No. 10 Huskers Ring in 2007 at Rocky Mountain Open

#10 <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska (0-0-0) at 22nd Annual Rocky Mountain Open<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Friday, Jan. 12, 8 p.m. (Team Finals)

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2 p.m. (Event Finals)

 

Last meeting: Jan. 11-12, 2006

Results: 3rd (196.10)

Opponents: Oklahoma, Air Force, ArizonaState, USOTC

Ranked Opponents:  Oklahoma (1)

 

 

The No. 10 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team opens its 2007 season this weekend with its yearly trip to Air Force for the 22nd annual Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo.  Competition begins on Friday, Jan. 12, with the team event at 8 p.m. CST and finishes on Saturday, Jan. 13 with the individual event finals at 2 p.m.

 

This is the 12th time in 17 seasons that the Huskers have opened their season at the RMO, which began in 1981. Since then, Nebraska has clinched a first-place finish six times and finished second on five other occassions. NU’s last Rocky Mountain Open title was in 2000. 

 

Although the RMO is a familiar stage for the Husker program, for many of Nebraska’s competitors, the meet will break new ground as NU’s nine-man freshman class makes its collegiate debut. Many of the Huskers’ newcomers are slated to compete either with the team or in exhibition, giving them the opportunity to test the waters of collegiate competition early in the regular season.

 

Meanwhile, Nebraska’s six returners face the challenge of leading a young team against a highly competitive field that includes two-time defending national champion Oklahoma, Air Force, Arizona State and the U.S. Olympic Training Center.   

 

 

Huskers Ready to Regain National Respect

Filling the void left by five graduated seniors is a challenge for any program, especially when those five spots make up nearly half the roster. For many programs, a similar situation may seem overwhelming. For Nebraska, it was an opportunity.

 

Not only did the Huskers fill those five spots, they nearly doubled them. The 2007 NU roster features 10 newcomers, including nine true freshmen, the biggest recruiting class in more than five years at Nebraska. But Head Coach Francis Allen, who is beginning his 37th season at the helm for the Huskers, wasn’t just looking for numbers. He was looking for the best, and together with assistant coaches Chuck Chmelka and Jim Hartung, he got them.

 

Despite the many new faces in the lineup for Nebraska this season, it is the tried and true talent of six returners that will lead the Huskers in 2007. NU welcomes back leading all-arounders in senior Jason Wassung and junior Stephen T?trault as well as event specialists Jon Charter, T.J. Schmidt, Jacob Ives and James Mauldin. Together, these six gymnasts take on the exciting task of bringing together a roster of individual talent and accomplishment into a cohesive group representative of the collegiate legend that is Nebraska men’s gymnastics.

 

 

NU Seniors Face Challenging Leadership Role in 2007

Seniors Jon Charter and Jason Wassung face a special challenge in 2007, as they find themselves in the minority with the task of guiding a youthful majority. But with over six years of collegiate experience between them, the two NU captains should be up to the test.

 

Wassung enters his senior season behind an already outstanding collegiate career that has seen him ranked in the top 10 nationally as an all-arounder for the past three years. In 2007, the Lincoln native will again lead Nebraska’s all-around efforts, while headlining the pommel horse and high bar lineups.

 

This is the first season that Wassung has not suffered an offseason injury, which could help him excel to a level unattainable in previous years. Instead of working to retain strength lost during recovery, Wassung has been able to focus on building skills that will increase his start values across the board.

 

Rounding out NU’s senior class is Charter, who will be used as a floor, vault and parallel bars specialist this season. After transferring to Nebraska in 2005, Charter moved into the floor lineup several times last year. With hard work and dedication, he could get a more permanent spot in several lineups in 2007. More important though is Charter’s enthusiasm and leadership skills, which will be especially beneficial in acclimating some of NU’s younger competitors this season.

 

 

T?trault Aims to Build on Early Success

Stephen T?trault has the responsibility of being the lone junior on the Husker roster, but as an All-American and leading all-arounder for NU, T?trault is capable of handling the job.

 

In the offseason, T?trault, along with Wassung, competed on the national scene at the U.S. Qualifier and advanced to the VISA Championships in August. Although T?trault did not earn a spot on the U.S. National Team, he did gain the experience of competing among some of the nation’s top gymnasts, which should help him on the collegiate level this year.

 

Sophomores Add Returning Talent for Nebraska

Nebraska’s sophomore class is comprised of five event specialists, three of whom gained meet experience for NU last season.

 

Leading the class is T.J. Schmidt, a Nebraska native, who led the Huskers on the parallel bars in his freshman season with a team-high score of 9.15. Since then, Schmidt has put in an impressive amount of work in the gym and could emerge as a top competitior not only on bars, but also on pommel horse and still rings this season.

 

Jacob Ives competed on the floor, vault and parallel bars for Nebraska last season and will add the pommel horse this year. Ives has proven an ability to contend in some of NU’s most competitive lineups. He first showed that talent last season, as he worked his way onto the always intense NU vaulting team, a feat he will again attempt this season as he aims for a spot on the pommel horse, considered by many to be the Huskers’ top event.

 

James Mauldin is also expected to make a run at NU’s horse lineup, while also competing on the still rings and parallel bars. Mauldin has improved dramatically during the offseason, and with continued dedication could make a major impact for the Huskers in 2007.

 

Bo Benak and Eric Daigle round out the Husker sophomore class. Neither competed last season with Daigle being added to the roster midway through the season. Daigle is expected to contribute this season.

 

 

Huskers Expect Big Things from Well-Rounded Newcomers

Nebraska’s nine newcomers hail from across the United States, including Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Nebraska. This regional spread should benefit the Huskers by bringing in a variety of training styles and experiences to the program to create an interesting blend for the team in 2007.

 

Perhaps one of the most remarkable newcomers is Colorado native, Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan already owns a wealth of national exposure and is considered by many to be one of the top incoming all-arounders in the country.

 

Shanahan is actually one of five top all-around prospects for Nebraska in 2007, including Josh Rusler, John Robinson, Tony Maras and Ian Campbell.

 

Rusler joins the Huskers from the prestigious BartConnerSchool in Norman, Okla., and as a former U.S. Junior National Team member, could make an immediate impact for Nebraska in his debut year.

 

Robinson is considered by many to be the sleeper of the freshman class. After suffering an injury in his senior year of high school, he has gotten back in the gym and risen to the challenge of making Nebraska’s all-around team.

 

Maras and Campbell both gained incredible club success as all-arounders and will continue that work at Nebraska.

 

The remaining NU freshmen will compete as event specialists this season, with many helping to improve the Husker still rings lineup. Daniel Br?l?, Garret Durst, Adrion Hernandez and Stefan Wallof complete the roster and are expected to compete in 2007.

 

 

NCAA Team Finals a Constant Goal for Nebraska

Nebraska is focused on earning an NCAA finals berth this season. The Huskers have not landed among the coveted top six since 1999, but with the depth and breadth of its 2007 roster, NU may be a team to watch this season.

 

In order to reach that goal, Allen has set out a challenge to his gymnasts. The mantra in the gym for the 2007 season is that it does not matter what year you are or how much experience you have, the best gymnasts will compete.

 

With a challenging 2007 season ahead, Nebraska will have an early opportunity to put that theory to the test, as it faces defending national champion Oklahoma three times during the regular season alone. The Huskers also face Stanford and Cal, two other teams that finished in the top six last season.

 

 

Scouting the RMO Competitors

 

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners             

      2007 Record: 0-0-0

 Head Coach: Mark Williams, Eighth Season (169-13)

 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/2

 All-Americans Returning/Lost: 12/2

 Top Returner: Jonathan Horton

 2006 NCAA Finish: First

A Quick Look at the Sooners:

? In 2007 the Oklahoma Sooners look to defend their back-to-back national titles with a third consecutive team championship, a
feat accomplished just four times in NCAA men’s gymnastics history by Illinois, Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska.

? The Sooners have taken home the top team spot in six consecutive trips to the Rocky Mountain Open dating back to 2001.

? The RockyMountain Open marks the first of three regular-season bouts between Oklahoma and Nebraska, including a Jan. 20
dual in Oklahoma and a Feb. 2 meeting at the DevaneySportsCenter in Lincoln.

 

 

Air Force Falcons

      2007 Record: 0-0-0

 Head Coach: Kip Simons, Second Season (0-6)

 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/7

 All-Americans Returning/Lost: 0/0

 Top Returner: Brian Boardman

 2006 NCAA Finish: DNQ

          

A Quick Look at the Falcons:

? Air Force hosts the 2007 Rocky Mountain Open for the 15th consecutive season and the meet is one of just
two home competitions for the Falcons this season. Air Force also plays host to Navy on Feb. 3.

? After finishing 2006 with a disappointing winless record, the Falcons took the first step toward improvement
during the offseason by adding a pair of assistant coaches to the Air Force staff, including 2004 Olympic silver medalist Brett
McClure and former Falcon gymnast Lt. Col. Chuck Schweiss.

 

* Oklahoma, Air Force and Nebraska will be joined at the RMO by club competitors ArizonaState as well as gymnasts from the U.S. Olympic TrainingCenter.

 

 

2007 Rocky Mountain Open Competition Order

 

Rotation	<?xml:namespace prefix="v" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"?>

1

 

Air Force

 

Oklahoma

 

Nebraska

 

Arizona St.

 

USOTC

 

 

2

 

 

Air Force

 

Oklahoma

 

Nebraska

 

Arizona St.

 

USOTC

 

3

 

USOTC

 

 

Air Force

 

Oklahoma

 

Nebraska

 

Arizona St.

 

4

 

Arizona St.

 

USOTC

 

 

Air Force

 

Oklahoma

 

Nebraska

 

5

 

Nebraska

 

Arizona St.

 

USOTC

 

 

Air Force

 

Oklahoma

 

6

 

Oklahoma

 

Nebraska

 

Arizona St.

 

USOTC

 

 

Air Force