Huskers Face Air Force In Home Opener

The No.10 Nebraska men's gymnastics team opens its 2011 home season by taking on No. 11 Air Force in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation dual on Sunday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The competition is set to begin between the Huskers and Falcons at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or (402) 472-3111. Tickets can also be purchased at the Devaney Center the day of the dual, with doors opening 90 minutes prior to competition.

Nebraska will be competing for the third consecutive weekend while facing Air Force for the second time. The Huskers opened the year at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Falcons' nest in the Cadet West Gymnasium. NU posted a 334.500 at RMO, while Air Force managed a 327.300.

Last week, the Huskers traveled to Minnesota where they faced No. 1 Illinois and the No. 7 Golden Gophers. NU managed a 333.100 in the triangular, while the Fighting Illini won the competition with a 351.500.

Fresh Faces Expected to Fill Husker Lineups Against Falcons
After losing eight seniors for the 2010 campaign, Nebraska has relied on a new crop of Huskers early in the 2011 season. Eight Huskers have made their first competitive appearances for NU this season, including a pair of freshmen who will compete as all-arounders against Air Force on Sunday. Nebraska expects to have at least four first-year competitors on each event against the Falcons.

C.J. Schaaf has competed in the all-around in each of NU's first two competitions, and Wyatt Aycock is expected to compete for the first time in the all-around against the Falcons. Fellow freshman Eric Schryver has also been a major contributor early for the Huskers. Schryver is ranked ninth nationally on pommel horse and will also compete on still rings, parellel bars and the high bar Sunday.

Freshman Andrew House is expected to compete on floor exercise, horse and vault against the Falcons, while freshman Donovan Arndt will be a still rings specialist for NU Sunday.

Freshman Micah Christensen is expected to compete in his third straight meet on high bar, while redshirt freshman Mark Ringle will go on floor, parallel bars and high bar.

Juniors Will Eastman and Michael Killeen have also seen their first action for the Huskers this season. Eastman is expected to compete on floor and vault Sunday, while Killeen will contend on pommel horse.

Sizing Up No. 11 Air Force
#10 Nebraska (1-3) vs. #11 Air Force (1-2)
Series History: Nebraska Leads, 22-2
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 334.300-327.300 at Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan.15 , 2011

Air Force comes into Lincoln ranked No.11 in the country. The Falcons are coming off a home win against Army on Saturday, Jan. 22, in Colorado Springs, when they posted a 330.000.

Air Force has featured a solid parallel bars lineup through its first two competitions this season, ranking eighth nationally (52.700). The Falcons also rank 10th nationally on vault (61.300), 11th on floor (55.000) and 12th on pommel horse (52.800). Air Force is also right behind the Huskers on the national still rings list, coming in at 11th (54.600).

Senior all-arounder Nash Mills, who ranks 18th nationally in the all-around, leads the Falcons. Mills also is tied for 14th nationally on vault. He is the only Falcon to rank among the nation's top 20 on any event.

Schryver's Big Performances on Pommel Horse Earn Him Top 10 Spot
Eric Schryver has had back-to-back big performances on high bar in his first two collegiate competitions. The freshman from Richardson, Texas ranks ninth nationally on horse (14.350), which is the highest ranking by any Husker in an individual event so far this season.

Not only is Schryver the top Husker on the horse, he is also the second-highest ranking freshman in the nation on the event.

Schryver has been Coach Chuck Chmelka's nominee for MPSF Gymnast-of-the-Week honors each of the first two weeks of the season for the Huskers. Schryver opened the season with a 14.000 on horse at the Rocky Mountain Open, before notching a 14.700 at Minnesota last weekend. Schryver also competes for the Huskers on rings, parallel bars and high bar.

Ingrelli Captures Rings Title in Minnesota
Senior Anthony Ingrelli won his first individual event title of the year with a 15.000 on still rings to lead No. 9 Nebraska in a triangular with No. 1 Illinois at No. 7 Minnesota on Jan. 22.

Ingrelli, a 2010 NCAA All-American on rings, helped the Huskers close the competition with a 333.100 team score, trailing the 351.500 posted by the No. 1 Fighting Illini and the 344.100 recorded by the home-standing Golden Gophers at the Sports Pavilion.

Sophomore Andreas Hofer added a runner-up finish with an 82.800 in the all-around competition. Freshman C.J. Schaaf added a fourth-place all-around finish with an 80.700. Schaaf also notched a pair of career bests with a 13.800 on high bar and a 13.700 on still rings.

Another freshman, Wyatt Aycock, added a career best with a 14.300 on parallel bars to tie for runner-up honors on the event. Freshman Eric Schryver produced a strong performance of his own, including a career-high 14.700 to finish third on pommel horse.

Freshman Andrew House also registered a pair of career bests on the night, including a 15.500 on vault and a 13.400 on floor exercise.

Nebraska opened the night on still rings, where Ingrelli matched Illinois' Anthony Sacramento for the individual crown with a 15.000 to lead NU to a 56.000 team score on the event. The Illini finished with a 56.500, while Minnesota notched a 55.400.

NU moved on to floor, where Hofer led the Huskers with a 14.400 to tie for fifth in the individual event standings, while helping the Huskers to a 55.000 team score. Illinois posted the top score in the event with a 58.000, while Minnesota managed a 57.200.

Nebraska shifted its focus to pommel horse, and Schryver performed well with a career-high 14.700 to finish third individually in the event. However, the Huskers struggled with their lowest event score of the night with a 51.900. Illinois recorded the top team score in the event with a 57.100, while the Gophers added a 55.900.

Schryver added NU's top performance on high bar with a 14.100 to tie for seventh individually, while the Huskers amassed a 55.100 team score. Two-time NCAA champion Paul Ruggeri from Illinois won the event with a 16.100, as the Illini notched a 59.400 team score. Minnesota managed a 56.500 on the event.

Nebraska got its top team score of the night with a 61.500 on vault, powered by Hofer's 15.800 to finish fifth. Minnesota won the event with a 63.700, while Illinois registered a 63.200.

The Huskers closed the night on parallel bars, where freshman Wyatt Aycock tied for second with a 14.300. NU managed a 53.600 on the event, while the Illini posted a 59.400 and Minnesota notched a 56.500.