Kristi Esposito Season 2004-05

• Three-time First-Team All-American (2005: Beam; 2004: All-Around, Beam)<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
• 2004 Big 12 Uneven Bars Champion
• Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll (2003, 2004)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll (2004, 2005)
• Academic All-Big 12 (2005)
• All-Big 12 (2004: Bars)
• NACGC Scholastic All-American (2005)

Three-time All-American Kristi Esposito was a two-year letterwinner at Nebraska in 2004 and 2005. The 2004 Big 12 bars champion, Esposito was also the NCAA runner-up on beam in 2005 in her final season as a Husker.

2005 -- Sophomore Season

Esposito recorded her best post-season finish on balance beam at the 2005 NCAA Championships to cap a solid sophomore season and added another first-team All-America award to an impressive arsenal of honors. Esposito finished in a tie for national runner-up on beam with former Olympian Elise Ray of <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Michigan, as each scored a 9.9125 to take second behind UCLA’s Kristen Maloney (9.9375).

Esposito competed as both an all-arounder and as a three-event contributor in 2005. She captured all-around titles at Michigan (39.075) on Jan. 7 and at Missouri (38.85) on Jan. 28, and as an expert worker on bars and beam, earned a total of five titles on the two events. For the last half of the season, the three-time All-American performed mainly on the bars, beam and floor exercise, but filled in the vault lineup the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala., to score a season-high 9.75 at the Super Six Finals.

Esposito won beam titles in both of the Huskers’ dual meets with Big 12 rival IowaState, setting a career high on beam (9.95) to win the event title in NU’s final home meet against the Cyclones. In addition, she tied for second on beam with teammate Emily Parsons at the NCAA South Central Regional, posting a solid 9.875. She added bars titles at Florida (9.90), versus Oklahoma (9.925) and at the annual Masters Classic (9.875).

While earning much success in gymnastics competition, Esposito was also recognized for her efforts in the classroom. She was honored as a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll both semesters. Following NU's sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships, Esposito transferred to LSU.

2004 -- Freshman Season

Esposito capped a stellar freshman campaign with All-America and All-Big 12 honors. In addition to being named first-team All-American in the all-around and on beam, Esposito won six individual titles throughout the 2004 season. She quickly established herself as a force in the all-around for NU by capturing three all-around titles: 39.45 at Minnesota, 39.525 at Denver and 39.425 against Missouri. Esposito claimed her first title on beam versus OhioState, when she scored a solid 9.875 and also won the bars title in the Huskers' meet at Oklahoma with a 9.90

Esposito had a solid postseason, finishing the Big 12 Championships as the conference uneven bars champion (9.90). At the NCAA Championships, Esposito scored a 9.90 on beam to tie Michigan's Elise Ray for third in the individual event finals. She also tied for fourth place in the all-around competition with Florida's Erinn Dooley with a 39.45, earning first-team All-America accolades for both.

Before Nebraska

A Level 10 gymnast under Bryan Neal and Stephanie Hyett at Northshore Center for Artistic Gymnastics, Esposito competed all over the United States and was a four-time national qualifier.  She was a three-time Junior Olympic National team member and finished second in the all-around in 2000, followed by a first-place finish in the uneven bars competition in 2001.

Esposito finished fourth in the all-around and in the top five on both bars (third) and beam (fifth), while finishing seventh on the floor exercise at the 2003 Junior Olympic Nationals. The 2001 Louisiana State Championships brought Esposito a first-place finish on bars, and she won the individual bars title at the 2001 and 2002 Region 8 Championships.

Personal

The daughter of Tony and Shari Esposito, Kristi was born on May 17, 1985, in Slidell, La. A 2003 graduate of SlidellHigh School, Kristi was a four-year member of the honor roll and is now an elementary education major.  She has three younger sisters, Laura, Alexa, and Katy and one younger brother, A.J. Esposito chose the Huskers over Alabama, Utah and Florida.

Career/Season Highs at Nebraska

Career Highs

    Vault: 9.85 (vs. Missouri, 1/31/04)

    Bars: 9.925 (vs. Oklahoma, 2/5/05)

    Beam: 9.95 (vs. Iowa State, 3/13/05)

    Floor: 9.925 (vs. Iowa State, 3/14/04)

    All-Around: 39.60 (vs. Iowa State, 3/14/04)

2005 Season Highs

    Vault: 9.75 (at NCAA Super Six Finals, 4/22/05)

    Bars: 9.925 (vs. Oklahoma, 2/5/05)

    Beam: 9.95 (vs. Iowa State, 3/13/05)

    Floor: 9.875 (at Missouri, 1/28/05)

    All-Around: 39.225 (2 times, at NCAA Super Six Finals, 4/22/05)

2004 Season Highs

    Vault: 9.85 (vs. Missouri, 1/31/04)

    Bars: 9.90 (at Big 12 Championships, 3/20/04)

    Beam: 9.925 (vs. Iowa State, 3/14/04)

    Floor: 9.925 (vs. Iowa State, 3/14/04)

    All-Around: 39.60 (vs. Iowa State, 3/14/04)