Huskers Look to Reclaim Big 12 Title

Lincoln -- After falling to Iowa State at the 2000 Big 12 Championships, Nebraska will look to reclaim the league title this weekend as it travels to Norman, Okla., for the Big 12 Championships.

Nebraska is coming off an impressive win at the Arizona State Invitational that saw the Huskers end the Sun Devils five-year home winning streak. Nebraska became the first team since Utah, which posted a 193.875-193.250 victory over the Sun Devils on Feb. 2, 1996, to defeat Arizona State at home in the regular season, and the only team other than Utah to post a victory at the Wells Fargo Arena in the last nine years, breaking a 25-meet winning streak that counted 39 opponents. For the sixth time this season and the sixth time in school history, the Huskers bettered 197.0 in the win. Nebraska tallied 197.100 points to Arizona States 195.575. Kentucky finished third with a score of 194.350, followed by Iowa (193.425).

In addition to their impressive team showing, the Huskers received a strong individual performance from sophomore Jess Wertz. Wertz did what only one other Husker had ever done before, as she scored a perfect 10.0 on the vault. Wertz, who joins former All-American Heather Brink as the only gymnasts in school history to record a 10.0, had never before performed the vault in competition until Fridays meet.

In fact, she had only competed on vault one other time this season (against Missouri on Jan. 28) and only four times as a freshman. Her score helped the Huskers to their highest vault total of the season (49.40) and helped propel them to a No. 4 ranking, their highest of the year.

Scouting the Opponents
This season the Huskers are 4-0 against conference opponents, with two of those wins coming against defending Big 12 Champion Iowa State. The Cyclones victory in 2000 ended Nebraskas stranglehold on the conference title. Since the Big 12s inception in 1994, the Huskers have dominated the conference championships, capturing six consecutive conference titles from 1994-1999.

Nebraska defeated ISU, 195.50-195.075, in Ames Jan. 19, and again March 12 in Lincoln, where the Huskers recorded a school-record score of 197.525 to the Cyclones 197.00.

Record Breakers
In Nebraskas season opener, freshman Alecia Ingram offered a glimpse into what was to come, when she recorded the highest all-around debut in school history. Ingrams 39.45 all-around victory surpassed All-American Heather Brinks record of 39.175, and came against top-ranked UCLA and then 11th-ranked Arizona State. Ingram, who is ranked first in the Big 12 and sixth in the nation on vault with a 9.910 RQS, has captured seven of a possible 10 vault titles this season. Against Iowa State March 12, Ingram, who received a 10 from one judge, broke her own freshman record with a 9.975, helping the Huskers to a then season-high 49.30 on the event. Her score ranks fifth on Nebraskas all-time vault charts, behind only the three 10s posted by Brink last season and the 10 issued to Jess Wertz at the Arizona State Invite March 16.

A two-time Big 12 Gymnast of the Week, Ingram holds or shares four Nebraska freshman records, including the balance beam, where she has posted a career-high 9.925 on three different occasions. Her 9.905 RQS ranks first in the conference and eighth in the nation. She also holds the freshman all-around record with a 39.625, which ties her for third (with Brink) on Nebraskas all-time list. Already this season, Ingram has posted three scores that rank in the Huskers all-time top 15, including two scores in the top four. Her 39.60 at the West Virginia Invite ties Brink for fourth all-time, while her season-opening score of 39.425 ties for 13th.

In the Huskers record-setting win over the Cyclones on March 12, Ingram finished first on the uneven bars with a career-high 9.95 to capture her first bars title of the season and help the Huskers to their best bars performance at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 13 years. The Huskers mark of 49.525 was their second-highest of the season, behind only their school record of 49.60 set at the WVU Invite. With the bars win, Ingram has now placed first on every apparatus at least once this season and has a total of 16 individual event victories.

Ingram has also been strong on floor this season, posting a career-high 9.925, which ties freshman Tami Harris for the class record.

In all, Ingram ranks among the top seven in the conference on every event and is in the top three on vault (1st, 9.91), beam (1st, 9.905), and bars (3rd, 9.905). She is also ranked seventh on floor (9.875) and fifth in the all-around with a 39.230 RQS.

In only her first season, Ingram has already entered her name in the NU record books. In addition to her fifth-place ranking on vault, she sits tied for second on bars (9.95) and beam (9.925), and ranks tied for ninth on floor (9.925).

The Huskers only other all-arounder, freshman Tami Harris has also placed her name on Nebraskas all-time charts. Harris has scored at least a 9.90 on bars in each of the Huskers last five meets, including a school-record 9.975 at the Masters Classic on Feb. 24. Her mark, a Masters Classic record, was the highest ever by a Husker freshman on any event, and tied the school record held by Brink. The bars win was Harris third in as many meets.

In Nebraskas win over No. 10 Florida on March 4, Harris finished in the top five on three events en route to winning the first all-around title of her career with a personal-best score of 39.45, which ranks 14th on Nebraskas all-time charts. She also finished second on vault with a 9.875, and tied for third on the uneven bars (9.925) en route to winning Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week honors.

Harris also owns a share of the freshman floor record. In the Huskers season-opener, Harris recorded a 9.925 and took sole control of the class record until Ingram posted a 9.925 against West Virginia.

The lone senior on the squad, Amy Ringo has ensured that her name will live on long after shes gone. Ringo posted back-to-back scores of 9.95 on floor to open the season, tying three former Huskers for the school record.

In addition to her career-high score on floor, Ringo posted a personal-best 9.925 on beam, to help the Huskers to a second-place finish.

Ringo also produced a solid performance against defending Big 12 Champion Iowa State on Jan. 19. The Phoenix, Ariz., native finished first on floor (9.90), tied for first on the balance beam (9.825), and finished third on vault (9.80) to earn Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week honors.

RQ What?
No, the RQS is not a distant cousin of that walking, beeping robot from Star Wars. The national rankings are now based on a teams RQS, or Regional Qualifying Score, which differs from the average score. A teams RQS is computed by taking the top three road scores, its three next best scores (either home or away), dropping the highest of those scores and averaging the remaining five. Confused yet?

Lets put it another way. Qualification for regional competition is based on a teams six best regular-season meet scores, three of which must be away. The high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged. Voila, an RQS.

In order to participate in the NCAA Championships April 19-21, a team must first qualify for one of six regional competitions. Each regional features six teams, which qualified on the basis of its RQS. The top 18 teams based on RQS are seeded into the six regionals (three per region), with the remaining three regional slots filled by non-seeded teams.

The top two teams from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships.

Huskers Remain Perfect at Home Under Kendig
The Huskers have won 37 straight regular-season meets at the Devaney Center, including all 36 under head coach Dan Kendig. The last time the Huskers did not win a regular-season home meet was at the 1993 Masters Classic.

The Huskers also boast a home meet win at Pershing Auditorium, the site of this years Masters Classic, to bring Nebraskas home meet streak to 38.

The only times Nebraska has not taken first at home under Kendig were the 1995 Midwest Regional, when Nebraska finished second to NCAA champion Utah, and at the 1999 Region 3 Championships when the Huskers finished second to NCAA runner-up Michigan.

Nebraska Coach Dan Kendig
University of Nebraska Coach Dan Kendig reached a milestone last season, becoming the winningest coach in school history. Kendig now has a 138-27 (.836) record in eight seasons at Nebraska, passing Rick Walton, who compiled a 121-52 (.628) record from 1984 to 1993.

A six-time conference coach of the year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to six straight conference titles (1994-99) and five NCAA Championship appearances in the past seven seasons, including NCAA Super Six Finals appearances in 1997, 1999 and 2000. He was selected as the Region 3 Coach of the Year last season, guiding the Huskers to a 25-5 regular-season record and a No. 5 national ranking.

Kendig is assisted by third-year coach and former U.S. Olympian Rhonda Faehn.

Inside The Numbers
10.0 - The score sophomore Jess Wertz received on vault at the Arizona State Invitational. Wertz became just the second Husker gymnast in school history to received a 10.0.

9 - Number of class records set or tied this season. Alecia Ingram set new freshman records on vault (9.975), beam (9.925) and the all-around (39.625), while Ingram and Tami Harris tied A.J. Lambs floor record (9.925). Harris 9.975 bars score at the Masters Classic was not only a school and Masters Classic record, but it was also the highest bars score ever recorded by a freshman.

Two Huskers have tied the sophomore bars record. Julie Houk has earned a 9.95 three times this season, while Bree Dority OCallaghan has received a 9.95 twice this season. Meanwhile Lamb shares the beam record of 9.90 with five current or former Huskers and also holds the sophomore beam record with a 9.925. Jess Wertz added her name to the recorded books as her 10.0 on vault put her in sole possession of the sophomore vault record.

Senior Amy Ringo is also in the mix, as she has twice recorded a 9.95 on floor, to tie Heather Brink and Kim DeHaan for the senior record.

9 - Number of vault titles won by Husker gymnasts this year. In the Huskers nine meets this season, a Nebraska athlete has won the vault title in all but one. The only time a Husker did not stand atop the podium was at the WVU Invite, when Penn States Gemma Cuff edged Tami Harris for the title. Interestingly, freshmen have dominated the vault lineup for the Huskers as eight of the nine titles have been won by freshman. Alecia Ingram has won seven, while Gina Bruce has captured one. With her vault victory at the ASU Invitational, the first of her career, Jess Wertz added her name to the list.

8 - Number of Huskers who have scored at least a 9.90 on floor this season. Two Huskers have scored a season-high 9.90, while five have scored a 9.925. Only senior Amy Ringo has achieved a 9.95, posting the school-record score in the Huskers first two meets.

6 - Number of times the Huskers have scored a 197 or better. Until this season, no other team in school history had surpassed the 197.0 plateau. This season the Huskers have done it in four consecutive meets, including their school record 197.575 against Iowa State on Monday.

4 - Number of events on which freshman Alecia Ingram has won titles this season. With her victory on the uneven bars against Iowa State on Monday, Ingram has now captured at least one title on all four apparatuses. It is also the number of times the Huskers have broken the school record.

3 - Number of Devaney Center records set in the Huskers dual with Iowa State on March 12. The Huskers bars score of 49.525 broke the previous record of 49.40 set 13 years ago. They also bettered the beam score and set the team record for the second straight meet.

2 - Number of Huskers who have won all-around titles this season. With Tami Harris victory against Florida, she joined Alecia Ingram as the only Huskers to capture all-around titles this season.

1 - Number of seniors and the number of juniors on the Husker roster. Amy Ringo is Nebraskas lone senior, while Laura Goss is the only junior on the squad.

Noting the Huskers
* - Nebraska scored 49 or better on all four events for the 12th time in school history with its victory over Iowa State last week.

* - The Huskers boast a 10-1 record versus ranked opponents, with their only blemish coming at the hands of top-ranked UCLA.

Husker Gymnastics Live on the Web
Fans can follow Husker gymnastics live on the official website of Nebraska athletics -www.huskers.com. All of Nebraskas home meets and selected road meets will be updated live. The 2001 season will mark the fourth consecutive season with live scoring during home meets.

Next Week
The Huskers will play host to the NCAA South Central Regional on April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.