T?trault Advances to NCAA All-Around Finals

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska freshman Stephen T?trault advanced to the all-around finals of the 2005 NCAA Championships with a score of 53.225 during the team qualifier held on Thursday, April 7 in West Point, N.Y.  In addition, three other Huskers advanced to the individual event qualifying round which will be held Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m. along with team and all-around finals.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Joining T?trault in representing the Huskers in day two of the NCAA Championships are sophomore Paul Chumreonlert on pommel horse and parallel bars, senior Steven Friedman on vault and parallel bars and senior Mace Patterson on the pommel horse and high bar.    

 

Overall, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics program ended their season with a 16-18 record after finishing fifth of six teams in Session II, which advances only the top three squads to the team finals.

 

“We started the competition off well, but had a hard time toward the end,” Head Coach Francis Allen said.  “Some of our guys didn’t hit their routines and that hurt our overall score.”

 

The Huskers began day one of the NCAA Championships on the pommel horse, an event that has been consistently strong for Nebraska all season.  This meet was no different as T?trault walked on to the national scene like a veteran and marked Nebraska’s highest score in the event with a 9.225, followed by solid scores of 9.10 from Chumreonlert and 9.05 from Patterson. 

 

Next the Huskers faced the still rings, an event judged by NU alumnus and two-time Olympian Jim Hartung.  Senior Adam Tietze successfully filled his role as the leadoff man for Nebraska as he marked a career-high 8.80 to kick start the event.  Patterson followed with a season-high tying score of 8.85 and the rings were capped off by the dynamo of Friedman and Chumreonlert who finessed scores of 9.40 and 9.55, respectively.

 

Moving on to the third rotation NU’s vaulting elite were in full form as they locked down a team total of 37.10, led by T?trault.  Friedman and junior Nic Matthews also nailed solid vault scores, Friedman with a 9.275 and Matthews following close behind with a mark of 9.25.

 

After three rotations, the Huskers owned third-place behind Cal and Illinois, giving them a prime opportunity to finish among the session’s top three.  In addition, T?trault, Patterson and Wassung owned the top three spots in the all-around.

 

However, as NU moved to the parallel bars looking to push past the Golden Bears, they struggled to maintain momentum and quickly fell behind after failing to post a single score above the 9.0 mark on the apparatus. 

 

“Parallel bars really killed us today,” Allen said.  “We’ve struggled there all season and it was the death of us until the end.”

 

Although the Huskers faired slightly better on the high bar led by Patterson’s score of 9.40, the effort was not enough to hold on to hopes of qualifying for the team finals.  Nebraska finished out on the floor exercise with top showings from senior Josh Koopman with a score of 9.00.

 

“Today is over and now we have to focus on doing well individually tomorrow,” Allen said.  “There are a few guys that have a good shot at being All-Americans so I’m excited to see how things play out.”

 

 

Team Scoring

1. Illinois ? 225.25

2. Oklahoma ? 223.85

3. Cal ? 221.45

4. Iowa ? 218.725

5. Nebraska ? 214.35

6. Army ? 211.825

 

Nebraska All-Around Finalists              Score

Stephen T?trault ? Stanford                     53.225

 

Nebraska Event Finals Qualifiers

 

Pommel Horse

Paul Chumreonlert

Mace Patterson

 

Vault

Stephen T?trault

Steven Friedman

 

Parallel Bars

Steven Friedman

Paul Chumreonlert

 

High Bar

Mace Patterson