Huskers To Host Terrapins In Top-20 Big Ten Dual

No. 14 Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-2, 2-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 19 Maryland Terrapins (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. CT -- Lincoln, Neb. (Bob Devaney Sports Center)
Live Scores: Huskers.com
Stream: BTN+

Lincoln, Neb. -- The No. 14 Nebraska women's gymnastics team returns to the Bob Devaney Sports Center for another top-20 Big Ten Conference dual with the No. 19 Maryland Terrapins. The meet will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on BTN+. The Huskers are hosting their Stick It To Cancer Night.

Nebraska is coming off of its second highest team score of the season from a dual meet with Michigan on Jan. 30. The Huskers posted a score of 196.975, which helped them jump three spots in the Road To Nationals rankings from No. 17 to No. 14. NU won three event titles against Michigan, as freshman Kathryn Thaler won the balance beam title, senior Sierra Hassel won the floor exercise title and fellow senior Taylor Houchin won a share of the vault title.

NU enters this meet ranked No. 14 in the Road To Nationals poll, as well as No. 6 on vault, No. 7 on floor exercise, No. 21 on balance beam and No. 24 on uneven bars. Nebraska is the third-highest ranked Big Ten program behind No. 6 Minnesota and No. 8 Michigan. The Huskers enter the meet with a 3-2 record and 2-1 against Big Ten Conference opponents.

Maryland comes to Lincoln as the No. 19 ranked program in the country and holds a 5-1 record with a 2-1 conference record. The Terrapins are coming off a 195.475-193.950 victory at home against Illinois on Feb. 2. 

Houchin ranks No. 3 in the country on vault with an average score of 9.910 and a season-high of 9.975 on the event. She is also ranked No. 20 in the nation on uneven bars with an average score of 9.870 and a high of 9.90. Hassel also ranks in the top 25 on two events, as she is ranked No. 9 on floor exercise with an average score of 9.910 and No. 23 on balance beam with an average of 9.870.

Fans are encouraged to come early as the first 500 fans through the doors will receive a Husker baseball hat.

Season tickets for 2020 are still available. General admission season tickets are $26 for adult general admission and $14 dollars for youth and senior general admission. Single event tickets are $5 for adult general admission, and $3 for youth and senior general admission. Children six and under may attend the meet for free, as well as NU students with N-card. Tickets include access to both men's and women's gymnastics meets.

Following Nebraska's matchup with Maryland the Huskers will head to Minneapolis, Minn. for another Big Ten Conference dual against Minnesota. The meet will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on BTN.

NOTES:

SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland travels to Lincoln to take on the Huskers with a 5-1 record and a 2-1 Big Ten Conference record. Nebraska currently holds a 14-1 all-time record over the Terrapins, who enter the meet as the No. 19 ranked program in the country. Maryland holds conference wins over Ohio State and Illinois so far this season. They are led by 11th year head coach Brett Nelligan. 

NU RANKED NO. 14 IN THE NATION
Nebraska is currently ranked No. 14 in the Road To Nationals poll, as well as No. 7 on both vault and floor exercise. NU's No. 14 ranking and 196.056 average team score is third in the Big Ten Conference, behind No. 6 Minnesota and No. 8 Michigan.

HUSKERS RANKED IN THE TOP-25 ON ALL EVENTS
Nebraska is ranked No. 6 on vault, No. 7 on floor exercise, No. 21 on balance beam and No. 24 on uneven bars. The Huskers hold averages of 49.175 on vault, 49.290 on floor, 48.870 on beam and 48.905 on bars.

HOUCHIN & HASSEL RANKED ON INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
Senior Taylor Houchin ranks No. 3 individually with an average score of 9.910 and No. 20 on uneven bars with an average score of 9.870. Senior Sierra Hassel is ranked No. 9 in the country on floor with an average score of 9.910 and No. 23 on balance beam with an average score of 9.870. 

HUSKERS PICKED THIRD IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
Nebraska was selected third in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll ahead of the 2020 season. In 2019, NU finished third in the Big Ten regular season standings behind Michigan and Minnesota, who place above NU in the preseason poll. Ohio State and Iowa round out the top five. 

STRONG SCHEDULE IN 2020
NU will face seven teams ranked in the national preseason coaches' poll top 25 in 2020, including meets with No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Denver, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 16 Missouri, No. 23 BYU, No. 24 Ohio State and No. 25 Penn State.

HOUCHIN, DE JESUS NAMED GYMNASTS TO WATCH
The conference announced that senior Taylor Houchin and sophomore Adnerys De Jesus were selected as Big Ten Women's Gymnasts to watch for the 2020 season. Houchin was named a NACGC/W regular reason second-team All-American on uneven bars and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2019. De Jesus was named a second-team All-Big Ten pick after an impressive freshman season in 2019. 

UP NEXT
Following Nebraska's matchup with Maryland the Huskers will head to Minneapolis, Minn. for another Big Ten Conference dual against Minnesota. The meet will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on BTN.

STRONG SENIOR CLASS LEADS HUSKERS
The Huskers welcome back two standout seniors, All-American and WCGA Academic All-American Taylor Houchin and First-Team All-Big Ten and WCGA Academic All-American Sierra Hassel. Houchin concluded the 2019 campaign with solo competition at the NCAA Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas after tying her career high on vault with a 9.975 at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional. Hassel is coming off a career high year as well where she posted career highs on balance beam and floor exercise with scores of 9.975 and 9.925, respectively. NU will rely heavily on their two veteran seniors throughout the 2020 season.

HUSKERS INTRODUCE TRIO OF 2020 SIGNEES
Head Coach Heather Brink announced the signing of three future Husker gymnasts to the 2020 women's gymnastics signing class. Caroline Williams (Roswell, GA), Chloe Lorange (Laval, Quebec) and Kinsey Davis (Cornelius, NC) have signed their letters of intent and will join the roster for Nebraska women's gymnastics' 2021 season.

CORNHUSKERS GROW ACROSS UNITED STATES AND BEYOND
Nebraska features gymnasts from 10 states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey and Texas. The Huskers also welcome their first international gymnast since 2011, Clara Colombo of Italy. Colombo will become the first Italian-born gymnast to compete in NCAA competition.

NEBRASKA BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVE NEW GYMNASTICS TRAINING FACILITY
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a proposal to build a new gymnastics training facility. The current plan calls for construction of the facility that will be used by Nebraska's men's and women's programs as an addition to the northwest side of the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The facility will include training stations, coaches' offices and locker rooms for both teams. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 28, 2018 with the project projected to be completed in February of 2020.