The 2013 Team the 2013 SEASON
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NEBRASKA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS The 2013 Team The 2013 SEASON HUSKERS.COM | 41 BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN CHAMPIONS The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team wrapped up its score of 39.525. Her outstanding performance featured four on vault, bars and floor, Blanske logged season-high scores of 2013 campaign with a Big Ten Conference title, six All-America All-America honors, including first-team accolades on vault, 9.85 or better on each apparatus while becoming one of the awards at the 2013 NCAA Championships and a 19-5 overall floor and in the all-around and second-team laurels on beam. squad’s top vaulters by the end of the season. She finished record. The Huskers qualified for NCAA postseason competition Wong also captured four NACGC/W All-America awards in the season with a trio of individual titles, including a share of for the 29th time in program history, finishing third at the the first year of the honor’s existence. She saved her finest the Big Ten vault title with a 9.95 at the championship meet. NCAA Morgantown Regional in Head Coach Dan Kendig’s performance of the season for the Big Ten Championships, Sophomore Desiré Stephens made her full debut in the 20th season with the Huskers. The talent-laden squad posted winning her second consecutive conference all-around title Husker lineup in 2013 after being limited by injuries in her three of the highest team scores in school history throughout with a career-high 39.725. Her victory made her the first Big freshman campaign. Stephens appeared as a two-event the year while spending consistent time ranked as one of the Ten gymnast to win back-to-back conference all-around titles specialist, seeing action on vault and floor throughout the nation’s top-10 squads. since 2007-08. She was also the conference champion or co- season. She tied her career-high of 9.85 three times in Nebraska’s Senior Janelle Giblin served as an important anchor for the champion on floor, beam and bars and earned four All-Big Ten last four meets, including back-to-back efforts at the Big Ten Huskers in her final season, taking the floor as a three-event Championship Team awards. Championships and the NCAA Morgantown Regional. specialist and NU’s top performer on bars. She posted a 9.85 or Joining Wong as one of the country’s top all-arounders was Amanda Lauer provided necessary depth to the Husker higher on the event seven times in 2013 while earning first-team sophomore Jessie DeZiel, who finished 12th nationally in the roster in her sophomore season but did not see action as a All-Big Ten honors and NACGC/W second-team All-America all-around at the 2013 NCAA Championships to earn second- declared team competitor. accolades. The highlight of her season came on Senior Night team All-America honors. She also posted a 9.875 on beam to Redshirt freshman Kailyn Hawkins and freshmen Jordyn against Iowa, when she earned only the second 10.0 on bars earn second-team All-America accolades on the event as an Beck, Ariel Martin and Madison McConkey did not see in school history. Her perfect score was the nation’s second in individual. DeZiel was the Big Ten runner-up in the all-around competition in their first years at Nebraska. Hawkins took the 2013 and was Nebraska’s first 10.0 on any event since 2011. at the championship meet with a 39.625 and tied for second floor as an exhibition competitor on bars at the Masters Classic, She added a share of the Big Ten vault title, posting a 9.95. place on floor (9.95) and first on vault (9.95). She earned three earning a 9.75. Beck and Martin were slowed by injuries in 2013. Brittany Skinner closed her career at Nebraska with another All-Big Ten Championship Team selections (V, FX, AA) and was a McConkey made strides in the gym as she used her freshman outstanding season, appearing as an all-around competitor first-team All-Big Ten pick, an NACGC/W first-team All-American year to adjust to the competition level of collegiate gymnastics. and a key component of the Huskers’ vaulting lineup. Because (V, AA) and an academic All-Big Ten selection. Head Coach Dan Kendig wrapped up his 20th season at Skinner finished in a tie for first on vault at Nebraska’s regional One of Nebraska’s finest vaulters, junior Jamie Schleppenbach Nebraska with a record of 459-175-4 and a career mark of meet, she earned an individual berth to the 2013 NCAA logged five total appearances on the season before falling to 572-287-5. Kendig’s 459 wins are a program record and place Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. She completed her career a season-ending injury in late February. She captured two him fourth all-time across all sports in Nebraska history. He in preliminary competition at the national championship meet, vault titles in just four showings on the event, taking home has guided Nebraska to three consecutive conference titles, posting a 9.825 on vault in the first semifinal. top honors at Michigan in January and against Illinois in early giving him 13 career conference championships at Nebraska. Kassandra Nathe rejoined Nebraska for her senior season February. Schleppenbach earned academic All-Big Ten honors Kendig has also coached 38 Husker gymnasts to 137 All-America after battling back from season-ending injuries in 2011 and for her performance in the classroom. awards since 1995. 2012. A steady competitor on two events for the Big Red, Nathe Fellow sophomore Jennifer Lauer opened the 2013 season did not miss a meet all season on beam. She was also one of with a splash on the road at Michigan, posting the nation’s Nebraska’s most consistent contributors on bars and came to top beam score with a 9.95 on Jan. 12. She went on to earn anchor NU’s lineup late in the season. Nathe earned a career- nine scores of 9.85 or higher during the season. Lauer put up a high 9.90 on bars at the Big Ten Championships, earning her a top-notch performance at the Big Ten Championships, earning tie for second on the event and All-Big Ten Championship Team a share of the conference beam title with a score of 9.90. A honors. She also snagged academic All-Big Ten accolades for first-team All-Big Ten selection, she also took home All-Big her work in the classroom. Ten Championship honors. Junior Emily Wong affirmed her position as one of the Hollie Blanske became the third Twin City Twisters product to nation’s finest all-around competitors, finishing in a tie for join the Huskers in 2013. The freshman provided a major spark third nationally at the 2013 NCAA Championships with a to the Nebraska lineup as a three-event competitor. Appearing 42 | NEBRASKA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS | 2014 BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN CHAMPIONS ALL-AMERICANS SHINE FOR NEBRASKA 2013 NEBRASKA TEAM RESULTS Opponent Vault Bars Beam Floor Total at Michigan (1/12) 48.95 48.95 49.325 49.075 196.30 Michigan State (1/19) 49.05 49.45 49.15 49.05 196.70 at Ohio State (1/25) 49.30 49.025 49.025 48.80 196.15 Illinois (2/2) 49.30 48.675 48.80 48.975 195.750 Penn State (2/10) 49.375 49.35 49.175 49.275 197.175 at Arizona (2/16) 48.95 48.925 48.775 48.975 195.625 Iowa State (2/22) 49.175 49.325 49.175 49.375 197.05 Iowa (3/4) 49.40 49.625 49.25 49.40 197.675 at Minnesota (3/4) 49.375 49.20 48.50 49.075 196.15 at California (3/16) 49.65 49.30 49.30 49.275 197.525 Big Ten Championships (3/23) 49.725 49.375 49.225 49.475 197.80 at NCAA Regionals (4/6) 49.65 48.875 48.525 48.80 195.875 Season Highs 49.725 49.625 49.325 49.475 197.80 Jessie DeZiel NATIONAL AND CONFERENCE PROMINENCE •The Huskers qualified for the program’s 29th consecutive postseason appearance, finishing third at the NCAA Morgantown Regional with a score of 195.875. • Two Huskers earned a total of six All-America honors at the 2013 NCAA Championships. Emily Wong earned three first-team selections (V, FX, AA) and one second-team honor (BB), while Jessie DeZiel earned two second-team selections (BB, AA). • Emily Wong notched a total of three top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, finishing third nationally in the all-around (39.525) and on floor exercise (9.9125) and 10th on vault (9.8833). • Three Huskers were selected as NACGC/W All-Americans in regular-season competition. First-team honorees were Emily Wong (AA, UB, BB, FX) and Jessie DeZiel (AA, V). Janelle Giblin (UB) also took home second-team accolades. SUCCESS IN THE BIG TEN •Nebraska earned its third consecutive conference title at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, posting a 197.80 to take top honors at the meet. •Emily Wong captured her second consecutive Big Ten all-around title with a 39.725, becoming the first conference gymnast to claim top honors in back-to-back seasons since 2007-08. •The Huskers took home a total of nine individual event titles on all four events and in the all-around at the Big Ten Championships.