Chris Stephenson Photo Gallery
Honors & Awards
- 2018 All-America Honors (Parallel Bars, 14.333)
- 2018 NCAA Team Finals Competitor (Floor, Rings, Parallel Bars)
- 2018 NCAA Team Qualifier Competitor (Floor, Rings, Parallel Bars)
- 2018 Winter Cup Challenge Competitor
- First-Team All-Big Ten (2017)
- NCAA Gymnast of the Week (1/23/17)
- Co-Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (1/23/17)
- Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (3/6/17)
- Nebraska Men's Gymnastics Most Improved Gymnast (2017)
- Winter Cup Finals Participant (2017)
- Big Ten Medal of Honor (2018)
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2016, 2017, 2018)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
- Nebraska Male Student-Athlete of the Year (2018)
- First-Team CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2015, 2016, 2017)
- Second-Team CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2014)
- 2015 NCAA Event Semifinals Competitor (Floor)
- 2015 NCAA Team Qualifier Competitor (Floor, Parallel Bars, High Bar)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017; Spring 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
- Winter Cup Participant (2013)
Career Bests
- Floor Exercise - 15.30 (at NCAA Team Qualifier, April 9, 2015)
- Pommel Horse - 13.15 (vs Iowa/Penn State, March 4, 2017)
- Still Rings - 14.05 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
- Vault - 14.45 (vs. Oklahoma, Jan. 21, 2017)
- Parallel Bars - 14.60 (vs Iowa/Penn State, March 4, 2017)
- High Bar - 14.35 (at Oklahoma, Feb. 6, 2016)
- All-Around - 83.90 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
2018 (Season Outlook)
Chris Stephenson emerged as a leader in the gym last season and is expected to continue that role in his final season at Nebraska. Stephenson returns in 2018 as the Huskers' only true all-around competitor from last season and appeared a team-high 63 times for the Huskers as a junior. Stephenson hit the 14.0 mark on all events except for pommel horse last season and looks to break the 15.0 as a senior. He set career highs on pommel horse, stirll rings, vault, parallel bars and in the all-around as a junior, despite the scoring change prior to the season that typically lowered scores by 0.5.
After earning NCAA Gymnast of the Week and Big Ten Gymnast of the Week in 2017, Stephenson hopes to cap off his Husker career by leading the team back to the team finals and capturing his first All-America award.
A three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Stephenson is an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Roll and a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
2018 Season Highs
- Floor - 14.30 (vs. Iowa/Minnesota, March 24, 2018)
- Pommel Horse - 13.10 (vs. UIC, Feb. 10, 2018)
- Still Rings - 13.766 (at NCAA Finals, April 21, 2018)
- Parallel Bars - 13.80 (twice, most recently vs. Iowa/Minnesota, March 24, 2018)
2017 (Junior)
Stephenson had a breakthrough season after finally being full strength and able to compete regularly for Nebraska. Stephenson was the Huskers' only true all-arounder throughout the season, competing on all events eight times, including the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. He was instrumental in the Huskers best national finish (sixth) since 1999, as he competed on all six events both at the qualfiers and at the finals. At the Big Ten Championships, Stephenson placed fourth in the all-around, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors for the first time in his career.
Stephenson set career highs on pommel horse (13.20), still rings (14.05), vault (14.60), parallel bars (14.60) and in the all-around (83.90). He claimed four individual titles as a junior and earned NCAA Gymnast of the Week and Big Ten Gymnast of the Week. He also competed at the Winter Cup in Las Vegas, Nev., where he advanced to the finals and earned a top-15 finish. His coaches and his teammates awarded him the Most Improved Gymnast Award at the annual end-of-the-year banquet for the strides he made in the gym this season.
In the classroom, Stephenson earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for a second consecutive year in 2017 and a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2016-17. He also was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for his leadership and efforts in the community.
2017 Season Highs
- Floor - 14.75 (vs. Oklahoma, Jan. 21, 2017)
- Pommel Horse - 13.20 (at NCAA Finals, April 22, 2017)
- Still Rings - 14.05 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
- Vault - 14.60 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
- Parallel Bars - 14.60 (vs Iowa/Penn State, March 4, 2017)
- High Bars - 14.10 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
- All-Around - 83.90 (vs. Minnesota, March 25, 2017)
*Scoring changes were made prior to the 2017 season. There are now four different element groups instead of five, meaning that a gymnast can only receive 2.0 instead of 2.5 in that category. This typically lowers scores by .5.
2016 (Medical Redshirt)
Stephenson spent most of 2016 recovering from elbow injuries that eventually ended his season. He only competed in three meets for the Huskers, before deciding to take a medical redshirt. For the rest of the season, Stephenson worked on rehabing to get healthy for 2017.
Despite not competing for the Huskers, Stephenson still did a great job of representing the team in the classroom and in the community. The Fishers, Ind., native earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete honor roll in fall and spring semesters. Stephenson was also named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2016 for his leadership and volunteer work in the community.
2015 (Sophomore)
In his first year with the Huskers, Stephenson made a big impact as a three-event specialist. He consistently competed as a member of NU's floor, parallel bars and high bar lineups throughout the year, posting quality routines all season long. Stephenson's consistency helped him become one of Nebraska's most reliable members of the team in 2015.
Though he competed in multiple events, Stephenson had the biggest impact for NU on floor. He competed on the event in six of the seven regular-season meets and scored a 15.0 or better three different times.
Stephenson continued to have success on floor into the postseason. At the NCAA Championships, Stephenson scored a huge career-high 15.30 on floor to earn his way to the event semifinals April 10. There, he notched a 15.05 to close out his first Husker season.
On high bar, Stephenson delivered a career-high performance of 14.20 against Army Jan. 30. The Fishers, Ind., native also grabbed a personal best 14.50 mark on parallel bars against Minnesota and Iowa Feb. 14.
A leader in the classroom and the gym, Stephenson earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2014-15.
2015 Season Highs
- Floor - 15.30 (at NCAA Prelims, April 9, 2015)
- Parallel Bars - 14.50 (twice, most recently vs. Iowa/Penn State/Minnesota, March 15, 2015)
- High Bar - 14.20 (vs. Army, Jan. 30, 2015)
Before Nebraska
Stephenson came to Nebraska after spending his first season at Air Force. He competed floor at the 2014 Rocky Mountain Open for the Falcons, contributing a score of 13.95.
At the 2013 P&G National Championships held in Hartford, Conn., Stephenson claimed a bronze medal on floor with a combined score of 27.25 in the junior men's ages 17-18 division. He also earned a fifth-place finish on parallel bars and an eighth-place finish in the all-around.
As a club gymnast, Stephenson trained at Deveau's School of Gymnastics under head coach Chad Ford. Stephenson competed at the 2011 Junior Olympic National Championships, was a two-time Visa Championships qualifier and a competitor at the 2013 Winter Cup Challenge.
Stephenson attended Hamilton Southeastern High School and graduated in 2013. The Fishers, Ind., native achieved Scholastic All-America accolades and was named to the honor roll.
Personal
The son of Greg and Kim Stephenson, Chris was born on Feb. 8, 1995 in Indianapolis, Ind. He has one sister, Andrea and two brothers, Julian and Anton, who is also a member of the Nebraska men's gymnastics team.
As a member of the Air Force gymnastics program, Stephenson was named a member of the Dean's List and earned a spot on the Athletic Honors List.
Stephenson chose Nebraska over Army West Point and is majoring in biological sciences. He is an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.