39.525. Schweihofer’s all-around Big Ten Championship title is a first for the Huskers since 2013, when Emily Wong achieved the feat. 

Four Huskers Named to Big Ten All-Championships Team 
Four Nebraska gymnasts were named to the Big Ten All-Championships team, the most from any university. Grace Williams, Sienna Crouse, Taylor Houchin and Megan Schweihofer add the honor to their decorated Husker careers.

Schweihofer, Crouse Tabbed NACGC/W Regular Season All-Americans
Gymnasts Megan Schweihofer and Sienna Crouse were named NACGC/W Regular Season All-Americans, announced by the NACGC/W on Thursday, March 29. Schweihofer earned first-team honors on floor, while Crouse earned first-team honors on vault, and second-team honors on bars. 

Last Year at NCAA Regionals 
Nebraska hosted the Lincoln Regional in 2017 and finished in second at the regional to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. Nebraska finished in second with a score of 196.625 behind regional champion LSU with a score of 197.450. Boise State finished third with a 196.150, while Minnesota (195.575), Arizona (195.500), and Iowa State (195.250) rounded out the field. Nebraska held a slim lead of just 0.125 ahead of Boise State going into the final rotation, where the Huskers were able to overcome a fall on beam and Danielle Breen's score of 9.95 propelled the Huskers to clinch the qualifying spot. 

Up Next 
The top two teams from each regional, along with the top two all-around competitors not on an advancing team, will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, to be held April 14-15 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. The top two teams from Columbus; Ohio, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and Raleigh, N.C., will advance to one of the NCAA Semifinals on April 20 at 1 p.m. in St. Louis, Mo., and the top two teams from Salt Lake City, Utah; University Park, Pa.; and Minneapolis will advance to the other NCAA Semifinal on April 20 at 7 p.m. in St. Louis, Mo. NCAA Super Six competition will be determined from the two semifinals and will take place on April 21. 

NCAA Raleigh Regional Rotations 

	Vault	Bye	Bars	Beam	Bye	Floor
Rotation 1	Maryland	GW	NC State	Nebraska	Oregon St.	LSU
Rotation 2	LSU	Maryland	GW	NC State	Nebraska	Oregon St.
Rotation 3	Oregon St.	LSU	Maryland	GW	NC State	Nebraska
Rotation 4	Nebraska	Oregon St.	LSU	Maryland	GW	NC State
Rotation 5	NC State	Nebraska	Oregon St.	LSU	Maryland	GW
Rotation 6	GW	NC State	Nebraska	Oregon St.	LSU	Maryland