Huskers Face Falcons in Senior Night Showdown

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska seniors Jon Charter and Jason Wassung will grace the floor of the Bob DevaneySportsCenter one final time Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m., as the No. 10 Huskers take on No. 16 Air Force to close the regular season. Co-captains of the 2007 Huskers, Charter and Wassung will be honored during a special Senior Night ceremony following the conclusion of the meet.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Saturday’s dual, which features only the Nebraska men for the first time this season, can be followed with Live Stats available on Huskers.com.

 

The meet marks just the third time this season that Nebraska will face a lower-ranked opponent. The Huskers are currently 2-1 against lower seeds, with a pair of wins over Air Force earlier this season and a loss to Iowa on Feb. 24.

 

The Huskers aim to turn their luck around against Air Force, after dropping three home meets this season, including back-to-back losses over the last two weekends. The odds are in Nebraska’s favor on Saturday, as the Huskers own a 13-2 record over the Falcons, including seven straight home wins dating back to 2000.

 

This is the third run-in between NU and Air Force this season, following a season-opening bout at the Falcon-hosted Rocky Mountain Open on Jan. 12-13, and a triangular hosted by Oklahoma on Jan. 20. In both competitions the Huskers walked away the obvious victors, topping Air Force by an average of nearly 19 points.

 

The Falcons face Nebraska after falling to Illinois-Chicago, 196.50-206.55, on Saturday, March 11. It was the second of two dual losses to Illinois-Chicago for Air Force on the weekend, as the pair also faced off on March 9. Despite the losses, Air Force’s team score of 196.50 in the second dual was a season-high in 2007.  

 

Nebraska enters the meet after falling to eighth-ranked Minnesota, 205.45-213.55 at home on March 11. NU’s team mark was its third highest of the season, with all three of the Huskers’ top scores coming at home. Another solid score this weekend would add to Nebraska’s national qualifying score and assure the Huskers a place at the NCAA Championships. However, if NU were to post a season-high against the Falcons, that score would be discarded, as each team’s top mark is thrown out and an average is taken of the next three highest scores counting no more than two home marks.

 

Saturday’s meet marks also the final regular-season competition for the Huskers in 2007. Nebraska will then head to Berkeley, Calif., on March 31 to begin postseason action with the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, before learning its fate for the 2007 NCAA Championships, held April 12-14 in State College, Pa.

 

 

Scouting the Air Force Falcons

2007 Record: 0-11

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

 

?? A Quick Look at the Falcons

In his second season at the helm for the Falcons, head coach Kip Simons has struggled in getting Air Force to soar. The No. 16 Falcons own a season-high mark of just 196.50, which they earned on March 9 against Illinois-Chicago, and will likely miss out on the 2007 NCAA Championships.

 

Individually, Air Force has benefited this season from the return of junior Greg Stine, who just two weeks ago was voted both the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and Collegiate Gymnastics Association Gymnast of the Week following an outstanding performance at the Peter Vidmar Invitational. It was the first time a Falcon had received such an honor in more than four years.

 

As a team, Air Force is strongest on the still rings, owning a three-score average of 34.017 for a 14th-place national ranking. The Falcons are led on the rings by Stine, who notched a season-high of 9.30 on the event against Illinois-Chicago last week. Stine also posted a 9.40 on the floor exercise on March 9. Stine is the only Falcon gymnast to post a score above a 9.0 this season.

 

?? Last Meeting

Nebraska and Air Force have met twice already during the regular season, beginning at the Falcon-hosted Rocky Mountain Open on Jan. 12. Despite a season-low score of 189.70 from the Huskers, Nebraska still managed to top Air Force (175.30).

 

The two programs met for the second time just one week later in a triangular with Oklahoma, with Nebraska again topping the Falcons, this time by a score of 203.30 to 180.95.

 

?? Husker History vs. Air Force

Nebraska leads the over 30 year dual history with the Falcons 16-2, including a pair of wins this season.

 

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.

 

Reviewing the Rankings: Nebraska vs. Air Force

Event                          Nebraska (Season Average)    Air Force (Season Average)

Floor Exercise             12th (35.083)                                              16th (33.983)

Pommel Horse             6th (34.350)                                                17th (31.150)

Still Rings                   11th (35.367)                                              14th (34.017)

Vault                           9th (34.517)                                                16th (32.350)

Parallel Bars                9th (35.250)                                                16th (32.133)

High Bar                      11th (34.483)                                              16th (31.800)

Team                          10th (205.900)                                            16th (194.55)

 

 

Huskers Hold Senior Night Ceremony

Nebraska’s dual against Air Force on Saturday night will feature a Senior Night ceremony following the meet to recognize Husker senior co-captains Jason Wassung and Jon Charter.

 

Wassung, a four-year letterwinner for the Huskers, has been a part of Nebraska gymnastics his entire life. The Lincoln native trained under NU assistant coach Chuck Chmelka at the Nebraska School of Gymnastics during his club career, before becoming a Husker in 2003. Since then, Wassung has emerged as a top all-arounder for Nebraska, notching NU’s highest all-around scores in each of the last three years and earning four all-around titles, including two in 2007. He is currently ranked fourth nationally.

 

Charter transferred to Nebraska from Springfield in 2004 and has since bled nothing but Scarlett and Cream. The Ft. Myers, Fla., native has consistently competed on the floor exercise for the Huskers, earning a career-high mark of 8.65 and a season-high of 8.55, which he notched last weekend against Minnesota.

 

 

Last Meet Repeat: Nebraska Native Shine in Loss to Minnesota

The 10th-ranked Nebraska men’s gymnastics team dropped another tough contest against No. 8 Minnesota, 205.45-213.55, as the Huskers continued to battle injuries last weekend. NU fell to 0-3 at home this season after the March 11 dual in the BobDevaneySportsCenter.

 

Nebraska was only able to pull together a full six-man lineup on just three events, as several injuries plagued the Huskers. New competitors appeared in many lineups for the first time this season, including freshmen Adrion Hernandez (floor exercise and vault) and Stefan Wallof (vault).

 

Despite the injury battle, two Huskers cracked their way into the top-three all-around results.  Senior Jason Wassung placed second behind Minnesota’s Jacob Lee with a season-high all-around score of 52.95, while junior Stephen Tetrault placed third with a score of 51.40.

 

Nebraska opened the meet on floor exercise with a score of 35.00.  The Huskers were led by Wassung, who earned a season-high score of 9.20, and sophomore T.J. Schmidt who notched a career-best score of 8.65.  Hernandez, a regular on the high bar for the Huskers, earned a score of 8.2 on his first floor exercise routine.

 

The Huskers then continued on to the pommel horse in the second rotation.  Despite several falls, NU was able to outscore the Gophers 34.15-33.45.  Nebraska was led by Schmidt who claimed his fourth pommel horse title of the season with a score of 9.00, while Tetrault placed second with a score of 8.85.  Sophomore James Mauldin posted a career-best 7.75, while freshman John Robinson tied a career-best score of 7.65.

 

Despite losing freshman Tony Maras, a strong still ring competitor, to injury, two Huskers were able to post career-best scores on still rings in the third rotation as Nebraska tallied a score of 34.30. Freshmen Robinson and Stefan Wallof posted scores of 8.30 and 8.25, respectively, for their season- and career-best scores.

 

NU struggled on the vault in the fourth rotation, mounting a team score of 33.45, nearly two points behind Minnesota’s vault score (35.60).  Despite the struggle, Wassung finished third in the event with a score of 8.75.  Both Wallof and Hernandez posted career-best scores of 8.15 and 8.20, respectively.

 

The Huskers entered the fifth rotation on parallel bars six points behind the Gophers.  Nebraska pulled together a total score of 34.10, as Schmidt placed third with a score of 9.00.

 

The Huskers finished the meet with a score of 34.45 on the high bar behind Wassung, who topped the event with a score of 9.40, but the late surge wouldn’t be enough to top the Gophers, who improved to 13-16-1 all-time against NU. 

 

Triple Threat

The Husker trio of senior Jason Wassung, junior Stephen T?trault and sophomore T.J. Schmidt bring more than experience to the Nebraska roster this season; they bring results. In seven meets this season, these three returners have accounted for 59.7 percent of NU’s team point production, or 847.10 of 1,417.80 total points. That total has continued to rise over the last several weeks as the three gymnasts have consistently presented top performances in Nebraska’s home duals.

 

Wassung, the team’s only consistent all-arounder, is responsible for almost 24 percent by himself and has counted all but three routines toward the Husker team score.

 

In addition to the team contribution, Wassung, T?trault and Schmidt’s performance has paid individual dividends as well. Together, they own 14 of 16 event titles for Nebraska, with Schmidt leading the way at eight.

 

Top-10 Talent

The work of these three gymnasts (Wassung, T?trault and Schmidt) has not only helped the Huskers this season, it has also paid dividends on the national scene. This week, all three competitors are ranked among the top-10 in at least one event, with Wassung and T?trault both landing among the nation’s top-10 all-arounders, Wassung in fourth and T?trault in eighth. T?trault’s ranking is the highest of his collegiate career, while Wassung’s fourth-place spot ties his career best, which he earned earlier this season.

 

Additionally, event specialist Schmidt rose to a season-best seventh in the pommel horse polls following his eighth pommel horse title of the season (9.00) over Minnesota on March 11.

 

Stepping Up

With so much of the Husker lineup sidelined with injury, several Nebraska freshmen stepped into supporting roles on events for the first time this season.

 

Normally a rings competitor, Stefan Wallof added the vault to his performance against Minnesota, earning a solid score of 8.15. Wallof also improved his performance on the rings, posting a season- and career-high score of 8.25.

 

Adrion Hernandez, a regular on the high bar for the Huskers, made the switch to Nebraska’s depleted floor exercise and vault lineups against the Gophers. Hernandez’s first attempt brought promising results, with the Round Rock, Texas, native earning strong scores of 8.20 on both the floor and the vault.

 

Watching Wassung

In his final season with the Huskers, senior Jason Wassung has proven he is a competitor to watch.

 

Seven meets into the season, Wassung has finished either first or second in the all-around each time, including earning a pair of all-around titles. Nebraska’s only fourth-year competitor, Wassung has also set career-high marks on the parallel bars (9.40) and high bar (9.40), and owns an event title on each apparatus.

 

The Lincoln native owns a season-high all-around mark of 52.95, which he earned against Minnesota on March 11. The score tops his all-around high in 2006 and improved Wassung to fourth in the GymInfo national rankings. Wassung also emerged this week on the national high bar rankings, moving into a three-way tie for the 13th-place position with a three-score average of 9.217.

 

Overall, Wassung has counted for more than 24 percent of Nebraska’s points production this season, marking team scores for all but three routines. His performance has not gone unrecognized, as he was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 27. He was also selected as a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll for the first time in his career in February.

 

Schmidt Hits

In his second season at Nebraska, sophomore T.J. Schmidt has consistently surpassed expectation.

 

In the last seven weeks, Schmidt has set career high scores eight times, besting his own high scores on floor exercise (8.60), pommel horse (9.25), still rings (8.95) and parallel bars (9.35). Schmidt’s success is not simply a case of making the leap from an often times limited freshman campaign to that of a more experienced sophomore. In fact, the Blair, Neb., native earned his share of the spotlight even in 2006 as NU’s top parallel bars specialist, earning a team-high score of 9.10 and advancing to the event preliminaries at the NCAA Championships. Instead, Schmidt’s outstanding start could more accurately be attributed to hard work and determination.

 

The Blair, Neb., native owns a team-high eight event titles this season, four on pommel horse and four on parallel bars. He also owns a team-high score of 9.25 on the pommel horse, which he set against Stanford on March 4.

 

Schmidt debuted at 13th on the pommel horse in GymInfo event rankings this season and this week improved to the seventh-place spot. He is also ranked 16th on the parallel bars.

 

T?trault Makes Big Return to Husker All-Around Group

After a Jan. 20 injury took junior Stephen T?trault out of the floor exercise and vault lineups, his return to the all-around was always highly anticipated by the Huskers. But what Nebraska didn’t expect was that the Lincoln, Neb., would come back even better than before.

 

In his first meet back on all six events against Iowa on Feb. 24, T?trault put together his best performance of the season. The 5-8 all-arounder landed season-high scores on the floor exercise (8.90), still rings (8.65), vault (8.55) and all-around (51.80), and earned his first event title of the season with a career-high mark of 8.95 on the parallel bars. It was the first time the Lincoln, Neb., native had bettered a career high since his freshman season in 2005.

 

T?trault continued to improve against Stanford on March 4, setting a season-high mark on the pommel horse (9.15) for third place.

 

The 5-8 all-arounder’s performance has resulted in success on the national field, as this week T?trault shot to 8th (51.467) on the GymInfo polls, the highest ranking of his career. He also is currently 17th on the pommel horse.     

 

NU’s Tags Road Score for NCAA Qualifying Average

Nebraska’s score of 204.20, which it notched on the road at Iowa on Feb. 24, will count toward its NCAA qualifying average. The average, which determines which teams advance to the NCAA Championships, is a modified three-score calculation that takes a team’s four best scores, drops the highest and then averages the remaining three counting no more than two home scores. Thus, each team will have to count one road mark and as Nebraska’s score against Iowa is its highest this season, it will be added into that final qualifying mark.

 

Huskers Draw Largest Crowd of 2007

Nebraska’s home opener against Oklahoma on Feb. 2 featured a crowd of 4,125 fans, the largest crowd to view an NCAA men’s gymnastics meet this season. In fact, the mark is more than double any other dual in the nation and is rivaled only by the West Point Open, which combines attendance over a three-day period.

 

T?trault Selected to Inaugural Husker 24

Nebraska junior Stephen T?trault was honored on Feb. 16 by the Nebraska Alumni Association as a member of the inaugural Husker 24, an award that recognizes students for displaying the association’s core values of leadership, service, integrity and spirit.

 

T?trault was among 24 University of Nebraska juniors to receive the honor. He was chosen from a group of 65 nominees who were nominated by a faculty or staff member. The inaugural group was recognized with at a banquet with the winners later being awarded a Nebraska Ring at the annual Nebraska Ring Ceremony in April.

 

T?trault is a 2005 All-American for Nebraska, and competes as an all-arounder for the Huskers this season. The Lincoln, native also serves as the men’s gymnastics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative and is a member of the 2006 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Academic All-Conference team. 

 

T?trault was among six Husker student-athlete selected for the honor, including Sarah Pavan (volleyball), Mark Hightower (baseball), Meghan Hungerford (soccer), Imke Reimers (women’s tennis) and Issar Yazhbin (track and field). 

 

Cal to Host 2007 MPSF Championships

The 2007 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships for men’s gymnastics will be hosted by California on Saturday, March 31 at Haas Pavilion. The MPSF meet will feature five teams ? Air Force, California, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Stanford. At last year’s national meet, three of the top five teams came from the MPSF, as Oklahoma won the NCAA title, while Stanford and Cal finished third and fifth, respectively.