Nebraska Opens Three-Meet Homestand Against Stanford

The No. 10 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team returns to <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln this weekend for the first meet of a three-week homestand beginning with No. 5 Stanford on Sunday, March 4 at 2 p.m. The Huskers will be joined by the seventh-ranked Nebraska women, which play host to No. 5 Utah in the second of three double duals this season. Fans can watch live stats for both the NU men and women by going to Huskers.com.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers are 0-1 at home this season after falling to Oklahoma, 205.95-213.30, on Feb. 2. Despite the loss, NU’s score was its highest of the 2007 season, and the Huskers will be looking to improve on that mark this weekend.

 

This is the second run-in between NU and the Cardinal this season, as Nebraska traveled to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Open on Jan. 27. That meet ended in a 202.90-209.95 Cardinal win, improving Stanford’s undefeated streak against the Huskers to 5-0.

 

Nebraska enters this weekend’s competition coming off a 204.20-205.05 loss at Iowa on Feb. 24. However, NU’s score was its highest on the road this season. Additionally, the Huskers continued to improve individually, earning five event titles and setting 17 season-high scores against the Hawkeyes. Senior Jason Wassung captured the fourth all-around title of his career with a season-high mark of 52.50, while also landing the high bar crown (8.50). Sophomore T.J. Schmidt earned a pair of event titles, including his third on both the pommel horse (8.85) and the parallel bars (8.95). Schmidt shared his parallel bars titles with junior Stephen T?trault, who came back from injury to compete in the all-around (51.80) for the Huskers for the first time since Jan. 13. T?trault’s return to the all-around is especially important for Nebraska, as the Huskers lost freshman all-arounder Kyle Shanahan to injury early last week. Shanahan’s return to competition is still undetermined.

 

The Cardinal come into this weekend’s meet on a high note after setting a season best team score of 216.65 at the Pacific Coast Class last weekend for a second-place finish behind Oklahoma for its first loss of the season. Stanford has improved its team score in every meet this season and could be on track to make another run at a national title after claiming the runner-up spot in 2006.

 

Sunday’s meet is the first of three straight home competitions Nebraska will enjoy in March. Following Stanford, the Huskers host Minnesota on Sunday, March 11 in another double dual with the Nebraska women before ending the regular season against Air Force on Saturday, March 17.

 

 

Scouting the Stanford Cardinal

2007 Record: 8-1

Head Coach: Thom Glielmi, 5th season

Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/2

All-Americans Returning/Lost: 5/1

Top Returner: David Sender

2006 NCAA Finish: Second

 

?? A Quick Look at the Cardinal

After posting a runner-up finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships, the 2007 Stanford Cardinal are hot on the heels of another impressive season. The Cardinal are 8-1 this year, with their only loss coming to the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners last weekend at the Pacific Coast Classic. Stanford has improved its team score by leaps and bounds through four meets this season, claiming a season-high score of 216.65 in its last competition, just two points off the top national average of 218.717 set by Michigan.

 

The Cardinal are in their fifth season under head coach Thom Glielmi and their third with assistant coach J.D. Rieve, a former Husker gymnast. Stanford is led by junior David Sender, the nation’s No. 2 all-arounder and an alternate with the U.S. National team. Sender is especially strong on the vault, where he is currently ranked second with a three-score average of 9.217. The Cardinal also rely on senior Dylan Carney, who is currently the nation’s top-ranked high bar competitor after tying for the national title in the event with 2006 Nissen-Emery Award winner JustinSpring last year.

 

Despite Sender’s and Carney’s individual efforts on the vault and high bar, as a team Stanford is actually strongest on the still rings, where it is ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 37.467. The Cardinal are also ranked fourth on the pommel horse with an average of 34.60. 

 

?? Last Meeting

Nebraska and Stanford met earlier this season at the Stanford Open in Palo Alto, Calif., on Jan. 27, where the Cardinal extended their undefeated streak against the Huskers with a 209.90-202.90 win. The meet also featured California in triangular action with the Golden Bears marking a team score of 207.50.

 

NU sophomore T.J. Schmidt grabbed his fourth event title in three meets at the event, nabbing the parallel bars crown with a score of 9.10. Senior Jason Wassung finished second in the all-around (49.80) behind Stanford’s David Sender (53.40).

 

?? Husker History vs. Stanford

The relationship between Nebraska and Stanford is a relatively new one, especially when compared to the long history of the Husker gymnastics program. In fact, NU and Stanford did not compete for the first time until NU’s first march to Palo Alto in 1994 for a five-team competition hosted by the Cardinal. Since that time, the two programs have faced off in regular-season action just four more times, including once earlier this season. Unfortunately for Nebraska, in five regular-season meets against Stanford, the Huskers have yet to notch a win, making the Cardinal one of just three teams to boast an undefeated record over NU.

 

 

Reviewing the Rankings: Nebraska vs. Stanford

Event                          Nebraska (Season Average)     Stanford (Season Average)

Floor Exercise             12th (34.75)                                                  5th (36.433

Pommel Horse             9th (33.317)                                                   4th (34.60)

Still Rings                   10th (35.167)                                                4th (37.467)

Vault                           10th (34.10)                                                 7th (34.667)

Parallel Bars                9th (35.133)                                                 7th (35.417)

High Bar                      10th (34.067)                                                4th (35.933)

Team                          10th (204.483)                                            5th (213.583)

 

 

Wassung Named Co-MPSF Gymnast of the Week

Senior Jason Wassung was named this week’s co-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday, sharing the title with Oklahoma’s Jonathan Horton.

 

Wassung’s award comes following an outstanding meet at Iowa on Feb. 24 that saw him capture the fourth all-around title of his career with a season-high score of 52.50. He also won the high bar (8.50), and finished third on the floor exercise (9.00), pommel horse (8.55) and still rings (9.20). Wassung’s scores on the pommel horse and rings were both season highs.

 

Five 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 (9.20), and owns an event title on each apparatus.

 

This is Wassung’s first gymnast of the week honor of the season and the third of his career after the Lincoln native earned a pair of awards in 2005. This is also the second MPSF Gymnast of the Week selection for the Huskers in 2007, as sophomore T.J. Schmidt earned the award on Jan. 23.

 

 

Last Meet Repeat: Huskers Edged by Hawkeyes in Iowa

The ninth-ranked Nebraska gymnastics team dropped a nailbiter to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 205.05-204.20, on Feb. 24 in Iowa City. It was the second consecutive dual between the two programs decided by less than a point, as Iowa topped Nebraska, 209.60-209.45, last season.

 

Despite the loss, Nebraska earned four individual event titles, including a pair from sophomore T.J. Schmidt on the pommel horse (8.85) and parallel bars (8.95). Schmidt shared his parallel bars crown with junior Stephen T?trault (8.95), while freshman Tony Maras added Nebraska’s third title with a 9.45 on the still rings. Maras’ score was the highest on any event for Nebraska in 2007.

 

Senior Jason Wassung finished off the Husker event winners with the top spot on the high bar (8.50). Wassung also won the all-around with a season-high mark of 52.50, crushing his previous best of 51.60. The mark also matches his 2006 season best on the event and was the fourth all-around title of his career at Nebraska.

 

T?trault followed Wassung in second (51.80) in his first all-around appearance since Nebraska’s season opener at the Rocky Mountain Open.

 

The Huskers came out swinging on the pommel horse to open the meet, scoring a season-high team score of 33.55. Nebraska was led by Schmidt, who shared his third pommel horse title of the season with Iowa’s Jacob Becker (8.85). Wassung followed in second with a season-high of 8.55 and T?trault rounded out the top-three with an 8.45.

 

T?trault kept things going for Nebraska on the floor exercise, scoring a season-high mark of 8.90 over his previous best of 7.75. T?trault’s performance lifted his teammates, with freshman Josh Rusler adding a personal best of 8.65 and Wassung capping off the order with a 9.00 and a third-place overall finish.

 

Nebraska struggled on the vault in the third rotation, mounting a team score of 33.80 after posting a season-high of 34.80 against Oklahoma in NU’s last competition. Despite the team stumble, T?trault continued to shine, notching a score of 8.55 for third place in his return to the vaulting lineup.

 

The Huskers regained their rhythm on the still rings, led by an amazing set from Maras who tied for the event crown with a career- and team-high score of 9.45. Maras’ performance was one of a slew of strong routines from the Huskers, including career-high marks from sophomore James Mauldin (8.05) and John Robinson (8.20), and season-highs from T?trault (8.65) and Wassung (9.20). Nebraska’s individual strength led to a season-best team score of 36.05, NU’s highest score on any event in 2007.

 

Unfortunately, the Huskers continued on a roller coaster evening, as they suffered several falls during the high bar rotation for a score of just 30.75.

 

The Huskers finished the meet with a solid score of 35.05 on the parallel bars behind the first-place tying scores of 8.95 from both Schmidt and T?trault, but the late surge wouldn’t be enough to top the Hawkeyes, who improved to 12-8-1 all-time against Nebraska.

 

 

Husker Injury Update

The Nebraska all-around corps was struck with an unfortunate blow last week as freshman Kyle Shanahan suffered an injury in practice that will keep him out of competition for several weeks. Shanahan had competed as an all-arounder for the Huskers in two of four meets for NU this season and was Nebraska’s top floor exercise competition, earning a season-high mark of 9.35.

 

Shanahan’s injury came at one of the busiest times of the season for Nebraska, which will host three consecutive home meets in March. The three competitions are especially important for the Huskers, who will try to cement two strong home scores that can be used in their modified three-score average in order to qualify for the NCAA Championships in April.

 

Although Shanahan’s return has yet to be determined, it is possible that he will be able to compete in postseason action.

 

 

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 five meets this season, these three returners have accounted for 58 percent of NU’s team point production, or 583.70 of 1,006.05 total points.

 

Wassung, the team’s only consistent all-arounder, is responsible for almost 23 percent by himself and has counted all but two 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 11 of 13 event titles for Nebraska, with Schmidt leading the way at six.

 

 

First Time Face Off

Although Nebraska and Stanford have been part of the same conference since 1994, competing five times during the regular season and meeting on many more occasions in postseason action, the two programs have never competed in a strict dual against one another. All that will changes this Sunday however, as Nebraska welcomes the Cardinal to the DevaneySportsCenter for the first time on Sunday.

 

The dual is also the first time in 2007 that Stanford will compete in dual action against any team other than the California Golden Bears, which the Cardinal have met one-on-one twice already this season.

 

 

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.

 

 

Schmidt Hits

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

 

In the last six weeks, Schmidt has set career high scores seven times, besting his own high scores on floor exercise (8.60), pommel horse (9.00), 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 six event titles this season, three on pommel horse and three on parallel bars. He also owns a team-high score of 9.00 on the pommel horse.

 

Schmidt debuted at 13th on the pommel horse in GymInfo event rankings this season and this week improved to the 11th-place spot. He is also ranked 15th 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.        

 

 

Bevy of Bests

Despite going more than two weeks without seeing competition, Nebraska showed no sign it was out of practice against Iowa, as the Huskers set 17 individual and two team event high scores in their loss to the Hawkeyes.

 

As a team, NU put up top scores on the pommel horse (33.55) and still rings (36.05), with its rings score becoming Nebraska’s highest mark on any event this season.

 

Individually, seven Huskers accounted for 17 season bests, with junior Stephen T?trault leading the way with four season-highs and a career-high on the parallel bars (8.95).

 

 

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.