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?<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (15th Year) <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
?Current Team Record: 3-1 (2-0 Big 12)
?2008 High Score: 196.675 (vs. Missouri, 1/25/08)
?Last Meet: Win, vs. #14 Missouri, 1/25/08 (196.675-195.35)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 6th (195.975 at Super Six Finals)
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team takes on Big 12 Conference foe and sixth-ranked Oklahoma this Friday, Feb. 1, in Norman, Okla. Competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the LloydNobleCenter. The Huskers lead OU 59-17 in the all-time series dating back to 1981.
NU is 3-1 on the year after a season-high 196.675-195.35 win over No. 15 Missouri at the DevaneyCenter last Friday. Senior Emily Parsons led the Huskers over the Tigers, winning individual titles in the all-around (39.525), vault (9.925), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90). As a team, NU put up the second-highest vault total in the nation this year (49.425), behind only Florida’s mark of 49.525.
The NU-OU dual will feature this week’s Big 12 Co-Gymnasts of the Week, Parsons and Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms, facing off in a battle of two of the nation’s top ranked competitors. Parsons has claimed four straight vault titles this season, as has Redmond-Sturms, who has also won four consecutive all-around crowns.
The Huskers return home to the DevaneyCenter next Thursday, Feb. 7, for a dual with No. 5 Michigan at 7 p.m. In support of breast cancer awareness, Nebraska will don pink leotards for a “Think Pink”-themed meet.
Scouting the Competition: No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners
?Head Coach: K.J. Kindler (Second Year)
?2008 Record: 8-0
?2008 High Score: 196.55 (at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08)
?Last Meet: Win, at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08 (1st/196.55)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 8th (196.25 at NCAA Preliminaries)
A Glance at the Sooners...
?OU’s top returning gymnast is senior Kiara Redmond-Sturms, a five-time All-American. Redmond-Sturms finished fourth on floor and eighth on vault in event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships.
?Redmond-Sturms scored a career-high 39.525 to win the all-around title last week at West Virginia, while also placing first with season bests on vault (9.875), bars (9.90) and floor (9.925). She is tied for first nationally on floor this week with Georgia’s Courtney McCool and has won four straight all-around and floor titles this year.
?Redmond-Sturms and sophomore Hollie Vise swept the weekly Big 12 awards for Jan. 22, as they were honored as Gymnast of the Week and Event Specialist of the Week, respectively.
?Nebraska and Oklahoma last met at the afternoon preliminary session of the 2007 NCAA Championships, where Nebraska finished third (196.925) and OU placed fourth (196.25).
Nebraska’s Competition Order at Oklahoma
Rotation Oklahoma Nebraska
1 Vault Uneven Bars
2 Uneven Bars Vault
3 Balance Beam Floor Exercise
4 Floor Exercise Balance Beam
Parsons Named Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week
Senior Emily Parsons was honored as Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. Parsons was recognized for the first time this year and a Big 12-record 10th time in her career, and shares the award with Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms.
Parsons won four event titles against Missouri last Friday. Parsons finished first on vault (9.925), beam (9.90), floor (9.90) and the all-around (39.525). The St. Charles, Mo., native nabbed her fourth straight vault crown and achieved season bests on beam, floor and the all-around, while also helping Nebraska to a season-best team total of 196.675.
Redmond-Sturms led the Sooners to a season-high team score of 196.55 in a win over West Virginia, George Washington, and William & Mary last weekend. The senior All-American won titles on vault (9.875), uneven bars (9.900), floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.525). Redmond-Sturms won her fourth straight all-around title and currently leads the country on floor with an event average of 9.931.
Parsons Leads Huskers into 2008 Season
Senior Emily Parsons leads Nebraska in 2008 after earning nine All-America awards in her first three seasons at NU. The St. Charles, Mo., native finished third on vault and fourth on floor in the individual event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships to garner first-team All-America honors on both events.
In 2007, Parsons was also named the South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year for the second time and was one of four finalists for the Honda Award. Parsons snagged Big 12 Conference crowns in the all-around, vault, beam and floor, as well as five all-conference nods. She also claimed NCAA regional titles on vault and floor. During her career, Parsons has run away with a total of 97 event crowns, including four from last weekend against Missouri. Parsons won her fourth straight vault title with a 9.925, as well as the all-around (39.525), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90) titles with season highs on the final three.
Parsons is ranked second nationally on vault with an average of 9.925, as well as fifth on beam (9.869) and 13th in the all-around (39.30) is this week’s GymInfo national rankings.
Parsons Nears Career 100-Title Mark
Just three meets into her senior year, Emily Parsons owns a career total of 97 event titles in three-plus years at Nebraska, continuing her reign in the No. 1 spot on NU’s all-time career individual titles chart. Last season, Parsons passed Richelle Simpson, who garnered 77 individual crowns at Nebraska, and Heather Brink, who earned a total of 70 in her career. Two of Nebraska’s most decorated gymnasts, Simpson and Brink were both two-time NCAA champions in their four-year Husker careers.
Gymnast Years at NU Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total Career Titles
Emily Parsons 2005-present 16 34 35 12 97
Richelle Simpson 2002-05 9 39 6 23 77
Heather Brink 1997-2000 7 19 10 34 70
Meloche Returns to NU Bars Lineup
Junior Vanessa Meloche returned to the bars lineup last Friday after nearly one year of rehabilitating a season-ending knee injury suffered in February 2007. Meloche, a first-team All-American and the 2006 Big 12 champion on bars, came out strong against Missouri, finishing second with a 9.875. A seven-year member of the Canadian National Team, she was the 2002 Canadian National bars champion.
Junior All-Americans Become Seasoned Veterans
Nebraska’s junior class includes a trio of returning All-Americans in Tricia Woo, Kylie Stone and Vanessa Meloche. Woo, a three-time All-American, took first-team honors on beam (2007) and floor (2006), as well as a second-team award on beam in 2006. In NU’s two-dual opening weekend, Woo was stellar for the Huskers, as she competed on three events -- vault, beam and floor. The Milpitas, Calif., native earned strong marks of 9.80 and 9.825 in her first two meets on vault since performing once on the event in 2007.
In Nebraska’s meet with ASU, Woo was a rock for NU, capturing the beam title with a career-high 9.925 and adding a 9.825 on floor. Last weekend against Missouri, she tied for fourth on vault (9.875), second on beam (9.875) and fifth on floor (9.825).
The junior class also boasts a pair of former Canadian National Team members in Meloche and Stone. A second-team All-American on vault in 2006, Stone grabbed All-Big 12 accolades on vault in her sophomore season. Before beginning her career at Nebraska, she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and finished 14th in the all-around at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif., making her the highest-finishing Canadian female all-arounder in World Championships history.
Kendig Builds One of Nation’s Top Programs at Nebraska
Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 31 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In his 15th season at Nebraska, Kendig is 345-128-4 overall and 242-50-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 25th year of coaching and owns a career record of 458-240-5.
A seven-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to nine conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 2002.
He has also led Nebraska to 11 NCAA Championships appearances in the past 13 seasons, including nine NCAA Super Six Finals appearances (1997-99, 2000-01-02-03-05-06-07). Kendig was honored as the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003, a year in which the Huskers finished fourth nationally.
Under Kendig's guidance in 2007, Nebraska finished with a 26-12 overall record. The Huskers earned their 20th overall conference championship (196.475) and placed second (196.65) in the NCAA West Regional behind Utah. NU also finished sixth (195.975) in the Super Six Finals. Four of Kendig’s gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (V, FX), Michele Zabawa (V, UB), Tricia Woo (BB) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB) -- earned a total of six All-America honors.
Kendig is assisted by associate head coach Danna Durante, who is in her sixth season with Nebraska, and assistant coach Tim Garrison, who is in his second year on the Husker staff.
Woo, Sniatynski Sweep First Weekly Big 12 Awards
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski and junior Tricia Woo were honored as the first winners of the Big 12 Gymnast and Event Specialist of the Week awards, respectively, the conference office announced on Jan. 15. Sniatynski was recognized for the second time in her career, while Woo earned the first weekly conference honor of her career.
Sniatynski captured Gymnast-of-the-Week honors after taking two bars title against IowaState and ArizonaState. The Kenosha, Wis., native scored a career-high 39.45 in the all-around against ASU to finish second, while also earning runner-up honors on vault, beam and floor with a trio of 9.85 marks.
Woo was recognized as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after a career performance on beam against the Sun Devils. The Milpitas, Calif., native took the beam crown with a career-high 9.925 and also finished third on floor and fourth on vault with a pair of 9.825s.
Sniatynski Earns Career High in All-Around
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski has emerged as one of Nebraska’s top all-around competitors in the last two seasons, and her performance against Missouri displayed her All-America caliber all-around contributions. Sniatynski claimed her third bars title of the year, tying her career best on the event with a 9.90. The Kenosha, Wis., native also finished second in the all-around (39.325), behind only Emily Parsons (39.525). She is currently ranked 15th nationally on bars and 23rd on the all-around chart.
With her career-high 39.45 all-around and 9.90 bars performance against Arizona State on Jan. 13, Sniatynski was honored the following Tuesday as the conference’s first Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for the 2008 season.
A three-time All-American on bars, Sniatynski claimed a share of the 2006 Big 12 bars crown with teammate Vanessa Meloche, and she has won a total of 14 individual event crowns as a Husker.
Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class
Nebraska welcomed three newcomers to its roster this season: freshmen Erin Davis, Brittnee Habbib and Stephanie Seich. While Seich has been sidelined with an injury, Habbib and Davis have stepped up to fill in NU’s injury-challenged lineup in 2008.
Habbib was utilized as an all-arounder in the weekend of her collegiate debut and was a refreshing addition to the bars and beam teams. At IowaState, she stole the show on beam, tying for runner-up honors with fellow Husker Maria Scaffidi, as the duo contributed a pair of 9.85s. In last week’s dual with Missouri, she finished fourth on bars with a season-high 9.85.
A former member of the Canadian Senior National Team, Habbib brings impressive international experience to NU. The North York, Ontario, native and product of Gemini Gymnastics represented Canada at the 2006 World Championships and the 2007 Pan Am Games, leading the Canadian team to a bronze medal. Habbib also took home fifth-place honors in the all-around at the 2006 Canadian National Championships.
Davis has served as a vault specialist in her first month of competition, scoring no less than a 9.80 each time out. Last weekend against Mizzou, Davis earned a career-high 9.875 to tie for fourth with Tricia Woo. A former Level 10 gymnast, she has drawn early comparisons to Emily Parsons from the Nebraska coaching staff, who noted her power and tumbling skills on vault and floor.
A former international elite competitor, Seich comes to Lincoln from Rebound Gymnastics in New Brunswick, N.J. She qualified to the 2005 U.S. Classic as a senior, and as a junior international elite competitor in 2004, she finished 13th in the all-around at the U.S. Classic and 18th in the all-around at the U.S. Championships.
Scaffidi Emerges Strong as All-Arounder in 2008
Sophomore Maria Scaffidi has starred for the Huskers in an all-around role this season, starting with the first individual crown of her career with a first-place finish (39.00) at IowaState. Last weekend against Missouri, Scaffidi topped her career high set in the Huskers’ opening weekend and finished fourth with a 39.275. Scaffidi also placed fifth on floor (9.825) and sixth on beam (9.80) and vault (9.85).
As a freshman in 2007, Scaffidi was integral to Nebraska’s run in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships, where her career-best 9.85 vault helped propel NU to the Super Six Finals.
No. 12 Nebraska Set for Sooners
?Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (15th Year)
?Current Team Record: 3-1 (2-0 Big 12)
?2008 High Score: 196.675 (vs. Missouri, 1/25/08)
?Last Meet: Win, vs. #14 Missouri, 1/25/08 (196.675-195.35)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 6th (195.975 at Super Six Finals)
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team takes on Big 12 Conference foe and sixth-ranked Oklahoma this Friday, Feb. 1, in Norman, Okla. Competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the LloydNobleCenter. The Huskers lead OU 59-17 in the all-time series dating back to 1981.
NU is 3-1 on the year after a season-high 196.675-195.35 win over No. 15 Missouri at the DevaneyCenter last Friday. Senior Emily Parsons led the Huskers over the Tigers, winning individual titles in the all-around (39.525), vault (9.925), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90). As a team, NU put up the second-highest vault total in the nation this year (49.425), behind only Florida’s mark of 49.525.
The NU-OU dual will feature this week’s Big 12 Co-Gymnasts of the Week, Parsons and Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms, facing off in a battle of two of the nation’s top ranked competitors. Parsons has claimed four straight vault titles this season, as has Redmond-Sturms, who has also won four consecutive all-around crowns.
The Huskers return home to the DevaneyCenter next Thursday, Feb. 7, for a dual with No. 5 Michigan at 7 p.m. In support of breast cancer awareness, Nebraska will don pink leotards for a “Think Pink”-themed meet.
Scouting the Competition: No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners
?Head Coach: K.J. Kindler (Second Year)
?2008 Record: 8-0
?2008 High Score: 196.55 (at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08)
?Last Meet: Win, at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08 (1st/196.55)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 8th (196.25 at NCAA Preliminaries)
A Glance at the Sooners...
?OU’s top returning gymnast is senior Kiara Redmond-Sturms, a five-time All-American. Redmond-Sturms finished fourth on floor and eighth on vault in event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships.
?Redmond-Sturms scored a career-high 39.525 to win the all-around title last week at West Virginia, while also placing first with season bests on vault (9.875), bars (9.90) and floor (9.925). She is tied for first nationally on floor this week with Georgia’s Courtney McCool and has won four straight all-around and floor titles this year.
?Redmond-Sturms and sophomore Hollie Vise swept the weekly Big 12 awards for Jan. 22, as they were honored as Gymnast of the Week and Event Specialist of the Week, respectively.
?Nebraska and Oklahoma last met at the afternoon preliminary session of the 2007 NCAA Championships, where Nebraska finished third (196.925) and OU placed fourth (196.25).
Nebraska’s Competition Order at Oklahoma
Rotation Oklahoma Nebraska
1 Vault Uneven Bars
2 Uneven Bars Vault
3 Balance Beam Floor Exercise
4 Floor Exercise Balance Beam
Parsons Named Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week
Senior Emily Parsons was honored as Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. Parsons was recognized for the first time this year and a Big 12-record 10th time in her career, and shares the award with Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms.
Parsons won four event titles against Missouri last Friday. Parsons finished first on vault (9.925), beam (9.90), floor (9.90) and the all-around (39.525). The St. Charles, Mo., native nabbed her fourth straight vault crown and achieved season bests on beam, floor and the all-around, while also helping Nebraska to a season-best team total of 196.675.
Redmond-Sturms led the Sooners to a season-high team score of 196.55 in a win over West Virginia, George Washington, and William & Mary last weekend. The senior All-American won titles on vault (9.875), uneven bars (9.900), floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.525). Redmond-Sturms won her fourth straight all-around title and currently leads the country on floor with an event average of 9.931.
Parsons Leads Huskers into 2008 Season
Senior Emily Parsons leads Nebraska in 2008 after earning nine All-America awards in her first three seasons at NU. The St. Charles, Mo., native finished third on vault and fourth on floor in the individual event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships to garner first-team All-America honors on both events.
In 2007, Parsons was also named the South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year for the second time and was one of four finalists for the Honda Award. Parsons snagged Big 12 Conference crowns in the all-around, vault, beam and floor, as well as five all-conference nods. She also claimed NCAA regional titles on vault and floor. During her career, Parsons has run away with a total of 97 event crowns, including four from last weekend against Missouri. Parsons won her fourth straight vault title with a 9.925, as well as the all-around (39.525), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90) titles with season highs on the final three.
Parsons is ranked second nationally on vault with an average of 9.925, as well as fifth on beam (9.869) and 13th in the all-around (39.30) is this week’s GymInfo national rankings.
Parsons Nears Career 100-Title Mark
Just three meets into her senior year, Emily Parsons owns a career total of 97 event titles in three-plus years at Nebraska, continuing her reign in the No. 1 spot on NU’s all-time career individual titles chart. Last season, Parsons passed Richelle Simpson, who garnered 77 individual crowns at Nebraska, and Heather Brink, who earned a total of 70 in her career. Two of Nebraska’s most decorated gymnasts, Simpson and Brink were both two-time NCAA champions in their four-year Husker careers.
Gymnast Years at NU Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total Career Titles
Emily Parsons 2005-present 16 34 35 12 97
Richelle Simpson 2002-05 9 39 6 23 77
Heather Brink 1997-2000 7 19 10 34 70
Meloche Returns to NU Bars Lineup
Junior Vanessa Meloche returned to the bars lineup last Friday after nearly one year of rehabilitating a season-ending knee injury suffered in February 2007. Meloche, a first-team All-American and the 2006 Big 12 champion on bars, came out strong against Missouri, finishing second with a 9.875. A seven-year member of the Canadian National Team, she was the 2002 Canadian National bars champion.
Junior All-Americans Become Seasoned Veterans
Nebraska’s junior class includes a trio of returning All-Americans in Tricia Woo, Kylie Stone and Vanessa Meloche. Woo, a three-time All-American, took first-team honors on beam (2007) and floor (2006), as well as a second-team award on beam in 2006. In NU’s two-dual opening weekend, Woo was stellar for the Huskers, as she competed on three events -- vault, beam and floor. The Milpitas, Calif., native earned strong marks of 9.80 and 9.825 in her first two meets on vault since performing once on the event in 2007.
In Nebraska’s meet with ASU, Woo was a rock for NU, capturing the beam title with a career-high 9.925 and adding a 9.825 on floor. Last weekend against Missouri, she tied for fourth on vault (9.875), second on beam (9.875) and fifth on floor (9.825).
The junior class also boasts a pair of former Canadian National Team members in Meloche and Stone. A second-team All-American on vault in 2006, Stone grabbed All-Big 12 accolades on vault in her sophomore season. Before beginning her career at Nebraska, she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and finished 14th in the all-around at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif., making her the highest-finishing Canadian female all-arounder in World Championships history.
Kendig Builds One of Nation’s Top Programs at Nebraska
Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 31 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In his 15th season at Nebraska, Kendig is 345-128-4 overall and 242-50-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 25th year of coaching and owns a career record of 458-240-5.
A seven-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to nine conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 2002.
He has also led Nebraska to 11 NCAA Championships appearances in the past 13 seasons, including nine NCAA Super Six Finals appearances (1997-99, 2000-01-02-03-05-06-07). Kendig was honored as the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003, a year in which the Huskers finished fourth nationally.
Under Kendig's guidance in 2007, Nebraska finished with a 26-12 overall record. The Huskers earned their 20th overall conference championship (196.475) and placed second (196.65) in the NCAA West Regional behind Utah. NU also finished sixth (195.975) in the Super Six Finals. Four of Kendig’s gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (V, FX), Michele Zabawa (V, UB), Tricia Woo (BB) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB) -- earned a total of six All-America honors.
Kendig is assisted by associate head coach Danna Durante, who is in her sixth season with Nebraska, and assistant coach Tim Garrison, who is in his second year on the Husker staff.
Woo, Sniatynski Sweep First Weekly Big 12 Awards
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski and junior Tricia Woo were honored as the first winners of the Big 12 Gymnast and Event Specialist of the Week awards, respectively, the conference office announced on Jan. 15. Sniatynski was recognized for the second time in her career, while Woo earned the first weekly conference honor of her career.
Sniatynski captured Gymnast-of-the-Week honors after taking two bars title against IowaState and ArizonaState. The Kenosha, Wis., native scored a career-high 39.45 in the all-around against ASU to finish second, while also earning runner-up honors on vault, beam and floor with a trio of 9.85 marks.
Woo was recognized as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after a career performance on beam against the Sun Devils. The Milpitas, Calif., native took the beam crown with a career-high 9.925 and also finished third on floor and fourth on vault with a pair of 9.825s.
Sniatynski Earns Career High in All-Around
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski has emerged as one of Nebraska’s top all-around competitors in the last two seasons, and her performance against Missouri displayed her All-America caliber all-around contributions. Sniatynski claimed her third bars title of the year, tying her career best on the event with a 9.90. The Kenosha, Wis., native also finished second in the all-around (39.325), behind only Emily Parsons (39.525). She is currently ranked 15th nationally on bars and 23rd on the all-around chart.
With her career-high 39.45 all-around and 9.90 bars performance against Arizona State on Jan. 13, Sniatynski was honored the following Tuesday as the conference’s first Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for the 2008 season.
A three-time All-American on bars, Sniatynski claimed a share of the 2006 Big 12 bars crown with teammate Vanessa Meloche, and she has won a total of 14 individual event crowns as a Husker.
Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class
Nebraska welcomed three newcomers to its roster this season: freshmen Erin Davis, Brittnee Habbib and Stephanie Seich. While Seich has been sidelined with an injury, Habbib and Davis have stepped up to fill in NU’s injury-challenged lineup in 2008.
Habbib was utilized as an all-arounder in the weekend of her collegiate debut and was a refreshing addition to the bars and beam teams. At IowaState, she stole the show on beam, tying for runner-up honors with fellow Husker Maria Scaffidi, as the duo contributed a pair of 9.85s. In last week’s dual with Missouri, she finished fourth on bars with a season-high 9.85.
A former member of the Canadian Senior National Team, Habbib brings impressive international experience to NU. The North York, Ontario, native and product of Gemini Gymnastics represented Canada at the 2006 World Championships and the 2007 Pan Am Games, leading the Canadian team to a bronze medal. Habbib also took home fifth-place honors in the all-around at the 2006 Canadian National Championships.
Davis has served as a vault specialist in her first month of competition, scoring no less than a 9.80 each time out. Last weekend against Mizzou, Davis earned a career-high 9.875 to tie for fourth with Tricia Woo. A former Level 10 gymnast, she has drawn early comparisons to Emily Parsons from the Nebraska coaching staff, who noted her power and tumbling skills on vault and floor.
A former international elite competitor, Seich comes to Lincoln from Rebound Gymnastics in New Brunswick, N.J. She qualified to the 2005 U.S. Classic as a senior, and as a junior international elite competitor in 2004, she finished 13th in the all-around at the U.S. Classic and 18th in the all-around at the U.S. Championships.
Scaffidi Emerges Strong as All-Arounder in 2008
Sophomore Maria Scaffidi has starred for the Huskers in an all-around role this season, starting with the first individual crown of her career with a first-place finish (39.00) at IowaState. Last weekend against Missouri, Scaffidi topped her career high set in the Huskers’ opening weekend and finished fourth with a 39.275. Scaffidi also placed fifth on floor (9.825) and sixth on beam (9.80) and vault (9.85).
As a freshman in 2007, Scaffidi was integral to Nebraska’s run in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships, where her career-best 9.85 vault helped propel NU to the Super Six Finals.
No. 12 Nebraska Set for Sooners
?Nebraska Head Coach: Dan Kendig (15th Year)
?Current Team Record: 3-1 (2-0 Big 12)
?2008 High Score: 196.675 (vs. Missouri, 1/25/08)
?Last Meet: Win, vs. #14 Missouri, 1/25/08 (196.675-195.35)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 6th (195.975 at Super Six Finals)
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team takes on Big 12 Conference foe and sixth-ranked Oklahoma this Friday, Feb. 1, in Norman, Okla. Competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the LloydNobleCenter. The Huskers lead OU 59-17 in the all-time series dating back to 1981.
NU is 3-1 on the year after a season-high 196.675-195.35 win over No. 15 Missouri at the DevaneyCenter last Friday. Senior Emily Parsons led the Huskers over the Tigers, winning individual titles in the all-around (39.525), vault (9.925), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90). As a team, NU put up the second-highest vault total in the nation this year (49.425), behind only Florida’s mark of 49.525.
The NU-OU dual will feature this week’s Big 12 Co-Gymnasts of the Week, Parsons and Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms, facing off in a battle of two of the nation’s top ranked competitors. Parsons has claimed four straight vault titles this season, as has Redmond-Sturms, who has also won four consecutive all-around crowns.
The Huskers return home to the DevaneyCenter next Thursday, Feb. 7, for a dual with No. 5 Michigan at 7 p.m. In support of breast cancer awareness, Nebraska will don pink leotards for a “Think Pink”-themed meet.
Scouting the Competition: No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners
?Head Coach: K.J. Kindler (Second Year)
?2008 Record: 8-0
?2008 High Score: 196.55 (at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08)
?Last Meet: Win, at West Virginia with GWU and William & Mary, 1/27/08 (1st/196.55)
?2007 NCAA Finish: 8th (196.25 at NCAA Preliminaries)
A Glance at the Sooners...
?OU’s top returning gymnast is senior Kiara Redmond-Sturms, a five-time All-American. Redmond-Sturms finished fourth on floor and eighth on vault in event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships.
?Redmond-Sturms scored a career-high 39.525 to win the all-around title last week at West Virginia, while also placing first with season bests on vault (9.875), bars (9.90) and floor (9.925). She is tied for first nationally on floor this week with Georgia’s Courtney McCool and has won four straight all-around and floor titles this year.
?Redmond-Sturms and sophomore Hollie Vise swept the weekly Big 12 awards for Jan. 22, as they were honored as Gymnast of the Week and Event Specialist of the Week, respectively.
?Nebraska and Oklahoma last met at the afternoon preliminary session of the 2007 NCAA Championships, where Nebraska finished third (196.925) and OU placed fourth (196.25).
Nebraska’s Competition Order at Oklahoma
Rotation Oklahoma Nebraska
1 Vault Uneven Bars
2 Uneven Bars Vault
3 Balance Beam Floor Exercise
4 Floor Exercise Balance Beam
Parsons Named Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week
Senior Emily Parsons was honored as Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. Parsons was recognized for the first time this year and a Big 12-record 10th time in her career, and shares the award with Oklahoma’s Kiara Redmond-Sturms.
Parsons won four event titles against Missouri last Friday. Parsons finished first on vault (9.925), beam (9.90), floor (9.90) and the all-around (39.525). The St. Charles, Mo., native nabbed her fourth straight vault crown and achieved season bests on beam, floor and the all-around, while also helping Nebraska to a season-best team total of 196.675.
Redmond-Sturms led the Sooners to a season-high team score of 196.55 in a win over West Virginia, George Washington, and William & Mary last weekend. The senior All-American won titles on vault (9.875), uneven bars (9.900), floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.525). Redmond-Sturms won her fourth straight all-around title and currently leads the country on floor with an event average of 9.931.
Parsons Leads Huskers into 2008 Season
Senior Emily Parsons leads Nebraska in 2008 after earning nine All-America awards in her first three seasons at NU. The St. Charles, Mo., native finished third on vault and fourth on floor in the individual event finals at the 2007 NCAA Championships to garner first-team All-America honors on both events.
In 2007, Parsons was also named the South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year for the second time and was one of four finalists for the Honda Award. Parsons snagged Big 12 Conference crowns in the all-around, vault, beam and floor, as well as five all-conference nods. She also claimed NCAA regional titles on vault and floor. During her career, Parsons has run away with a total of 97 event crowns, including four from last weekend against Missouri. Parsons won her fourth straight vault title with a 9.925, as well as the all-around (39.525), beam (9.90) and floor (9.90) titles with season highs on the final three.
Parsons is ranked second nationally on vault with an average of 9.925, as well as fifth on beam (9.869) and 13th in the all-around (39.30) is this week’s GymInfo national rankings.
Parsons Nears Career 100-Title Mark
Just three meets into her senior year, Emily Parsons owns a career total of 97 event titles in three-plus years at Nebraska, continuing her reign in the No. 1 spot on NU’s all-time career individual titles chart. Last season, Parsons passed Richelle Simpson, who garnered 77 individual crowns at Nebraska, and Heather Brink, who earned a total of 70 in her career. Two of Nebraska’s most decorated gymnasts, Simpson and Brink were both two-time NCAA champions in their four-year Husker careers.
Gymnast Years at NU Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total Career Titles
Emily Parsons 2005-present 16 34 35 12 97
Richelle Simpson 2002-05 9 39 6 23 77
Heather Brink 1997-2000 7 19 10 34 70
Meloche Returns to NU Bars Lineup
Junior Vanessa Meloche returned to the bars lineup last Friday after nearly one year of rehabilitating a season-ending knee injury suffered in February 2007. Meloche, a first-team All-American and the 2006 Big 12 champion on bars, came out strong against Missouri, finishing second with a 9.875. A seven-year member of the Canadian National Team, she was the 2002 Canadian National bars champion.
Junior All-Americans Become Seasoned Veterans
Nebraska’s junior class includes a trio of returning All-Americans in Tricia Woo, Kylie Stone and Vanessa Meloche. Woo, a three-time All-American, took first-team honors on beam (2007) and floor (2006), as well as a second-team award on beam in 2006. In NU’s two-dual opening weekend, Woo was stellar for the Huskers, as she competed on three events -- vault, beam and floor. The Milpitas, Calif., native earned strong marks of 9.80 and 9.825 in her first two meets on vault since performing once on the event in 2007.
In Nebraska’s meet with ASU, Woo was a rock for NU, capturing the beam title with a career-high 9.925 and adding a 9.825 on floor. Last weekend against Missouri, she tied for fourth on vault (9.875), second on beam (9.875) and fifth on floor (9.825).
The junior class also boasts a pair of former Canadian National Team members in Meloche and Stone. A second-team All-American on vault in 2006, Stone grabbed All-Big 12 accolades on vault in her sophomore season. Before beginning her career at Nebraska, she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and finished 14th in the all-around at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif., making her the highest-finishing Canadian female all-arounder in World Championships history.
Kendig Builds One of Nation’s Top Programs at Nebraska
Head Coach Dan Kendig is the all-time winningest coach in the 31 years of Nebraska women's gymnastics history. In his 15th season at Nebraska, Kendig is 345-128-4 overall and 242-50-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 25th year of coaching and owns a career record of 458-240-5.
A seven-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Kendig has guided the Huskers to nine conference championships and three straight regional championships from 2000 to 2002.
He has also led Nebraska to 11 NCAA Championships appearances in the past 13 seasons, including nine NCAA Super Six Finals appearances (1997-99, 2000-01-02-03-05-06-07). Kendig was honored as the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003, a year in which the Huskers finished fourth nationally.
Under Kendig's guidance in 2007, Nebraska finished with a 26-12 overall record. The Huskers earned their 20th overall conference championship (196.475) and placed second (196.65) in the NCAA West Regional behind Utah. NU also finished sixth (195.975) in the Super Six Finals. Four of Kendig’s gymnasts -- Emily Parsons (V, FX), Michele Zabawa (V, UB), Tricia Woo (BB) and Desire’ Sniatynski (UB) -- earned a total of six All-America honors.
Kendig is assisted by associate head coach Danna Durante, who is in her sixth season with Nebraska, and assistant coach Tim Garrison, who is in his second year on the Husker staff.
Woo, Sniatynski Sweep First Weekly Big 12 Awards
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski and junior Tricia Woo were honored as the first winners of the Big 12 Gymnast and Event Specialist of the Week awards, respectively, the conference office announced on Jan. 15. Sniatynski was recognized for the second time in her career, while Woo earned the first weekly conference honor of her career.
Sniatynski captured Gymnast-of-the-Week honors after taking two bars title against IowaState and ArizonaState. The Kenosha, Wis., native scored a career-high 39.45 in the all-around against ASU to finish second, while also earning runner-up honors on vault, beam and floor with a trio of 9.85 marks.
Woo was recognized as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after a career performance on beam against the Sun Devils. The Milpitas, Calif., native took the beam crown with a career-high 9.925 and also finished third on floor and fourth on vault with a pair of 9.825s.
Sniatynski Earns Career High in All-Around
Senior Desire’ Sniatynski has emerged as one of Nebraska’s top all-around competitors in the last two seasons, and her performance against Missouri displayed her All-America caliber all-around contributions. Sniatynski claimed her third bars title of the year, tying her career best on the event with a 9.90. The Kenosha, Wis., native also finished second in the all-around (39.325), behind only Emily Parsons (39.525). She is currently ranked 15th nationally on bars and 23rd on the all-around chart.
With her career-high 39.45 all-around and 9.90 bars performance against Arizona State on Jan. 13, Sniatynski was honored the following Tuesday as the conference’s first Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for the 2008 season.
A three-time All-American on bars, Sniatynski claimed a share of the 2006 Big 12 bars crown with teammate Vanessa Meloche, and she has won a total of 14 individual event crowns as a Husker.
Looking to the Future: The New Husker Class
Nebraska welcomed three newcomers to its roster this season: freshmen Erin Davis, Brittnee Habbib and Stephanie Seich. While Seich has been sidelined with an injury, Habbib and Davis have stepped up to fill in NU’s injury-challenged lineup in 2008.
Habbib was utilized as an all-arounder in the weekend of her collegiate debut and was a refreshing addition to the bars and beam teams. At IowaState, she stole the show on beam, tying for runner-up honors with fellow Husker Maria Scaffidi, as the duo contributed a pair of 9.85s. In last week’s dual with Missouri, she finished fourth on bars with a season-high 9.85.
A former member of the Canadian Senior National Team, Habbib brings impressive international experience to NU. The North York, Ontario, native and product of Gemini Gymnastics represented Canada at the 2006 World Championships and the 2007 Pan Am Games, leading the Canadian team to a bronze medal. Habbib also took home fifth-place honors in the all-around at the 2006 Canadian National Championships.
Davis has served as a vault specialist in her first month of competition, scoring no less than a 9.80 each time out. Last weekend against Mizzou, Davis earned a career-high 9.875 to tie for fourth with Tricia Woo. A former Level 10 gymnast, she has drawn early comparisons to Emily Parsons from the Nebraska coaching staff, who noted her power and tumbling skills on vault and floor.
A former international elite competitor, Seich comes to Lincoln from Rebound Gymnastics in New Brunswick, N.J. She qualified to the 2005 U.S. Classic as a senior, and as a junior international elite competitor in 2004, she finished 13th in the all-around at the U.S. Classic and 18th in the all-around at the U.S. Championships.
Scaffidi Emerges Strong as All-Arounder in 2008
Sophomore Maria Scaffidi has starred for the Huskers in an all-around role this season, starting with the first individual crown of her career with a first-place finish (39.00) at IowaState. Last weekend against Missouri, Scaffidi topped her career high set in the Huskers’ opening weekend and finished fourth with a 39.275. Scaffidi also placed fifth on floor (9.825) and sixth on beam (9.80) and vault (9.85).
As a freshman in 2007, Scaffidi was integral to Nebraska’s run in the preliminary session of the NCAA Championships, where her career-best 9.85 vault helped propel NU to the Super Six Finals.