Huskers Add NCAA Champion to Women's Gym Staff

Head Coach Nicole Jones added NCAA Champion and Lincoln native Jordan (Bowers) Gamboa to her first Nebraska's women's gymnastics coaching staff on Thursday, May 7.

Gamboa, who was born and raised in Lincoln and attended Southwest High School, competed as Jordan Bowers throughout her collegiate career at Oklahoma. She was the 2025 NCAA All-Around Champion, helping the Sooners to three NCAA team titles during her stay in Norman. She won the 2025 Honda Sports Award for Women's Gymnastics and was one of six finalists for the AAI Award. She was also the 2025 SEC Gymnast of the Year. She married former Oklahoma All-America men's gymnast and 2022 NCAA All-Around bronze medalist Raydel Gamboa in June 2025, following the completion of her OU career.

A three-time NCAA runner-up on floor exercise, she added a pair of NCAA bronze medals on uneven bars in her outstanding collegiate career under Coach K.J. Kindler at Oklahoma. Gamboa was a 28-time All-American, an eight-time NCAA Regional champion and a seven-time Big 12 Conference individual champion.

"Jordan is a go-getter who elevates everyone around her," Jones said. "Her athletic accolades speak for themselves, but what truly sets her apart is the standard she's lived and the mindset she brings every single day. She understands what it takes to win, and more importantly, how to sustain it." I believe she will be an incredible bridge for our student-athletes - someone they can relate to, learn from, and grow alongside - while also serving as a powerful connection point for recruits who want to come to Lincoln and be part of what we are building. It's incredibly special to bring her back home."

A two-time Big 12 All-Around champion for the Sooners in 2023 and 2024, Gamboa added a Big 12 floor exercise title as a sophomore in 2023 to help OU to the Big 12 team title. As a junior in 2024, she earned three perfect 10.0 scores on her way to an incredible all-around score of 39.925 to claim her second straight individual title. She helped the Sooners post a 198.950 team score on their way to a third consecutive Big 12 championship. Her performance in 2024 earned her Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Year honors.

"Husker Nation, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to be a part of this incredible staff and University," Gamboa said. "Being born and raised in Lincoln, my roots run deep, and I am eager to give back to this program and its potential. Nebraska has consistently produced elite gymnasts, and we want to create a culture that keeps them coming back and give these athletes space to thrive in their sport and every aspect of their lives! I am excited for what's to come! GBR!"

In her college career, Gamboa posted 12 perfect 10.0 scores, including five on floor exercise, four on uneven bars and three on vault. She notched three perfect tens at the 2025 Washington Regional Final after producing a trio of tens at the 2024 Big 12 Championships.

Gamboa represented the United States at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, claiming an individual all-around title to help the U.S. team to gold. She added gold medals on floor exercise and the uneven bars, while contributing a bronze on balance beam.

She also won all-around gold to help the United States to team gold at the 2018 Pacific Rim Championships, where she added a gold on floor and a bronze on uneven bars.

Gamboa, who earned her bachelor's degree from Oklahoma in May 2026, served as a student coach with the Sooner women’s gymnastics program this past season, while also working as a strength and conditioning intern for several OU sports, including football, baseball, softball, men's and women's track, volleyball, women's golf and women's tennis. 

She previously gained experience as a club coach at Triniti Gymnastics in Lincoln in 2020-21, while also working as a camp coach and clinician at Champions Gymnastics Camp.