The University of Nebraska women's gymnastics team concluded 2021 competition by sending six gymnasts to the NCAA Athens Regional. Senior Anika Dujakovich, juniors Kynsee Roby and Kaitlyn Higgins, sophomores Kylie Piringer and Kathryn Thaler, and freshman Kinsey Davis combined to qualify for seven events.
The team finished competition at the Big Ten Championships, finishing in ninth with a score of 195.175.
Six Huskers Claim WCGA Scholastic All-American Honors
Six Huskers were honored as Scholastic All-Americans for their accomplishments during the 2020-21 season by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association.
Sophomore Kylie Piringer was joined by freshmen Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Chloe Lorange, Caroline Williams and former Husker Megan Verceles Carr as 2021 WCGA Scholastic All-Americans. It marked the second award for Piringer, while Comin, Davis, Lorange and Williams all earned their first WCGA scholastic honors in their first seasons as Huskers. Verceles Carr, who did not compete for Nebraska in 2021, also claimed her second WCGA award.
In order to make the list of WCGA Scholastic All-Americans, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average.
Husker Gymnasts Compete at NCAA Athens Regional
Nebraska's six NCAA Tournament individual qualifiers competed during the second session of the Athens Regional on Friday, April 2.
Senior Anika Dujakovich capped off her season with a score of 9.85 on vault in the second rotation. The 2021 Second Team All-Big Team selection finished sixth individually on vault with her score. Dujakovich's performance solidifies a season without a fall on vault and marked her fifth score of 9.85 or higher on the event.
Junior Kynsee Roby competed on two apparatuses at the Athens Regional, recording scores of 9.85 on balance beam and 9.80 on uneven bars. Roby finished eighth individually on beam. The First Team All-Big Ten honoree finishes the season with 11 overall scores of 9.85 or higher.
Freshman Kinsey Davis performed on uneven bars for NU and recorded a score of 9.875. Davis finishes her freshman campaign with ninth score of 9.80 or higher on the event, which was highlighted by a 9.95 at the Big Five meet earlier this season. She finished seventh on bars individually.
Junior Kaitlyn Higgins competed on balance beam during the third rotation of the second session. She recorded a score of 9.775, marking her 10th-straight hit routine on the event. Sophomore Kylie Piringer opened NU's evening on floor routine, with a score of 9.75. Fellow sophomore Kathryn Thaler was given a score of 8.975 on balance beam due to a fall.
Six Huskers Qualify for NCAA Regionals
The NCAA announced on Monday, March 22 that six Husker gymnasts have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska's representatives will travel to Athens, Ga. to take part in Round 2 on April 2. Anika Dujakovich, Kynsee Roby, Kaitlyn Higgins, Kinsey Davis, Kathryn Thaler and Kylie Piringer will represent NU during the tournament.
Senior Anika Dujakovich qualified for the NCAA Tournament on vault, where she ranks 24th in the nation. She holds a national qualifying score of 9.913 and a season-high of 9.95. Throughout the 2021 season, Dujakovich has amassed five event titles and finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships on vault with a 9.90, earning All-Big Ten Championships Team honors. For her efforts throughout the season, she earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors.
Junior Kynsee Roby will take part in the NCAA Tournament on two apparatuses, uneven bars and balance beam. Roby had a breakout season in 2021, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. She holds an NQS of 9.919 on balance beam, which ranks her 21st in the nation and holds a season high of 9.925 on uneven bars. Her season highlight came on Feb. 7 against Rutgers, when she posted a career-high of 9.95 on balance beam.
Junior Kaitlyn Higgins will represent NU at the NCAA Tournament on balance beam. The Walworth, Wis. native was a consistent performer on beam this season, recording an NQS of 9.881 with a season high of 9.90. She posted an event title on the apparatus at Penn State on Jan. 23.Higgins posted a 9.90 twice this season, including at the Big Ten Championships, which placed her 3rd individually and helped her earn All-Big Ten Championship Team honors.
Freshman Kinsey Davis qualified for the NCAA Tournament on uneven bars following a strong freshman campaign. Davis finished the season with an NQS of 9.881 on the event with a career-high of 9.95. She was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week on March 1 for her efforts at the Big Five meet. Her high of the season is currently tied for the 12th highest score in the nation on bars.
Sophomore Kylie Piringer will compete on floor exercise at the 2021 NCAA Regionals. Piringer was NU's strongest performer on floor, holding an NQS of 9.881 and a season-high of 9.90. She recorded her season-high at the Big Five meet on Feb. 26, and her score of 9.90 placed her second in a field of 30 gymnasts. She recorded scores of 9.80 or higher seven times in 2021.
Kathryn Thaler will cap off her sophomore season as a qualifier for the NCAA Tournament on balance beam. Thaler enters regionals with an NQS of 9.869 on beam and a season-high of 9.90. She recorded her season-high on Feb. 7 against Rutgers, and her performance earned her second place for the event. She has recorded scores of 9.85 or higher four times in 2021.
Six Huskers Receive Academic All-Big Ten Honors
Six Husker gymnasts have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.
The list features seniors Anika Dujakovich and Megan Verceles Carr, junior Kynsee Roby and sophomores Clara Colombo, Kylie Piringer and Kathryn Thaler. Dujakovich and Roby earn their third Academic All-Big Ten honors, while Verceles Carr picks up her second.
Dujakovich, Verceles Carr and Roby's honors showcase their continued success in the classroom. All three upperclassmen also were named WCGA Scholastic All-Americans in 2020 and have received multiple honors for their academic achievements. Colombo and Piringer also added Academic All-Big Ten honors to accompany their WCGA Scholastic All-American achievement from 2020.
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, as verified by being on the official squad list as of March 1 for winter sports, who have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
The Huskers head to Minneapolis, Minn. to take part in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 20. NU will take the floor for the 12 p.m. session, which will be broadcast on BTN.
Roby, Dujakovich Named to All-Big Ten Teams
Two Husker women's gymnasts were named to All-Big Ten Conference teams, as announced by the conference on Wednesday, March 17. Junior Kynsee Roby was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection, while senior Anika Dujakovich was announced as a Second Team All-Big Ten selection.
Roby collects her first All-Big Ten selection after her most consistent season as a Husker. She finished the regular season No. 5 in the conference and No. 20 on balance beam with a national qualifying score (NQS) of 9.919 and a season high of 9.95. She also is the 12th-highest ranked gymnast in the Big Ten on uneven bars with an NQS of 9.881 and a season high of 9.925. She competed in every meet for Nebraska this season and set career-highs on both balance beam and uneven bars.
The most impressive performance of Roby's season came on Feb. 7, when she posted a score of 9.95 on balance beam, winning the meet event title in the process. She picked up five total event titles in 2021, three on beam and two on bars. Prior to the start of the season, she was named a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch.
Dujakovich also picks up her first All-Big Ten honor following a strong senior campaign. She broke or tied career-highs on vault and floor exercise, and consistently provided the Huskers with impressive scores. She recorded a score of 9.80 or higher on seven of nine vaults performed on the season, including three scores of 9.90 or higher and a tied career-high of 9.95.
She ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten and No. 34 in the nation on vault with an NQS of 9.894 and a season high of 9.95. She also ranks 25th-highest ranked athlete in the conference on floor with an NQS of 9.85. She picked up five event titles throughout the 2021 season, including two on Jan. 30 at the Michigan State Tri-Meet. She capped off her stellar season with an event title on vault and a tied career-high on floor exercise in her final meet at the Devaney Center on March 14.
Roby, Dujakovich and the Huskers are currently preparing for the Big Ten Championships, which take place this Saturday, March 20. The event is being held in Minneapolis, Minn. and will be broadcast on BTN.
FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
JerQuavia Henderson, IOWA
Clair Kaji, IOWA
Adeline Kenlin, IOWA
Audrey Barber, MD
Sierra Brooks, MICH
Abby Heiskell, MICH
Gabby Wilson, MICH
Natalie Wojcik, MICH
Mya Hooten, MINN
Ona Loper, MINN
Lexy Ramler, MINN
KYNSEE ROBY, NEB
Cassidy Rushlow, PSU
Belle Huang, RU
Hannah Joyner, RU
SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Nicole Biondi, ILL
Shaylah Scott, ILL
Mia Takekawa, ILL
Mia Townes, ILL
Lauren Guerin, IOWA
Reese McClure, MD
Naomi Morrison, MICH
Mary Korlin-Downs, MINN
Maddie Quarles, MINN
Tiarre Sales, MINN
Hannah Willmarth, MINN
ANIKA DUJAKOVICH, NEB
Jenna Swartzentruber, OSU
Alissa Bonsall, PSU
Ava Verdeflor, PSU
Davis Earns Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week Honors
The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that freshman Kinsey Davis was named Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week. This is Davis' first-career Big Ten weekly honor and NU's first Big Ten honoree of the season.
Davis set a career-high on uneven bars at the Big Five meet on Feb. 26 with an impressive score of 9.95. This score is NU's highest on uneven bars this season, and is tied for the program's highest score on any event in 2021. Davis' score is also tied for the sixth-highest in the nation this season.
Her performance on Friday earned her second place on uneven bars against Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois and Maryland. She tied for the second-highest score out of a field of 30 gymnasts.
Davis entered NU's record book with her performance. With her score of 9.95 on bars, she is tied for the seventh-highest score on the apparatus in Nebraska's history and is also tied for the second-highest score by a Husker freshman.
This is Nebraska's first Big Ten weekly honor since Megan Verceles Carr was named the conference's event specialist of the week on Jan. 28, 2020. Davis also becomes NU's first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Adnerys De Jesus was honored on Feb. 5, 2019.
"Kinsey's performance this weekend was exceptional and fun to watch," Head Coach Heather Brink said. "It's great to see her receive this recognition. She has worked hard to overcome adversity and has shown resilience. I have no doubt she will continue to strive for greatness."
Lexy Ramler of Minnesota was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, while Penn State senior Ava Verdeflor was named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week. Davis was honored alongside Iowa's Adeline Kenlin as Co-Big Ten Freshmen of the Week.
Nebraska heads to Minneapolis, Minn. on Friday, March 5 for a non conference duel against Minnesota.
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