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Champaign, Ill. — Asher Cohen was awarded Specialist of the Year by the College Gymnastics Association on April 16, 2026. It marks the first time a Nebraska gymnast has earned the honor.
Cohen won the rings title at the 2026 Big Ten Championships and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. He has claimed six event titles on rings this season and one on parallel bars. He was named CGA Specialist of the Week three times and Big Ten Specialist of the Week once.
A two-time All-American on rings, Cohen owns a career-high score of 14.70, set against Michigan on March 22, 2026. That score is tied for the highest rings score recorded this season. He has been ranked No. 1 in the nation on rings for four consecutive weeks and has remained in the top five all season.
“I am honored to bring this award back to Nebraska, and this whole season was in Jim’s (Hartung) legacy,” Cohen said. “It feels good to get a little recognition for what I have done this year, and I am very proud of it, and I hope to build on it this weekend.”
This season marks Cohen’s second as a team captain. He has been a consistent presence for the Huskers and a strong leader, while also excelling outside the gym. A standout in the classroom, Cohen is a three-time CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete and a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection. He has earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors twice and is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Cohen is also a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, a multi-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll member and a three-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
“It’s always nice to win national awards, but for somebody that’s worked so hard and endured so much in his time and just has continued to have a smile on his face, it’s great,” head coach Chuck Chmelka said. “I could not be more proud of the man he has become.”
Up next, Cohen and the Huskers will compete in Session I of the NCAA Championship qualifying round on Friday, April 17, at 1 p.m. CT. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+.