Honors & Awards
- First-Team All-Big Ten (2022)
- CGA Regular-Season All-American
- 2022
- Floor
- High Bar
- 2022
- Big Ten High Bar Bronze Medalist (2021)
- Second-Team All-Big Ten (2021)
- NCAA Team Finals Competitor
- 2021 (Floor, High Bar)
- 2022 (Floor, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, High Bar)
- NCAA Team Qualifier Competitor
- 2021 (Floor, High Bar)
- 2022 (Floor, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, High Bar)
- Individual Title
- All-Around
- 3/10/24
- 3/3/24
- 2/3/24
- 3/12/22
- High Bar
- 3/12/22
- 3/5/22
- Parallel Bars
- 2/17/24
- Floor
- 2/5/22
- 1/15/22
- 3/20/21
- All-Around
- Team Captain (2023, 2024)
- Nissen-Emery Award Finalist (2024)
- CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2020, 2021)
- Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2022)
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2021, 2022)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2024)
- Nebraska Gold Academic Medallion (2022)
- Nebraska Silver Academic Medallion (2023)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023; Spring 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Co-Founding Member of Athlete Ally Chapter (UNL)
- SAAC President (2022, 2023)
- Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (2021)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2021, 2022, 2023)
Career & Season Highs
| FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | AA | |
| Career Highs | 14.75 | 13.05 | 13.85 | 14.70 | 14.40 | 14.30 | 82.35 |
| 2024 | 14.75 | 13.05 | 13.85 | 14.30 | 14.40 | 14.30 | 80.65 |
| 2023 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | 14.20 | 12.85 | 13.65 | 14.70 | 14.05 | 14.10 | 82.35 |
| 2021 | 14.40 | 12.50 | 12.05 | -- | 10.90 | 13.80 | -- |
| 2020 | 13.90 | 13.00 | 10.05 | 14.00 | 11.40 | 13.10 | 73.35 |
2023 (Senior)
Despite being sidelined due to an injury, Sam Phillips lead the 2023 team by serving as a captain.
Phillips stayed active in the community and earned a spot on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for the third consecutive year. He also earned a Nebraska Silver Academic Medallion and was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
2022 (Junior)
Phillips competed regularly during the 2022 season, helping the Huskers to a second-place conference finish and fourth-place national finish. Phillips claimed five individual titles, three on high bar, one on floor and one in the all-around competition. Phillips earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors after finishing sixth in the all-around competition at the Big Ten Championships.
Outside of the gym, Phillips earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters. He also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award. Phillips was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship team for his commitment to serving the Lincoln community.
2021 (Sophomore)
Phillips competed in all eight meets during the 2021 season earning one individual title on floor. Phillips claimed the bronze medal on high bar at the Big Ten Championships earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors. Phillips helped the Huskers to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Outside of the gym, Phillips earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and claimed a prestigious Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award. He was also a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
2020 (Freshman)
Phillips competed in all five meets before the season ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Phillips was a leader in the classroom earning CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors and two spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
Before Nebraska
Phillips competed for Gymnastics Olympica USA under Head Coach Arthur Minasyan. Phillips was a four-time state champion, a three-time national team member, a four-time high bar national champion, and a floor, parallel bars and a two-time all-around national champion. Phillips also qualified for the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Championships. He also performed well outside the gym as a National Honor Society member and Honor Roll student.
Personal
The son of Joseph and Nicole Phillips, Samuel was born on Nov. 5, 2001. He has two siblings, Ellis and Connor, as well as a tortoise named Dragon. A hospitality, restaurant and tourism management major, Sam was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2022. He is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He has earned seven spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. A Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award winner in 2021, he is also a two-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
Outside of the gym, Sam enjoys cooking, photography and being outdoors.