Koziol Named Finalist For 1999 Nissen-Emery Award

University of Nebraska senior Jim Koziol (Omaha, Neb.) has been selected as one of eight national finalists for the 1999 Nissen-Emery Award. The award honors the nation's most outstanding senior collegiate gymnast and takes into account athletic and academic excellence. The award will be presented at the annual Collegiate Gymnastics Association banquet on Wednesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.

In addition to Koziol, the seven other finalists are Todd Bishop (Oklahoma), Peter Landry (Ohio State), Adrian Johnston (Iowa), Josh Nelson (California-Santa Barbara), Stephen Pryor (Massachusetts), Ron Roeder (Penn State) and Kyle Zak (Illinois). The Nissen-Emery Award ceremony is the prelude to the 1999 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, which takes place in Lincoln, April 22-24, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

“I think it is a privilege for a team to have a Nissen Award nominee and it is a great honor for Jim to be a finalist,” Nebraska Coach Francis Allen said. “We have had three Nissen Winners and Jim ranks right up with them in terms of his gymnastics and leadership qualities. To come back from injuries like he has and to succeed in the gym and academics like he has tells you a lot about his character and makeup. He has been a team leader throughout his five years here. In my opinion, it is people like Jim, who can successfully balance many things, that will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

A GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee, Koziol has been instrumental to Nebraska's 16-2-1 record and a share of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship. He earned All-America honors on still rings with a fourth-place finish at the 1998 NCAA Championships and won the USA Gymnastics Team 2000 Individual Title in 1996. A senior co-captain, Koziol has competed in every meet this season and has season bests of 9.60 on floor exercise, 9.725 on pommel horse and 9.70 on still rings. Koziol will look to become the fourth Nebraska gymnast to win this prestigious honor that has been presented every year since 1967, joining Tom Schlesinger (1988), Wes Suter (1986) and Jim Hartung (1992).

Koziol and the rest of the Huskers travel to Provo, Utah for the 1999 West Regional on Saturday, April 10, at 8 p.m.