Huskers Take Second at Big Ten Championships

Lincoln - Hollie Blanske hit Nebraska's highest vault score of the season and Grace Williams shared the balance beam title as Nebraska scored a 196.900 to finish second at the Big Ten Championships in front of 2,705 fans at the Devaney Center in Lincoln on Saturday.

Michigan took the team title with a score of 197.125. Minnesota finished third with a score of 196.575.

Lindsay Mable from Minnesota won the all-around title with a score of 39.650. Danielle Breen led 12th-ranked Nebraska (23-4) with a score of 39.500 in the all-around to finish tied for second.

“I’m really proud of the team,” Nebraska Coach Dan Kendig said. “I’m proud of the fight we gave after not starting the way we wanted to. We had no give-up the entire time.”

Blanske scored a 9.975 to take the vault title, the highest individual event score by a Husker this season. Williams hit a 9.925 to share the beam title with Mable and Michigan’s Nicole Artz. Michigan’s Brianna Brown and Penn State’s Kiera Brown shared the uneven bars titles with scores of 9.95. Artz won floor exercise with a 9.975.

Five Huskers, Blanske, Breen, Williams, Sienna Crouse and Jennie Laeng, earned spots on the all-championships team as top-three finishers on individual events.

“I’m proud of the effort and I think that’s going to serve us well moving forward into regionals,” Kendig said. “We really have done well this season in all four events and we’ve just got to put that together, and I think they can do it.”

Rotation One: The Huskers began the evening on floor exercise and put up a solid 49.025. Blanske anchored the floor lineup and posted a 9.90 to lead the Huskers. Crouse scored a career-high 9.875 and Breen contributed a 9.85. Williams scored a 9.775, while Catelyn Orel hit a 9.625 to round out the scoring.

Michigan led after one rotation by putting up a 49.200 on vault followed by Minnesota, which scored a 49.075 on bars. Ohio State scored a 48.700 on beam, while Michigan State and Penn State were on bye.

Rotation Two: The Huskers moved to vault and tied their season high with a score of 49.275. Blanske again anchored the Nebraska lineup and brought down the house with a near-perfect 9.975. Her vault score was a career high, as well as the highest individual score by the Huskers this season. Breen also scored a career high on vault, hitting a 9.90. Megan Schweihofer, Laeng and Williams hit 9.80s to round out the scoring for Nebraska.

After two rotations, Nebraska led with a score of 98.300, followed by Minnesota with a score of 98.175. Penn State scored a 49.175 on floor and Michigan State scored a 48.975 on bars, while Michigan and Ohio State had byes.

Rotation Three: The Huskers were on bye in the third rotation.

After three rotations, Michigan led with a score of 98.475, followed by Nebraska with a 98.300. In third place was Minnesota with a score of 98.175, followed by Penn State with a 98.075. Ohio State scored a 97.750 and Michigan State had a 97.075.

Rotation Four: NU moved to bars for the fourth rotation and unleashed a fury of 9.90s to the tune of a 49.475, tying its season-high. Breen, Crouse, Laeng and Williams each posted a 9.90, while Blanske and Orel hit 9.875s for the Big Red. The scores were career highs for Breen and Crouse, while Blanske tied her season high.

After four rotations, Nebraska held a slim lead by a tenth of a point. The Huskers totaled 147.775, while Michigan followed with a 147.675. Minnesota held a score of 147.525, while Ohio State had a 146.775. Penn State had a score of 98.075 and Michigan State had a 97.075. 

Rotation Five: The Huskers closed the night with a score of 49.125 on beam. Williams led the way with a score of 9.925, while Laeng pitched in a 9.875. Breen hit a 9.85, Madison McConkey hit a 9.75 and Blanske hit a 9.725 to round out the Husker scoring.

After five rotations, Nebraska led with its final score of 196.900, followed by Minnesota with its final score of 196.575. Michigan was third with a score of 147.675, followed by Penn State with a score of 147.050. Ohio State had a score of 146.775 and Michigan State had a score of 146.475.

Rotation Six: Nebraska was on bye for the final rotation. Michigan clinched the Big Ten championship with a score of 49.450 on floor, capped by Artz’s 9.975 routine.

Nebraska will await selection for the NCAA Regionals, with the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships Selection show being held next Monday, March 21, at 3 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com. The championship features a field of 36 teams determined based on their Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) and seeded by the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Committee. NCAA Regionals will be held on April 2 at six predetermined campus sites.

Notes:

• Nebraska tied its season high with a score of 49.275 on vault (vs. Utah State, March 6)
• Nebraska tied its season high with a score of 49.475 on uneven bars (vs. Utah State, March 6)
• Nebraska’s uneven bars score of 49.475 is tied for third-highest in a conference championship in program history
• Nebraska’s uneven bars score of 49.475 is tied for ninth-highest in program history
• Nebraska’s uneven bars score of 49.475 is tied for fifth-highest in Bob Devaney Sports Center history
• Hollie Blanske set a new career high with a 9.975 on vault
• Blanske’s 9.975 is the Huskers highest individual score on any event this season
• Blanske’s 9.975 is the highest score by a Husker on any event since March 7, 2015 (Jessie DeZiel, 9.775 on vault vs. Oregon State)
• Blanske’s 9.975 on vault is tied for the top score in a conference championship in program history (Heather Brink, 2000)
• Blanske won her fourth vault title of the season and seventh of her career
• Blanske tied a season high with a score of 9.875 on bars (3 times, last vs. Utah State, March 6)
• Danielle Breen set a new career high with a score of 39.500 in the all-around
• Breen set a new career high with a 9.90 on vault
• Breen set a new career high with a score of 9.90 on bars
• Sienna Crouse set a new career high with a 9.875 on floor exercise
• Crouse set a new career high with a score of 9.90 on bars
• Grace Williams won her seventh balance beam title of the season and the ninth of her career
• Nicole Artz (Michigan) scored a 9.975 on floor, tied for second highest in Bob Devaney Sports Center history

Name	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	All-Around
Hollie Blanske	9.975	9.875	9.725	9.90	39.475
Danielle Breen	9.90	9.90	9.85	9.85	39.500
Sienna Crouse	9.775	9.90	--	9.875	--
Jennie Laeng	9.80	9.90	9.875	9.25	38.825
Madison McConkey	--	--	9.75	--	--
Catelyn Orel	--	9.875	--	9.625	--
Megan Schweihofer	9.80	--	9.50	--	--
Grace Williams	9.80	9.90	9.925	9.775	39.400
Team	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
Nebraska	49.275	49.475	49.125	49.025	196.900