Lincoln, Neb.- No. 3 Huskers hosted No. 8 Penn State for their home opener in a head-to-head Big Ten match-up at the Devaney Center, where they took the win over the Nittany Lions 406.800-403.200. NU highlighted the night with four titles including Toby Liang on floor (14.00), Alex Nitache on vault (14.85), Zac Tiderman on high bar (14.45) and Sam Phillips on all-around (80.50).
Floor
The Huskers opened the meet on floor where they scored a 68.350 as a team. Toby Liang led-off the lineup for Nebraska, putting up a score of 14.00, good for the floor title and a career-best for the sophomore. Nathan York followed with a 12.65. Chase Mondi notched a strong 13.90, while Luke James collected a career-best 13.85 for the squad, respectively. Captain Sam Phillips rounded off the event with a third-place finish (13.95).
Pommel Horse
In the second event, NU notched a team score of 64.750 on pommel horse. James Friedman began the rotation with a 12.90. Yanni Chronopoulos posted a career-high (13.80) landing in second overall, while Travis Wong earned a score of 13.55, good for third place. York put up a 12.50 and Cooper Giles scored 12.20. Competing in the all-around, Phillips anchored with a score of 12.50.
Rings
NU collected a combined team score of 67.650 on rings. The event was highlighted by Asher Cohen, securing second place and a career-best (13.90) for the sophomore. Chronopoulos notched a 13.00, while Wong collected a 13.25 for Nebraska. Phillips claimed third place, a career-best (13.80). Hiser capped the rotation with a score of 13.70.
Vault
Nebraska worked collectively to earn a score of 72.850 as a team on vault. Alex Nitache collected his first-career title, earning a 14.85 stick for the freshman. Freshman Mondi snagged second place with a stick and career-best score (14.70). Phillips carried the energy for the Huskers with a season-best 14.30. Captain Zac Tiderman finalized the rotation with an electric third-place finish (14.55).
Parallel Bars
On parallel bars, the Huskers squad collected a 64.100 team-score for the night. Nitache led with a 12.85, while Joey Pepe put up a 12.90 respectively. Liang scored a 12.70 for Nebraska. Cohen picked up a 13.40 for NU. Phillips ended the rotation with a score of 12.25.
High Bar
On the final rotation of the evening, the Big Red cemented a team score of 69.100 on high bar. Tiderman set the tone for the squad with an impressive 14.45, a career-best for the captain. Max Odden showed strength with his score of 13.65. Pepe stuck his routine and recorded a 13.65 career-best. Liang notched another stick, putting up a solid 13.65. Phillips put up a 13.70 to wrap up the competition for the night.
Up Next
The Huskers will return to competition on Saturday, Feb. 10 on the road in a Big Ten match-up against Michigan in Ann Arbor. The meet will commence at 12 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers. Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.