Honors & Awards
» 2016 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team
» 2015 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
» 2015 Academic All-Big Ten
» 2015 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
» 2015 Nebraska Heart & Soul Award
» 2015 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team
» 2015 Second-Team All-Big TenÂ
» 2014 Academic All-Big TenÂ
» 2014 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team
» 2013 Academic All-Big Ten
» 2013 Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award
» 2012 Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015; Spring 2014, 2015)
2015 • Senior SeasonÂ
In her final year with the Huskers, Desire’ Stephens continued to demonstrate her strength as a solid vault and floor performer for NU. Aside from her powerful vaults and strong tumbling, Stephens also proved to be a solid all-around performer after appearing in all four events for two meets. She did not miss a single meet in her senior season, contributing quality scores on all four events throughout.
 As a senior, Stephens set career highs in all four events and in the all-around. On vault, she never posted a score lower than a 9.80 and stuck her career high 9.95 against Penn State Jan. 17, helping the Huskers to a vault school record of 49.75. She also produced important floor routines, earning her career high of 9.875 at the NCAA Ames Regional April 4
Stephens’ hard work allowed her to break into the bars and beam lineups in her final season, posting a career high score on beam with a 9.85 against Oregon State March 7. Her career best bars score came at the Big Ten Championships March 21, where the senior notched a 9.90. Stephens also made her debut in the all-around twice this season, putting up a career high 39.400 on Senior Night against Oregon State.
Stephens also garnered a number of awards to close out her successful career. She captured second-team All-Big Ten honors for her steady vault performances throughout the year, while also earning Nebraska’s Heart and Soul Award for senior student-athletes demonstrating outstanding service in the community over the course of four years. An academic All-Big Ten choice and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Stephens was Nebraska's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner for women's gymnastics in 2015.
2014 • Junior SeasonÂ
Stephens was a major contributor to Nebraska’s success in 2014, competing on vault, bars and floor exercise in nearly every meet. The Omaha, Neb., native, who completed some of the Huskers’ strongest tumbling routines, tied her season best on floor exercise (9.825) four times over the course of the year, including postseason competition at the NCAA Semifinal and Super Six Finals in Birmingham, Ala.Â
In addition, Stephens was among NU’s most consistent vaulters, as she posted a 9.80 or better on the event in 12 meets. She enjoyed one of her finest showings at the NCAA Seattle Regional, where she posted a career-high 9.90 to tie for fifth-place overall with teammate Emily Wong. Stephens also took home a second-place finish against Minnesota on Feb. 1, with a 9.875 on the event.
Stephens moved into the bars lineup for the 2014 season and never gave up her spot, competing in 12 meets. She claimed her career-high score of 9.875 against Northern Illinois in the season opener. In the classroom, she added Academic All-Big Ten honors.
2013 • Sophomore Season
After battling a nagging injury last season, Desiré Stephens broke into the Husker lineup for Nebraska’s first meet of the season and never relinquished her spot. A two-event specialist on vault and floor for the Huskers, Stephens contributed powerful performances throughout the season to boost Nebraska’s efforts.
She hit career-high marks of 9.85 on both events late in the season, including two 9.85s on vault at the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Morgantown Regional. Her work on vault contributed to NU’s efforts as they posted the nation’s three highest scores of the season on the event in March and April. She also captured her first career Academic All-Big Ten honor this March.
2012 • Freshman Season
Stephens saw limited action during her freshman season with the Huskers, primarily contributing depth on vault. She posted a 9.825 on vault in her Nebraska debut at Minnesota on Feb. 18, helping the Huskers to a team score of 196.850 and a win over the Golden Gophers.
Before Nebraska
Stephens competed for Nebraska Gold Gymnastics in Omaha, under the coaching of Barb Bottieri, Andi Molina and Don Houlton. She was the 2011 all-around and vault state champion and took second in bars, beam and floor. Stephens finished fifth in the all-around at the 2011 Region IV meet, while tying for first on floor and second on vault. Stephens took third on vault at Regionals in 2009, while also placing 10th on bars, third on beam and seventh on floor and all-around. In addition, Stephens competed on all events in the 2009 JO National Championships.
Personal
Stephens was born on May 1, 1993, in Phoenix, Ariz. Stephens is the daughter of Cory and Jeri Wiedel, and has one sister, Jayden, and one brother, Jagger. Desire' majored in advertising and public relations at Nebraska and graduated in December of 2015. A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Desire' was also named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2015. She was a six-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
Stephens'Â Career Highs at Nebraska
Career Highs
  Vault: 9.95 (vs. Penn State, 1/17/15)
 Bars: 9.90 (at Big Ten Championships, 3/21/15)
 Beam: 9.85 (vs.Oregon State, 3/7/15)Â
  Floor: 9.875 (at NCAA Ames Regional, 4/4/15)
 All-Around: 39.40 (vs.Oregon State, 3/7/15)
2015 Season Highs
  Vault: 9.95 (vs. Penn State, 1/17/15)
 Bars: 9.90 (at Big Ten Championships, 3/21/15)
 Beam: 9.85 (vs.Oregon State, 3/7/15)
  Floor: 9.875 (at NCAA Ames Regional, 4/4/15)
 All-Around: 39.40 (vs.Oregon State, 3/7/15)
2014 Season Highs
  Vault: 9.90 (at NCAA Seattle Regional, 4/5/14)
 Bars: 9.875 (vs. Northern Illinois, 1/12/14)
 Beam: 9.175 (vs. Michigan, 2/14/14)
  Floor: 9.85 (vs. Minnesota, 2/1/14)
 All-Around: 38.450 (vs. Michigan, 3/1/14)
2013 Season Highs
  Vault: 9.85 (3 times, last at NCAA Morgantown Regional, 4/6/13)
  Floor: 9.85 (vs. Iowa State, 2/22/13)
2012 Season Highs
  Vault: 9.825 (at Minnesota, 2/18/12)