Michele Zabawa Season 2004-05

 

• First-Team All-American (2007: V)
• Four-time Second-Team All-American (2007: UB; 2006: UB; 2005: UB; 2004: V)
• Two-time Big 12 Bars Champion (2006, 2007)<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
• Three-time All-Big 12 (2007: UB; 2005: UB; 2004: UB)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2006, 2007)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll (2003, 2006)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll (2004, 2005, 2006)

   

2007 ? Senior Season

Five-time All-American Michele Zabawa was a veteran contributor to <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska’s vault, bars and beam lineups in 2007. The Omaha, Neb., native won two bars title over the course of the season, including her second Big 12 bars crown.

 

Zabawa was strong on vault and bars for NU at the season-opening Super Six Challenge in Fayetteville, Ark., posting a 9.825 on bars and a 9.75 on vault to help the Huskers to a second-place team finish. Two weeks later at IowaState, Zabawa tied for third on bars with a 9.775 and added a 9.725 on vault. In Nebraska’s home opener against Oklahoma, Zabawa scored a 9.775 on vault to finish fifth, in addition to a 9.70 on bars.

 

Following her stellar performance at the Hearts Invitational, Zabawa added a third-place 9.875 on vault, and with identical scores of 9.85 on vault and bars against Utah, she placed fourth and fifth, respectively. The next week against IowaState, Zabawa made just her second appearance of the season on beam (9.825) for fourth-place honors, while achieving the same place on vault (9.825).

 

In the Huskers’ final regular-season road meet, Zabawa was the team’s top performer on bars with a 9.80 to finish third and also contributed a sixth-place 9.825 on vault. Zabawa most recently took fifth on vault (9.80) and tied for second on bars with a season-high 9.875 with teammate Desire’ Sniatynski against Kentucky on Senior Night at NU’s Devaney Center.

 

A three-time All-Big 12 honoree, Zabawa won her second Big 12 Conference bars title at the Big 12 Championships, tying IowaState’s Janet Anson with a 9.90. Zabawa added a 9.85 on vault to finish fifth with teammate Stephanie Carter. At the NCAA West Regional, Zabawa had a strong night for NU, finishing fourth on bars (9.85), sixth on vault (9.85) and sixth on beam (9.825).

 

Zabawa opened her final NCAA Championships with a pair of All-America honors, taking first-team accolades on vault with a career-high-tying 9.90 for third place, as well as a second-team award on bars by tying for eighth (9.85) with Sniatynski. Zabawa added a 9.75 on beam, helping Nebraska to its ninth Super Six Finals appearance. In team finals the next night, Zabawa was the Huskers’ highest scorer on bars with a 9.875, while also contributing a pair of 9.85 scores on vault and beam to close the final chapter of her Nebraska career.

 

2006 ? Junior Season

Zabawa capped a strong junior campaign with her third career All-America award, earning second-team honors on bars for the second consecutive year. Predominantly a three-event contributor for the Huskers, she was a rock in NU’s bars lineup and took two individual titles on the event in 2006. A leader in and out of the gym, Zabawa also earned first-team academic All-Big 12 accolades for the first time in her career.

 

Beginning the season at the Super Six Challenge, Zabawa tied with Vanessa Meloche for the meet’s bars title (9.875). She followed up with a 9.85 to finish fourth on bars against Michigan, while also competing on vault and beam. A week later at Utah, Zabawa set her season high on vault with a 9.85 for third.

 

Zabawa was utilized as an all-arounder against Missouri for the first time since the 2004 NCAA Championships. In her only four-event appearance of the season, she notched a total of 39.05, including scores of 9.80 on vault and beam and season bests of 9.90 and 9.55 on bars and floor, respectively. Zabawa was then solid in NU’s next Big 12 competition at Oklahoma, earning marks of 9.85 on vault, bars and beam to set a season high on the last event.

 

At the Masters Classic, Zabawa tied her season high on bars (9.90) for second, and then completed the Huskers’ homestand against IowaState with a solid 9.85 on bars. When Nebraska traveled to Alaska, Zabawa hit the 9.90 mark on bars for the third time in 2006, taking her second event title of the season.

 

Entering the postseason, Zabawa demonstrated her dependability at the Big 12 Championships, contributing scores of 9.825 on vault and 9.80 on bars and beam. The NCAA Southeast Regional at Georgia saw Zabawa add a 9.75 on vault, a 9.825 on bars and a 9.775 on beam in the Huskers’ berth to their 17th national meet.

 

At the NCAA Championships, Zabawa recorded a 9.825 on bars to tie with Desire’ Sniatynski for eighth place and second-team All-America status. Zabawa’s 9.75 and 9.775 beam performances in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships also helped NU finish first on its opening day of competition. In the final night of team competition at the Super Six Finals, Zabawa notched a 9.75 on vault and a 9.70 on beam, pushing the Huskers to a fifth-place national finish.

 

2005 ? Sophomore Season

The ever-consistent Zabawa won four bars titles in 2005, including the conference crown at the Big 12 Championships, where she scored a 9.90 and earned All-Big 12 honors. She went on to capture second-team All-America honors on bars and helped lead Nebraska to the NCAA Super Six Finals.

 

Zabawa had one of her best showings against IowaState, capturing the bars crown (9.90), while tying for fifth on vault (9.825) and beam (9.80).

 

In the Huskers’ run through the NCAA Championships, Zabawa put up solid scores in the preliminary session with a 9.85 on bars, a 9.70 on beam and a 9.675 on vault. Her mark on bars tied her with Sniatynski, and the pair earned second-team All-America honors. At the Super Six Finals the following night, Zabawa added another 9.85 on bars, a 9.775 on vault and scored a 9.65 on beam.

 

2004 ? Freshman Season

Zabawa was named a second-team All-American on vault (9.875), placing 17th at the NCAA Championships. She also led Nebraska’s vault lineup for much of the season, scoring a 9.80 or better in 10 of 13 competitions.

 

Zabawa competed in the all-around three times in her freshman campaign, including two appearances in postseason meets. At NCAA Regionals, she scored a 39.10, highlighted by a career-high 9.80 on floor. Two weeks later, Zabawa bettered her all-around mark, setting a new career best with a 39.20 in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships.

 

Before Nebraska

A Level 10 gymnast, Zabawa competed for Coach Don Houlton at Nebraska Gold Gymnastics. Zabawa was a three-time Junior Olympic Region IV all-around champion and five-time national qualifier. In 2001, she placed 19th at the J.O. National Championships and finished ninth on the bars. Bettering her finish from the previous year, she placed second on bars with a score of 9.425 at the 2002 J.O. Nationals.

 

Zabawa chose Nebraska over Iowa State, West Virginia and IllinoisState.

 

Personal

Michele Zabawa was born on April 15, 1985, in Omaha, Neb., and is the daughter of Mike and Carlene Zabawa. A 2003 graduate of SkuttCatholicHigh School, she was a four-year member of the Gold Honor Roll. Michele has two brothers, Matt and Michael, and one sister, Moe.

 

The elementary education major earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors in 2006. Zabawa is a five-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

 

Zabawa's Career/Season Highs at Nebraska

Career Highs

   Vault: 9.90 (3 times, at NCAA Preliminaries, 4/26/07)

   Bars: 9.925 (vs. OhioState, 2/15/04)

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

   Floor: 9.80 (at NCAA Regional, 4/3/04)

   All-Around: 39.20 (at NCAA Preliminaries, 4/15/04)

2007 Season Highs

   Vault: 9.90 (3 times, at NCAA Preliminaries, 4/26/07)

   Bars: 9.90 (at Big 12 Championships, 3/31/07)

   Beam: 9.825 (vs. Iowa State, 3/11/07)

2006 Season Highs

   Vault: 9.85 (2 times, at Oklahoma, 2/4/06)

   Bars: 9.90 (vs. Missouri, 1/29/06)

   Beam: 9.85 (at Oklahoma, 2/4/06)

   Floor: 9.55 (vs. Missouri, 1/29/06)

   All-Around: 39.05 (vs. Missouri, 1/29/06)

2005 Season Highs

   Vault: 9.85 (NCAA Regional, 4/9/05)

   Bars: 9.90 (at Big 12 Championships, 3/26/05)

   Beam: 9.80 (vs. IowaState, 3/13/05)

2004 Season Highs

   Vault: 9.90 (at Minnesota, 3/6/04)

   Bars: 9.925 (vs. OhioState, 2/15/04)

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

   Floor: 9.80 (at NCAA Regional, 4/3/04)

   All-Around: 39.20 (at NCAA Preliminaries, 4/15/04)