Clara Colombo Season 2023-24

Career Honors & Awards

• NCAA Seattle Regional Qualifier (Uneven Bars)
• WCGA Scholastic All-American (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar (2022, 2023, 2024)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2023)
• Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2024)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Nebraska Silver Academic Medallion (2022, 2023, 2024)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023; Spring 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (2024)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

2024 (Senior)
Clara Colombo was in the Huskers’ lineup on bars every meet during her senior season and had a 100% hit rate in the event. She earned a season-high 9.875 at the Ameritas Masters Classic on March 9. Colombo was Nebraska’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree, and she was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the fourth-straight year.

2023 (Senior)
Clara Colombo competed in all 12 meets during the 2023 season, helping the Huskers to the NCAA Denver Regional. Colombo recorded a personal best 9.925 on uneven bars twice during the season (at Utah State and at the Big Ten Championships). Against Utah State, Colombo claimed the uneven bars title with a 9.925. She matched her career-high score on beam three times, earning a 9.850 on the event against Maryland, Michigan and Utah State. Colombo was also named an AAI Award Nominee, an award given to the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the country. 

2022 (Junior)
Colombo was a major contributor to the 2022 team, competing in all 11 meets and finishing her season as an individual competitor at the 2022 Seattle Regional. The junior claimed one individual title, tallying the best uneven bars score (9.900) at the Big Five meet during Session II. Colombo set and matched her then-personal best on uneven bars four times throughout the year with a 9.900. She also added a new career-best on beam with a 9.850 against Ohio State. Colombo finished the season at the NCAA Seattle Regional, earning a 9.900 on uneven bars and finishing tied for fourth.

2021 (Sophomore)
Colombo competed in all 10 meets during the 2021 season. She posted a season-high 9.825 three times on bars. Colombo also competed for the first time as a Husker on beam with a 9.550 against Iowa on Feb. 20. She was recognized for her performance in the classroom with Academic All-Big Ten honors. A Tom Osborne Citizenship Team selection, Colombo was recognized for her leadership and dedication to serving the Lincoln community. 

2020 (Freshman)
Clara became the first Italian gymnast to perform in NCAA competition during her freshman campaign with the Huskers. She was a consistent contributor for Nebraska on the bars squad, as she competed in every meet before the coronavirus pandemic abruptly ended the season in mid-March. Colombo set a career high on bars with a score of 9.875 to win a share of the event title in a team dual win at Southern Utah (Jan. 9). She matched her career best on bars with a 9.875 against Missouri in the Masters Classic (March 7). Colombo got off to a strong start in the classroom, capturing WCGA Scholastic All-America honors. She also was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters of 2019-20. 

Before Nebraska
Colombo trained at Juventus Nova Melzo in Melzo, Italy under coaches Paolo Vailati and Lara Battaglia. She is the first Italian gymnast to participate in NCAA competition, and she was joined by fellow Italian Martina Comin on the Husker roster in 2020-21.

Personal
Clara is the daughter of Giorgio Colombo and Natalia Cattaneo and was born in Treviglio, Italy on March 1, 2000. She has an older sister, Irene, and an older brother, Luca. A biochemistry major, Clara is a two-time WCGA Scholastic All-American (2020, 2022). A 2023 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Colombo earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021, 2022 and 2023. She is a six-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection and a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Colombo's Career Highs

• Bars: 9.925 (2x, last at Big Ten Championships, 3/18/23)
• Beam: 9.850 (4x, last at Utah State, 3/3/23) 

2024 Season Highs

• Bars: 9.875 (2x, last at Ameritas Masters Classic, 3/9/24)

2023 Season Highs

• Bars: 9.925 (2x, last at Big Ten Championships, 3/18/23)
• Beam: 9.850 (3x, last at Utah State, 3/3/23) 

2022 Season Highs 

• Bars: 9.900 9.900 (4x, last at NCAA Regionals, 4/2/22)
• Beam: 9.850 (Ohio State, 2/7/22) 

2021 Season Highs 

• Bars: 9.825 (3x, last at Big Ten Championships, 3/20/21) 
• Beam: 9.550 (Iowa, 2/20/21)

2020 Season Highs 

• Bars: 9.875 (2x, last at Big Five Meet, 2/21/20)