Huskers Ready for NCAA Championships

The No. 5 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team is headed to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the 2024 NCAA Championships.The Huskers will compete in the qualifying round on Friday, April 19, at noon (CT) in hopes to advance to the NCAA Finals which are set for Saturday, April 20 at 5 p.m. (CT). 

Last Time Out
Among the finalists, Taylor Christopulos highlights the squad after earning a top-three finish on two events at the Big Ten Championships where he garnered a silver medal in the all-around (83.10) and a bronze medal on high bar (14.125). Cooper Giles also made impressive marks after becoming a Big Ten bronze medalist on pommel horse (14.25). Christopulos was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection, while Giles earned Second-Team All-Big Ten accolades. Giles was also named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree.

Notably, six Husker gymnasts highlight the NCAA top 15 rankings in the nation, based on a national-qualifying average. Christopulos ranks fifth on floor (14.250), sixth on vault (14.669), 11th on parallel bars (13.925) and 10th on high bar (13.794). James is 15th on floor (13.913), Giles holds eighth on pommel horse (14.375), Cohen in eighth on rings (13.983), Tiderman in 12th on high bar (13.750) and Phillips in third place in the all-around (79.475), 14th on floor (13.938) and 15th on rings (13.80).

Ahead of the meet, No. 5 Nebraska highlights the team rankings in second place on floor (69.488) and high bar (68.238). NU holds third in the nation on rings (68.325) and fourth place on pommel horse (68.325). The Huskers occupy sixth on vault (71.850) and eighth on parallel bars (67.188), based on a national-qualifying average.

Scouting the Competition
NU will compete during Session I of the NCAA Qualifiers on Friday, April 19 at noon (CT). The Huskers look to be among the top-three teams in the first session to advance to the NCAA Finals. Session I consists of No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 Illinois, No. 8 California, No. 9 Navy and No. 12 Greenville. Session II is set for 5 p.m. (CT) and consists of No. 2 Oklahoma,  No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 10 Air Force and No. 11 Springfield. 

Stanford looks to earn its fifth-consecutive national championship. The Cardinal are coming off the MPSF conference title win, finishing with a team score of 422.700. 

The top-three teams and the top-three individuals on each event, including the all-around, not on advancing teams, will advance from each qualfying session to the NCAA championship finals. 

Follow the Huskers
Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.