Catelyn Orel Season 2018-19

• Q&A with Catelyn Orel

Honors and Awards

• Academic All-Big Ten (2018, 2019)
• Nebraska Heart & Soul Award (2019)
• Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award (2018)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2017)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; Spring 2016, 2018, 2019)
• NACGC/W Scholastic All-American (2016)
• Missouri State Champion (2014: V; 2015: BB) 
• J.O. National Championships Qualifier (2012)

2019 (Junior)
Catelyn Orel began the 2019 season rehabbing an injury that left her out of competition until February of this season. After her return, she became a fantastic contributor on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise providing a huge spark to the Huskers floor lineup. She tied two of her career highs this season as well, on balance beam with a score of 9.825 against Southern Utah on March 2 and floor exercise with a score of 9.90 coming at the Big Ten Championships on March 23. 

Outside of the gym, Orel had another phenomenal year. She earned Academic All-Big Ten for the second time in her career, was on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for both the fall and spring semesters, named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team and was earned the Nebraska Heart & Soul Award. 

2018 (Sophomore)
After suffering a season ending injury in 2017, Orel returned as a major component to Nebraska's Super Six success on bars and floor. Known for her expressive and energetic floor performances, Orel posted a career-high 9.900 on floor at the Big Five meet on March 17. Orel hit a season-high 9.825 on bars at the Masters Classic.

Orel had a great year in the classroom, capturing Academic All-Big Ten honors while also claiming spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters of 2017-18. She was also a member of the 2018 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. Orel added a prestigious Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award, which is presented to 27 student-athletes across all sports who exhibit strong leadership qualities, commitment to service and ability to encourage and empower their peers.

2017 (Redshirt)
Following a strong start to her Husker career in 2016, Orel was set to take the next step for NU as a sophomore, but she suffered an Achilles injury in preseason training that kept her out of competition in 2017.

Orel continued to stand out in the classroom and the community, as she was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in fall of 2016. She was NU's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, and she earned a spot on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for her work in the community in 2017.

2016 (Freshman) 
Orel posted a strong start to her career as a freshman, competing and providing depth on all four events throughout the year. Orel earned her first event title against Utah State in the final home meet of the season with a career-high 9.925 on uneven bars. She also took 11th out of the 60 competitors that competed on bars at the Big Ten Championships with a score of a 9.875.

Orel scored a personal best on vault with a 9.80 and in the all-around with a 39.250 to help the Huskers knock off third-ranked Michigan on Jan. 29. A solid floor performer, Orel hit a career-high 9.875 twice on floor throughout the season and hit a solid 9.775 on balance beam against Iowa on Feb. 2.

At the NCAA Championships Orel stepped up, contributing the highest bars score for the Huskers with a 9.8375. Orel also provided a solid floor score and added to the beam lineup to help the Huskers finish eighth at the championships. 

She got off to a great start in the classroom and in the community, earning NACGC/W Scholastic All-America honors as a freshman. She grabbed spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both of her first two semesters, and was a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2016.

Before Nebraska
Orel trained at Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Spings, Mo., under world-renowned coaches Al Fong and Armine Baratyan, who have helped produce a number of successful elite-level and Olympic gymnasts. Orel, a 2012 J.O. National Championships qualifier, captured the 2015 Missouri state title on beam while finishing second on bars and third on floor. She also won the Missouri state vault title in 2014, while finishing in the top three on each event and in the all-around. Orel finished eighth on bars at the 2014 Region 4 Championships.

Personal
The daughter of Jodie and Dan Orel, Catelyn was born on June 20, 1997. She has one brother, Patrick. Orel graduated from Blue Springs South High School in Blue Springs, Mo., in 2015. She majored in management and earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2019. She was an NACGC/W Scholastic All-American in 2016. Orel earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2018 and 2019, and is a seven-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She claimed a prestigious Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award in 2018, and is a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Orel's Career Highs at Nebraska

• Vault: 9.80 (vs. Michigan, 1/29/16)
• Bars: 9.925 (vs. Utah State, 3/6/16)
• Beam: 9.825 (vs. Southern Utah, 3/2/19)
• Floor: 9.900 (two times, last at Big Ten Championships, 3/23/19)
• All-Around: 39.250 (vs. Michigan, 1/29/16)
  

2019 Season Highs

• Bars: 9.80 (two times, last at Masters Classic, 3/16/19)
• Beam: 9.825 (vs. Southern Utah, 3/2/19)
• Floor: 9.90 (at Big Ten Championships, 3/23/19)

2018 Season Highs

• Bars: 9.825 (at Big Five, 3/17/18)
• Floor: 9.90 (at Big Five, 3/17/18)

2016 Season Highs

• Vault: 9.80 (vs. Michigan, 1/29/16)
• Bars: 9.925 (vs. Utah State, 3/6/16)
• Beam: 9.775 (at Iowa, 2/6/16)
• Floor: 9.875 (2 times, last vs. Minnesota, 2/12/16)
• All-Around: 39.250 (vs. Michigan, 1/29/16)