No. 16 NU Faces National Powers Stanford and Alabama

?<?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: 5-3 (2-1 Big 12)

?2008 High Score: 196.675 (vs. Missouri, 1/25/08)

?Last Meet: Win, at Kentucky, 2/29/08 (194.35-194.25)

?2007 NCAA Finish: 6th (195.975 at Super Six Finals)

                               

The No. 16 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team travels to Palo Alto, Calif., this Friday, March 7, for a 9 p.m. triangular with No. 9 Stanford and No. 6 Alabama at Maples Pavilion. The Huskers have all-time records of 6-2 against Stanford and 5-23 with Alabama.

 

NU is 5-3 on the year after a narrow 194.35-194.25 win at Kentucky on Feb. 29. Senior Emily Parsons captured event wins on vault (9.95), floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.275), while senior Desire’ Sniatynski took the beam crown with a 9.85 and earned runner-up honors in the all-around (39.175).

 

The Huskers return to Lincoln for their final home meet of the season on Friday, March 14, a dual with IowaState, at 7 p.m. The meet will feature Senior Night recognition for Parsons, Sniatynski, Brittney Williams and Vanessa Meloche. The Nebraska men’s team will also face off in a dual with Iowa.

 

Scouting the Competition: Stanford Cardinal

?Head Coach: Kristen Smyth (Eighth Year)   

?2008 Record: 9-4

?2008 High Score: 197.375 (vs. California, 2/24/08)

?Last Meet: 1st/4 (195.80), at ArizonaState, 2/29/08

?2007 NCAA Finish: Fifth (195.975 at Super Six Finals)

A Glance at the Cardinal...

?Stanford has six returning All-Americans, led by senior Tabitha Yim, who has won 11 All-America awards.

?Three Stanford gymnasts claimed event titles last weekend at ArizonaState: Nicole Ourada on vault (9.925), Liz Tricase on bars (9.925) and Lauren Elmore on floor (9.875).

?As a team, Stanford is ranked sixth on vault and bars, 11th on floor and 12th on beam in this week’s GymInfo national rankings.

?Nebraska and Stanford last met at the 2007 NCAA Super Six Finals, where the Cardinal finished fifth (196.825), just ahead of NU’s sixth-place 195.975.

 

Scouting the Competition: Alabama Crimson Tide

?Head Coach: Sarah Patterson (30th Year)  

?2008 Record: 6-1

?2008 High Score: 197.375 (vs. California, 2/24/08)

?Last Meet: Win, vs. #3 Florida (197.225-197.125), 2/29/08

?2007 NCAA Finish: Ninth (196.125 at NCAA Preliminaries)

A Glance at the Crimson Tide...

?Four All-Americans returned for Alabama’s 2008 season: Terin Humphrey, Morgan Dennis, Brittany Magee and Kassi Price.

?Humphrey, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, is a 10-time All-American. She won the NCAA bars title in 2005 and 2007.

?As a team, Alabama is ranked sixth on floor, eighth on bars and ninth on vault and beam.

?Nebraska and Alabama last met in the afternoon preliminary session of the 2007 NCAA Championships. The Huskers placed third (196.625) to advance to the Super Six Finals, while the Crimson Tide finished fifth (196.125).

 

Parsons Leads Huskers in 2008

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 106 event crowns, including three at Kentucky last Friday.

 

Parsons is ranked fourth nationally on vault with an RQS of 9.935, as well as 10th in the all-around (39.34) and 17th on beam (9.85).

 

Parsons Passes Career 100-Title Mark

Just halfway into her senior year, Emily Parsons owns a career total of 106 event titles in three-plus years at Nebraska, becoming the first Husker to pass the 100-title mark. 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, for the top spot on the program’s event titles chart. 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           21           106

Richelle Simpson               2002-05                 9              39           6              23           77

Heather Brink       1997-2000            7              19           10           34           70

 

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 347-130-4 overall and 244-52-2 in regular-season meets. Kendig is in his 25th year of coaching and owns a career record of 460-242-5.

 

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.

 

Injury Keeps Meloche Out of Bars Lineup

Junior Vanessa Meloche returned to the bars lineup last month only to see her fourth season as a Husker come to an end last week. The Montreal, Quebec, native underwent a minor procedure, and it was decided to keep her out of competition for the remainder of 2008.

 

Meloche shared one bars title in two meets this season with Desire’ Sniatynski, scoring a 9.875 against Michigan on Feb. 7. A first-team All-American and the 2006 Big 12 champion on bars, she rehabilitated a season-ending knee injury suffered in February 2007 for nearly a year.

 

Woo Prepares for New Role

With Nebraska’s bars lineup down to five competitors, junior Tricia Woo will step up as the sixth competitor on the event within the next two weeks. Woo, known for her work on beam and floor, has filled the No. 2 spot in the vault lineup and could add bars to her repertoire as early as the Stanford trip this weekend.

 

Woo has not seriously trained bars since her days as a Level 10 in California, but finished third on the event at the 2003 California State Championships.

 

Sniatynski, Woo Sweep Big 12 Weekly Awards

Senior Desire’ Sniatynski and junior Tricia Woo were honored as Big 12 Gymnast and Event Specialist of the Week, the conference office announced on Feb. 26. Each was recognized for the third time in her career.

 

Sniatynski captured Gymnast-of-the-Week honors after taking her fifth bars title of the year in Nebraska’s win over Denver on Feb. 23. The Kenosha, Wis., native scored a 39.425 mark in the all-around for runner-up honors, while also finishing third on beam (9.85) and fourth on vault (9.825) and floor (9.85). Sniatynski was previously honored as Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 15.

 

Woo was recognized as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after taking home her second straight beam title with a score of 9.90. She also placed second in vault (9.85) and third on floor with a season-high 9.90.  Woo previously earned conference awards on Jan. 15 and Feb. 5.

 

Howard Earns First Career Event Title

Sophomore Kathryn Howard won the first event title of her career on Feb. 1 at Oklahoma, tying for the beam crown with senior Desire’ Sniatynski. The duo matched scores of 9.875, marking a season high for Howard and a career best for Sniatynski.

 

As a freshman in 2007, Howard earned All-Big 12 honors at the Big 12 Championships, where she finished third.

 

Sniatynski Notches 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 Denver on Feb. 23 displayed her All-America caliber all-around contributions. Sniatynski claimed her fifth bars title of the year, tying her career high of 9.90. Last weekend at Kentucky, Sniatynski won her second beam crown of the season with a 9.85 and placed second in the all-around (39.175).

 

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. She earned a second weekly conference honor on Feb. 26.

 

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. On Feb. 23 against Denver, Habbib tied teammate Desire’ Sniatynski for third on beam (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 served as a vault specialist for the first half of the season but has since stepped into the floor lineup as well. She made her floor debut against Denver, notching a 9.80, and added a 9.75 last weekend at Kentucky. On Jan. 25 against Mizzou, Davis earned a career-high 9.875 to tie for fourth with Tricia Woo. A former Level 10 gymnast, Davis 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. 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). Against Denver, she achieved a career-high 9.875 on bars to finish only behind Desire’ Sniatynski (9.90).

 

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.