NU Continues Road Tour at Sooner Triangular

The <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska men’s gymnastics team gets its second crack at dethroning No. 1 Oklahoma this weekend, as the Huskers head south to face the Sooners and Air Force in triangular action on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Norman, Okla. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The meet, which begins at 1 p.m. CST, is the second consecutive clash between the three programs. Last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Open, Oklahoma took the top seed behind a score of 207.35 and the Huskers are eager to rebound this weekend and break a losing streak to the Sooners that dates back to the 2000 season.

 

The meet is the second of three straight road contests for Nebraska, which finishes its road stretch with a trip to the Stanford Open in Palo Alto, Calif., on Jan. 26-27. Despite opening the season with a month on the road, the Huskers will actually be back in Lincoln sooner than normal, as their home-opener is on Feb. 2, nearly two weeks sooner than any of the last three seasons.

 

Nebraska’s trip to Norman will be a homecoming for one NU newcomer as freshman Josh Rusler returns to the Sooner state to compete for the Huskers. Rusler had a big debut at the Rocky Mountain Open last week, leading Nebraska on both the vault (8.60) and high bar (8.45), and looks to improve on those performances in front of a hometown crowd on Saturday. 

 

Sophomore T.J. Schmidt also handed down a breakout performance for Nebraska to open the season, setting or tying his career-high marks on the floor exercise (8.20), pommel horse (8.55) and still rings (8.65) and earning the first event title of his career on pommel horse. A similar showing from Schmidt against Air Force and Oklahoma could make the difference for Nebraska.

 

Scouting Oklahoma, Air Force

 

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners

2007 Record: 2-0-0

Head Coach: Mark Williams, Eighth Season

Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/2

All-Americans Returning/Lost: 12/2

Top Returner: Jonathan Horton

2006 NCAA Finish: First

 

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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 three times in NCAA men’s gymnastics history by Illinois, PennState and Nebraska.

? Sooner junior Jacob Messina, who won the all-around at the Rocky Mountain Open last weekend, will not compete this weekend due to a knee injury he suffered during the RMO event finals.

? Oklahoma’s score of 207.35 from the Rocky Mountain Open was the fifth-highest score in men’s collegiate gymnasts on the opening weekend. The Sooners were topped by No. 8 Michigan (212.75), No. 6 Illinois (209.75) and No. 3 Ohio State (209.50). Notably, No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 California have yet to compete in 2007.

 

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Last Meeting

The last meeting between Oklahoma and Nebraska came just one week ago as the two titans of collegiate gymnastics met at the U.S. Air Force Academy for the 22nd annual Rocky Mountain Open. Despite high hopes, Nebraska’s youth and inexperience got the best of it, notching a team score of 189.70. The Sooners took the team crown with a score of 207.35. Oklahoma’s Jacob Messina also took the top all-around spot with a score of 50.00, beating out a pair of Husker contenders, Jason Wassung (48.05) and Stephen T?trault (46.15). In the event finals, Oklahoma took five of six titles, with Nebraska’s T.J. Schmidt claiming the pommel horse crown to prevent the Sooner sweep.

 

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Husker History

The historical lineage between Nebraska and Oklahoma, two of the nation’s greatest traditions in men’s gymnastics, is as rich as the programs themselves.  The rivalry started in 1966 with a triangular between the Huskers, Sooners and Air Force that resulted in a Falcon victory, one of just two the Academy has over NU in school history.

 

Over the last 31 years, Nebraska and Oklahoma have remained staples in collegiate competition, reaching a 33-28-1 all-time series record that shifted in favor of the Sooners in 2005 with a 219.35-216.10 OU win on Feb. 20, 2005 in Lincoln.

 

But the bond between Nebraska and Oklahoma reaches far beyond the columns of wins and losses.  These two respected institutions also share a number of other intrigues.  To begin with, NU and OU face each other more than any other team on either’s schedule.  This season alone, the two programs will compete four times, including the current back-to-back duals to start the season.

 

Also, Allen actually coached Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams.  In fact, Williams, who is now considered one of the sport’s top coaches, spent his collegiate career with the Huskers, where he was a part of the Nebraska national championship teams in 1979 and 1980 along with NU assistant coach Jim Hartung, in addition to being crowned a high bar All-American in 1978.

 

 

Air Force Falcons

2007 Record: 0-2-0

Head Coach: Kip Simons, Second Season

Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/7

All-Americans Returning/Lost: 0/0

Top Returner: Brian Boardman

2006 NCAA Finish: DNQ

 

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A Quick Look at the Falcons

? This season, Air Force welcomes the return of 2004 USAG All-American Greg Stine, who has spent the last two years on an LDS mission to Korea. Stine’s return is expected to make a definite impact for the Falcons, as he brings tremendous all-around experience, including a career-high all-around score of 53.475.

? After finishing 2006 with a 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.

 

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Last Meeting

Nebraska and Air Force last met on Jan. 12 at the Falcon-hostedRockyMountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the Huskers taking home the win, 189.70-175.30. NU topped Air Force in all six event scores and earned the individual pommel horse title, while Air Force earned a pair of third-place finishes on the floor exercise and parallel bars.

 

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Husker History

Nebraska leads the over 30 year dual history with the Falcons, 14-2 including a win last weekend, 189.70-175.30.

 

Historically, the Huskers have consistently posted some of their best scores against the Falcons, including notching season-high scores in duals against Air Force in four of the last six seasons. In 2006, Nebraska closed the regular-season with a top team score of 212.15 against the Falcons.

 

Nebraska has closed the regular season by hosting Air Force for the past three consecutive seasons, winning each dual before heading into the MPSF conference championships and the NCAA Qualifier.

 

 

Third Times a Charm

This Saturday’s triangular between Nebraska, Oklahoma and Air Force marks the third time these three programs have met for such a meet, and the first time the triangular won’t be held in Lincoln. The first triangular between the teams also marked Nebraska’s first meeting with the Sooners back in 1966, with Air Force going home the victor over second-place NU, 168.55-165.00.

 

It took nearly 20 years for the next triangular to come about with Nebraska again taking a backseat in 2004, this time to Oklahoma, 219.20-218.525. With the third three-way contest approaching this Saturday, Nebraska has an opportunity to even the series or risk remaining the only team in the group to go winless in the triangular.

 

Seven Newcomers Premier at RMO

Seven Husker newcomers made their collegiate debuts at the Rocky Mountain Open last weekend. Among the first-time competitors were sophomore Eric Daigle as well as freshmen Daniel Br?l?, Adrion Hernandez, John Robinson, Josh Rusler, Kyle Shanahan and Stefan Wallof.

 

Together, these newcomers were responsible for 30 percent of Nebraska’s team points production, with Daigle, Rusler and Shanahan advancing to the event finals by finishing among the top eight in an event during the team competition. Rusler gave Nebraska’s most prominent debut performance, leading the Huskers on the vault (8.60) and high bar (8.45) on the weekend and finishing fourth overall on high bar in the event finals. Shanahan also came out of the gate quickly, finishing fifth in the all-around and advancing to the event finals in three events.

 

 To put Nebraska’s freshman contingent in perspective, only one other team in the top-10 boasts more than six freshmen on its entire roster, and Nebraska is the only team in the nation to have more than five newcomers compete in the 2007 opening weekend.

 

Maras, Durst Set to Make Debut in Oklahoma

The Huskers will add two additional freshmen to the seven that competed at the season opener, as Tony Maras and Garret Durst join the Nebraska lineup this weekend.

 

Maras, considered to potentially be one of Nebraska’s top all-arounders this season, missed the Rocky Mountain Open due to illness. Now healthy, Maras is set to join several lineups, most notably the still rings and vault. The Ramsey, Minn., native was recruited for his talent on the rings, where he finished first at the Junior Olympic Nationals in 2004. Nebraska had a strong showing on the rings in its season opener and the addition of Maras will only enhance that performance.

 

Durst, one of three Lincoln natives on the NU roster this season, is also expected to make an impact on the rings for Nebraska this season. Additionally, he is the reigning Region IV pommel horse and vault champion, two events where the Huskers are looking to add depth this weekend.

 

Schmidt Hits in Season Opener

Typically, a gymnast’s performance in the first meet of the season is used as a benchmark from which he can grow and improve. If that’s the case, then sophomore T.J. Schmidt is about to have one heck of a season.

 

Over a two-day span at the Rocky Mountain Open last weekend, Schmidt either tied or set career high marks on three events, tying his high of 8.20 on the floor exercise and setting new bests with a score of 8.55 on the pommel horse and 8.65 on the still rings. Additionally, Schmidt’s performance earned him the first event title of his collegiate career with a first-place finish on the pommel horse. He also finished third on the floor exercise and second on the parallel bars.

 

Last season, Schmidt started the year at the RMO with a 6.85 on pommel horse, a 6.65 on still rings and an 8.15 on parallel bars. By the end of the season, the Blair, Neb., native had added at least a full point to each of those scores, finishing with an 8.50 on pommel horse, 8.55 on still rings and 9.10 on parallel bars. With a faster start this year, Schmidt could be a national title contender by the end of the season.

 

 

Oklahoma Triangular Rotation Order

 

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

1

 

Oklahoma

 

Air Force

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

Oklahoma

 

Air Force

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

Oklahoma

 

Air Force

 

Nebraska

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma

 

Air Force

 

Nebraska

 

5

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma

 

Air Force

 

6

 

Air Force

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma