Cohen Carries Hartung’s Legacy to NCAA GoldCohen Carries Hartung’s Legacy to NCAA Gold
Men's Gymnastics

Cohen Carries Hartung’s Legacy to NCAA Gold

Written byEllie Fulcher

Champaign, Ill. — Nebraska ended in fourth place with a score of 324.662 at the 2026 NCAA Championships on April 18. Asher Cohen won the rings title with a 14.50, and the late Jim Hartung was the last to win the rings in 1982. Hartung passed away a few weeks before the 2026 season, so the team dedicated the season to him. This is the first national champion from Nebraska since 1999, when Jason Hardabura won all-around and floor.

“I have worked four years for this, and to be able to do it in Jim’s honor this year means everything and more to me,” Cohen said. “I am very proud of the work that I’ve put in, the work our team has put in because I could not have done it without them.”

The Huskers had five All-Americans, awarded to the top eight finishers in each event and the all-around. Nathan York had a fifth-place finish on pommel horse and a fifth-place finish on parallel bars. Chase Mondi had a fifth-place finish on the floor. Luke James grabbed a sixth-place finish on floor. Cohen had a first-place finish on rings. Odden had an eighth-place finish on high bar and a second-place finish in the all-around. Odden had a career-high all-around score of 78.698. 

Stanford won it all with a score of 329.850. Oklahoma came in second, finishing with a 328.495. Michigan ended in third with a 324.857. Illinois finished in fifth with a 322.224. Ohio State ended up in sixth with a 316.093. 

NU started their championship run on the floor. Odden led the way with a stuck landing and a 13.833. York followed with a 13.80. James recorded a 14.033. Mondi anchored for the Huskers with a stuck landing and a 14.066. The Big Red ended with an event score of 55.732, which is the highest team floor score of the season. 

Stanford had the lead with a 56.266. Nebraska was in second place. Oklahoma was in third place with a 55.366. 

Nebraska moved over to pommel horse, where Wyatt Reynolds took his usual lead-off position. He recorded a 12.10 after a small mishap toward the end of his routine. Clinton had a dominant 13.433. Tarca responded with a 13.566. York finished up with a 13.90. NU ended with an event score of 52.999. Odden was competing for all-around and had a 12.733. 

Stanford was on top with a 112.698. Nebraska was third with a 108.731. 

The Huskers made their way to the rings, where Koppie started them off with a career-high 13.60 and a stuck dismount. Rakita followed up with a 13.533. Odden went third for a 12.966 and stuck the dismount. Cohen went for gold and ended the rotation for Nebraska with a 14.50 and a stuck dismount. They finished up with an event score of 54.599, which was the highest of the season.

Halfway through the competition, Stanford was in first with a 167.263. Nebraska was in fourth place with a score of 163.330. Oklahoma was in third with a 163.497. 

The Big Red moved on to vault, and York went first. He notched a 13.40. Roderiques capped his rookie season off with a 13.90. Nitache notched a 14.00. James ended his collegiate career with a 13.80. NU had an event score of 55.10. Odden was competing for the all-around and hit a 12.266. 

After the fourth rotation, Stanford was ahead with a score of 222.628. Nebraska was in second place with a 218.430. 

The Huskers headed to the parallel bars for the fifth rotation. Clinton started strong with a 13.366. York recorded a 14.233 and a stick to end his time as a Husker. Nitache followed up with a 13.033. Cohen ended his historic college career with a 12.90 and a stick. The Big Red had an event total of 53.799. Odden was competing for all-around and had a 13.20. 

Headed into the final rotation, Stanford was in the lead with a 274.626. Nebraska was second with a 272.229. 

The Nebraska Cornhuskers ended their 2026 season on high bar. Koppie got the team started with a 13.30. Rakita ended his freshman season with a 12.60. Nitache hit a 12.833. Odden concluded Nebraska’s season with a 13.70. NU finished with an event score of 52.433. 

Nebraska finished its season with a fourth-place finish with a total of 324.662. As a team, Nebraska has finished in the top five at the NCAA finals since 2017.