%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Career Honors & Awards
- NCAA Team Finals Competitor (2024: Still Rings, Parallel Bars; 2023: Vault, Parallel Bars; 2021: Rings, at Iowa)
- NCAA Team Qualifier Competitor (2025: Still Rings; 2024: Still Rings, Parallel Bars; 2023: Vault, Parallel Bars; 2021: Rings, at Iowa)
- Individual Titles (Still Rings: 2/15/25)
National Awards
- 2018 Junior Olympic National Championships: Rings (1st Place); All-Around (1st Place)
Academic Awards
- CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2024)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2024, 2025)
- Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar (2024)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2022, 2023, 2024; Spring 2023, 2024)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2024, 2025)
Career & Season Highs
| FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | AA | |
| Career Highs | -- | 13.80 | 13.85 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025* | -- | 13.80 | 13.85 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career Best (2021-2024)** | 13.85 | 13.80 | 13.90 | 14.20 | 13.80 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | -- | 13.80 | 13.70 | -- | 13.70 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | 13.85 | 13.45 | 13.90 | 14.20 | 13.80 | -- | -- |
*Indicates new NCAA Gymnastics scoring code
**Indicates previous NCAA Gymnastics scoring code
2025 (Graduate Student)
In his final year as a Husker, James Friedman earned his first event title on rings at the dual against Greenville. The graduate student put up a career-high of 13.85. He also competed on pommel horse, placing third at 13.80 for another career high. The graduate was a mainstay in the lineup, competing on still rings at every regular-season meet. He concluded his collegiate career at the NCAA qualifiers with a 13.133 on rings.
Academically, Friedman was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship team for the second time and the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll every semester during his tenure at Nebraska.
2024 (Senior)
Friedman was a mainstay in the Husker lineup both during the regular season and postseason competition. He set his career-best on pommel horse in the first meet of the season, scoring a 13.80 in the Rocky Mountain Open.
Friedman was also active in the community and excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors, as well as being named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
2023 (Junior)
Friedman made an instant impact in his first season with the Huskers. He competed in both the NCAA Qualifiers and the NCAA Championships, earning scores of 14.00 on the vault in each meet. Friedman also earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for his dedication in the classroom.
Before Nebraska
Friedman competed for the University of Iowa GymACT program in 2022 under Head Coach Peyton Hobson. Friedman was a competitor for the Hawkeyes at the NCAA Championship Qualifiers where he earned his then career-best score of 13.700 on the rings. Friedman also qualified as an individual to compete in the 2021 NCAA Finals on rings finishing with a 13.46. At the 2018 Junior Olympic National Championships, Friedman took home the title on still rings and in the all-around competition.
Personal
Friedman is originally from Salem, Oregon and is studying accountancy.