Nicole Wilkinson Season 1996-97

Honors and Awards:

• NACGC Scholastic All-American (2000)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (1998,1999, 2000)
• First-Team All-Big 12 (Balance Beam) (2000)
• Second-Team All-American (Floor Exercise) (2000)

Nicole Wilkinson was a four-year Husker letter winner from 1997-2000. A three-time academic All-Big 12 selection (1998, 1999, 2000), Wilkinson closed her career as an NACGC Scholastic All-American. Nicole also earned All-Big 12 honors on the balance beam (2000) and achieved Second-Team All-American honors on the floor (2000).

As a senior:  Hampered by a left wrist injury from the 1999 season, Wilkinson was limited to three events for the Huskers during her senior season. She earned a score of 9.65 or higher on vault during the season, including a 9.85 against Iowa State. She also scored a 9.70 or higher on bars in all but two meets throughout the season, notching a season-high of 9.85 against Missouri. Nicole scored a 9.80 or higher in eleven out of thirteen routines on the balance beam, and won the event four times against Iowa State (9.875), at Oklahoma (9.90), against Iowa (9.85) and against BYU (9.85). She achieved second-team All-American honors on the floor exercise for the season and earned All-Big 12 honors on the balance beam. Wilkinson also earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors and was a NACGC Scholastic All-American.

As a junior: Despite a wrist injury that limited her for much of the season, Wilkinson proved to be a clutch performer for the Huskers. She won four of her five individual titles during the season on the balance-beam, highlighted by a career-high tying score of 9.90 at the Region 3 Championships. Nicole scored a 9.70 or better on all three events (V, UB, and BB) at both the Big 12 meet and the regional championships. She scored a 39 or better in three of her four all-around appearances in 1999, including a season-best of 39.10 at Michigan State and against Oregon State and BYU. Wilkinson ranked third in the Big 12 on balance beam (9.85 Regional Qualifying Score) as eight of her twelve routines scored 9.80 or better. She scored a 9.70 or better on nine of her eleven uneven bar routines as she led off the Husker lineup, including a season-high of 9.85 at Michigan State and at the NCAA Region 3 Championships. Nicole scored a 9.70 or better on eight of her last ten vaults, including a 9.80 at the Masters Classic and the Big 12 Championships. During the season, she was a valuable reserve on the floor exercise, scoring a 9.80 or better on three of her four routines, including a career-high of 9.875 to tie for second at the Masters Classic. Wilkinson was also a standout in the classroom for the Huskers and earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors for the second straight season.

As a sophomore: Despite being slowed after preseason surgery to remove bone spurs, Wilkinson competed in every meet during her sophomore campaign and earned All-Big 12 honors after placing fourth in the all-around at the Big 12 Championships (39.10). Nicole was the Big 12 runner-up on uneven bars with a career-high score of 9.925 and on vault with a 9.85. She also captured All-Big 12 honors on balance beam, placing fourth with a season-high score of 9.875. Wilkinson scored 38.70 or higher on seven of her nine all-around performances, including a season-high of 39.175 to win the all-around at the Masters Classic, her first career all-around title. She scored then-season highs of 9.90 on the uneven bars and 9.825 on the balance beam at the Masters Classic. Nicole was NU's final performer on beam, scoring 9.85 or higher on four of her five last routines. She recorded a 9.65 or higher on each of her last six vaults, including a 9.85 at the Big 12 Championships and a 9.775 at regionals. She had three floor exercise routines score 9.80 or higher, including a season-high score of 9.825 against Iowa State. Wilkinson was also an academic All-Big 12 selection with a 3.45 GPA.

As a freshman: One of the biggest surprises of the 1997 season, Wilkinson was one of the Huskers' top performers on vault and balance beam during as a freshman. In the Super Six finals, Nicole scored a 9.70 or better on three events, including a 9.85 on the balance beam and a 9.80 on the uneven bars en route to a 38.80 in the all-around. She also scored a 38.80 in the NCAA preliminaries, highlighted by a 9.75 on vault and a 9.725 on beam. She tied for third in the all-around at the Midwest Regional with a 39.175, including a fourth-place finish on vault (9.825), and was the Huskers' top finisher on beam with a 10th-place score of 9.825. Nicole earned All-Big 12 honors and earned second place on vault at the Big 12 Championships with a career-best  score of 9.90, while finishing sixth on beam with a score of 9.875. Wilkinson also recorded eight vaults of 9.80 or higher.

Prior: Nicole Wilkinson competed for Dan Glendon and J.P. Kraemer at London Gymkips Gymnastics Club. She competed at the Canadian National Championships in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. She was a member of the first-place Ontario team at the Canadian National Championships from 1993 to 1996. Nicole placed second on the uneven bars and third on the balance beam at the 1995 Canadian Winter Games. She was also the 1996 Canadian national champion on the uneven bars and finished sixth in the all-around.

Personal: Wilkinson is the daughter of Cheryl and Robin Wilkinson and has a younger brother named Matt. She majored in advertising at NU and selected Nebraska over Utah State, Iowa, and Northern Illinois. Nicole was born on June 17, 1978, in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Wilkinson’s Career/Season Highs at Nebraska

Career Highs

All-Around: 39.20 (vs. Pen State, 3/16/97)

Vault: 9.90 (1997 Big 12 Championships, 3/23/97)

Bars: 9.925 (1998 Big 12 Championships, 3/21/98)

Beam: 9.90 (3 times: vs. Iowa State, 3/1/97; Region III Championships, 4/10/99; vs. Oklahoma, 2/4/00)

Floor: 9.875 (3 times: Masters Classic, 2/28/99; vs. Iowa State, 1/14/00; vs. Oregon State, 3/3/00)

2000 Season Highs

Vault: 9.85 (2 times:  vs. Iowa State 2/15/00; vs. Oregon State, 3/3/00)

Bars: 9.85 (vs. Missouri, 1/29/00)

Beam: 9.90 (vs. Oklahoma, 2/4/00)

1999 Season Highs

All-Around: 39.10 (2 times: vs. Michigan State, 2/13/99; vs. Oregon State/BYU, 2/23/99)

Vault: 9.80 (1999 Big 12 Championships, 3/27/99)

Bars: 9.85 (Region III Championships, 4/10/99)

Beam: 9.90 (Region III Championships, 4/10/99)

Floor: 9.875 (Masters Classic, 2/28/99)

1998 Season Highs

All-Around: 39.175 (Masters Classic, 2/28/98)

Vault: 9.85 (1998 Big 12 Championships, 3/21/98)

Bars: 9.925 (1998 Big 12 Championships, 3/21/98)

Beam: 9.875 (1998 Big 12 Championships, 3/21/98)

Floor: 9.825 (vs. Iowa State, 2/15/98)

1997 Season Highs 

All-Around:  (vs. Penn State, 3/16/97)

Vault: 9.90 (1997 Big 12 Championships, 3/23/97)

Bars: 9.875 (vs. SE Missouri State/Western Michigan/TWU,1/27/97)

Beam: 9.90 (vs. Iowa State, 2/22/97)

Floor: 9.825 (vs. Penn State, 3/16/97)