2003NEBRASKAGYMNASTICS

Transcription

1 FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 21

2 Vault at Arizona State Invite (3/16/01) at Missouri (1/28/01) vs. Oregon State (1/14/01) Uneven Bars vs. Oklahoma (2/3/01) Balance Beam vs. Oregon State (1/14/01) Floor at Missouri (1/28/01) All-Around at Missouri (1/28/01) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 First-Team All-American (Vault) Two-Time NACGC Scholastic All-American (, ) Noting Bruce Floor Exercise Music - Welcome to the Jungle Parents - Joe and Barb Bruce Sisters: Julie and Laura Major - Business Administration Favorite event and why I love competing on floor when the crowd gets into it. Three words that describe your gymnastics Powerful. Quick. Aggressive. Goals for this season Team - To show everyone how good Nebraska really is. Personal - Attitude BIG EIGHT/BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Outlook: Gina Bruce returns for her junior campaign for the Huskers. A first-team All-American on the vault as a freshman, Bruce competed on vault in all but two meets, which she missed due to injury, while also working into the rotation on bars and beam last year. One of eight Huskers working on a 10.0 start value vault, Bruce will do a front handspring on the board and a front handspring, front pike off for her vault in Bruce is working hard on her tumbling and will vie for a spot on floor. Bruce s bars and beam are also looking strong, and she should challenge for a spot on all three events, while providing solid depth. I think we will see All-America type performances out of Gina this year, Head Coach Dan Kendig said. She will vault for us, and she is going to be working for spots on the other three events, too. She is really a valuable person to have. Gina has proven to be a great vaulter, and someone who can come in and fill in when we need her with quality routines. As a sophomore: With Jess Wertz out of the lineup at the start of the season, Bruce found herself competing on three events for the Huskers. She filled in on bars in Nebraska s first four meets, posting a season-high at Iowa State on Jan. 18. A first-team All-American on vault as a freshman, Bruce opened the season with a 9.85 at Georgia, which was good enough for a runner-up finish. She also reached that mark against Iowa State in March. At the Northeast Regional, Bruce s season-best on vault helped the Huskers to a season-high score and their third consecutive regional title. Against Missouri, Bruce added a half twist to her pike front, earning a She competed on vault for the Huskers at NCAAs, helping NU advance to its fourth straight Super Six Finals. Bruce led the Huskers on the vault in three of the first five meets and earned three runner-up finishes in. As a freshman: Although primarily a vaulter for the Huskers in, Bruce stepped up when needed. In Nebraska s first two meets she competed on three events, as several Huskers battled injuries. In the home opener against Oregon Vault Bars Beam Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around State, Bruce recorded her first of three perfect scores on vault, receiving a 9.90 for a handspring front pike to capture her first individual title. Bruce was pressed into action against Missouri in the all-around after Bree Dority O Callaghan was unable to compete on floor or beam. Bruce answered the call, posting scores of 9.85 on floor and 9.80 on beam. She also received a 9.90 on vault, after upgrading to a 10.0 start value by adding a half twist to her handspring front pike. One of three freshmen to perform in the all-around in, Bruce scored a at Missouri. She again received a perfect score in the Huskers victory at the Arizona State Invitational, one of two Huskers to record perfect scores on vault that day. She scored a 9.90 on her handspring front pike, joining teammate Jess Wertz, who received a perfect All told, Bruce hit 23 of 26 routines (88 percent) in. She capped off her freshman season by earning first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships with a at the qualifier. At the event finals, Bruce finished eighth with a vault of Prior: A level 10 gymnast who competed for coaches Mike Hunger, Jeanne Strand and former Nebraska gymnast Angie Droegemueller at Twin City Twisters, Bruce qualified for the Junior Olympic Nationals four straight years and was the 1998 J.O. National champion on vault and placed fifth and third, respectively, on the event in 1999 and She placed eighth in the allaround at the 1999 J.O. Nationals despite a stress fracture in a lumbar vertebra, while also capturing top-10 finishes on vault (fifth) and floor exercise (sixth). A five-time state champion in the all-around, Bruce also captured three regional all-around titles during her club career. She earned the highest academic honors in each of her four years at Champlin Park High School, and was a member of the National Honor Society. Personal: The daughter of Joe and Barb Bruce, Gina was born on Aug. 21, 1982, in Minneapolis, Minn. She has two younger sisters, Julie and Laura. A business administration major, Gina carries a 3.72 GPA and is a two-time member of the NACGC Scholastic All-America team and was a first-team academic All-Big 12 honoree in.

3 Vault at Florida (2/18/00) Balance Beam at Big 12 Championships (3/24/01) Floor Exercise vs. Penn State (3/3/02) vs. Iowa State (3/10/02) Verizon/CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American. First-Team Academic All-Big 12 NCAA Second Team All-American (Beam) All-Big 12 (Beam) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Tied for fourth on NU s all-time beam charts (9.925) Three-Time NACGC Scholastic All-American (2000, and ) Noting French Floor Exercise Music - Istanbul Parents - Kent and Pam French Brother: Bryan (deceased) Major - Exercise Science Favorite events and why Beam because its my best event and floor because I love to dance and perform. What would you like to do after college Medical School Outlook: One of four seniors who have all garnered All-America honors during their careers, Jen French enters her final season with high expectations. A second-team All-American on beam in, French is a mainstay in the Huskers lineup on floor and beam. A reliable performer, she will be looked to for consistent scoring in Jen is experienced, Head Coach Dan Kendig said. This will be her fourth year, and she is a very good beam person. She competed beam and floor for us last year, and I think she has the potential to do the same for us this year. She is on track to contribute, and contribute in a big way on beam, and hopefully on floor. As a junior: A beam and floor specialist, French played an important role in Nebraska s fourth-straight trip to the Super Six Finals. She excelled on floor in, earning the second event title of her career in a dual with Penn State in early March. Nebraska s first competitor on floor, French posted a career-high score of 9.925, helping the Huskers to a school-record floor score of French found herself inserted into the vault lineup against Penn State after Carrie Gloudemans injured her ankle in warm-ups. A week later in a dual with Iowa State, French again received a on floor, as the Huskers posted a 49.50, which tied for the secondbest score in school history. French has also been a solid competitor on the balance beam, posting five scores of 9.80 or better, including a season-high 9.90 in the Masters Classic on Feb. 23. She was also named a Verizon/CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American for her work in the classroom. As a sophomore: French was a mainstay in the Huskers vault and beam lineups in, and worked her way into the floor lineup by the middle of the season. After struggling on beam in the Huskers first three contests, French hit her next 11 beam routines, including a career-high At the NCAA Championship qualifier, French led the Huskers on the balance beam, scoring a 9.85 to finish seventh overall and earn secondteam All-America honors. She put together what proved to be her most complete performance during the two-day national event, posting scores of 9.85 on floor and 9.80 on vault at the qualifier, and scoring on both beam and floor at the Super Six Finals. French, who had never scored higher than a 9.85 on beam in her career, unleashed an impressive routine at the Big 12 Championships that earned her a and helped the Huskers to a school-record score and a come-from-behind victory over defending champion Iowa State. With her performance, French entered her name in the Nebraska record books, as she sits tied for fourth on NU s all-time beam chart. French captured the first individual title of her career with a 9.90 in the floor exercise in the Huskers dual with Oklahoma. As a freshman: French enjoyed a solid season as a three-event specialist (vault, beam and floor) for the Huskers in She competed in three events at the NCAA Championships, posting scores of 9.75 or higher on all three, including a 9.85 on floor in the Super Six Finals. A groin injury limited French to just vault at regionals, where she tied for 10th with a score of She turned in top-10 finishes on all three events at the Big 12 Championships, including a seventh-place showing on the floor exercise (9.875). She also tied for eighth on beam (9.775) and ninth on vault (9.80). Her strongest event was Vault Beam Floor Vault Beam Floor Vault Beam Floor balance beam, where she recorded eight straight scores of or better during the year. She enjoyed her best meet of the season in the Huskers win at Kentucky, earning runner-up honors on both floor exercise (9.875) and balance beam (9.85). Prior: French was an elite level gymnast who competed for coaches Paul McAloon and former University of Georgia NCAA champion Lori Strong at Gymcarolina in Raleigh, N.C. A two-time Senior National Elite team member ( ) and two-time Junior Olympic National Team member, French was a four-time Level 10 Junior Olympic National qualifier and a three-time Level 10 state champion in the allaround. She placed second in the all-around and third on beam at the 1999 American Challenge in Huntington Beach, Calif., and finished first on beam at the 1997 U.S. Challenge en route to a ninth-place finish in the all-around. Personal: The daughter of Kent and Pam French, Jen was born on June 3, Her brother, Bryan, passed away in She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Helen Paesler School in Raleigh. A three-time NACGC Scholastic All-American, and a second-team Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All- American, French carries a 3.86 grade-point average in exercise science. FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 23

4 Vault at Hearts Invite (2/15/02) Floor Big 12 Championships (3/23/02) All-Big 12 (Floor) NACGC Scholastic All-American Noting Gloudemans Floor Exercise Music - Fresh Aire 8 by Manneheim Steamroller Parents - Ron and Helen Gloudemans - Sisters: Tracy and Christy Major - Undecided Favorite event and why Floor because I love to tumble. Why did you choose Nebraska The great reputation of the team and school. What is the best part about being a studentathlete I get to enjoy gymnastics while I m getting an education. Outlook: Carrie Gloudemans (pronounced GLOUDde-min) was one of the Huskers more consistent gymnasts in, competing in every meet on floor and filling in on vault. An All-Big 12 performer on floor exercise, she will be looking to step into the lineup on a more regular basis on vault and bars this year. Gloudemans plans to compete a layout Yurchenko on the vault, which is one of eight 10.0 start value vaults on the Nebraska squad, and challenge for a spot in the lineup. The sophomore from Neenah, Wis., is working hard on the uneven bars and will be in the mix for a spot in the lineup. She is also training balance beam with new beam coach Danna Durante. Carrie competed floor for us last year and is working extremely hard to get into the rotation on more than just that one event, Head Coach Dan Kendig said. She s got the potential to vault for us, and her bars keep getting stronger and stronger. It is just a matter of time before she is in more than just one event. She has a chance to help us out in a bunch of areas. As a freshman: One of the more consistent performers for the Huskers in, Gloudemans averaged nearly a 9.80 on every routine. Although she competed primarily on floor exercise, Gloudemans also saw action on vault and has performed exhibition routines on bars. Gloudemans opened her career in a dual meet at Georgia with a solid She followed that with 9.85s against Iowa and Missouri, picking up thirdplace finishes in both meets. Starting with Georgia, Gloudemans had a streak of six straight meets with at least a 9.80 on floor before she fell on a tumbling pass in the Masters Classic. She bounced back with another 9.85 against Iowa State, as the Huskers turned in a on floor, their best team score of the year. Gloudemans was peaking at just the right time for the Vault Floor Huskers, earning a third-place finish on floor with a career-best 9.90 at the Big 12 Championships. Her performance netted her All-Big 12 accolades. Her on floor helped propel Nebraska to a fifthplace finish at the Super Six Finals. Gloudemans, the only Husker to perform a layout Phelps in, competed on vault at the Hearts Invitational and again at the Masters Classic. She subbed for an injured Gina Bruce, scoring a 9.85 at both events. She scored a 9.80 or better on 10 of 14 routines during her freshman campaign. For her work in the classroom, Gloudemans was also named a National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Academic All-American. Prior: Gloudemans competed for Coach Greg La Fleur and Tammy Danahue at La Fleur s Academy in Menomonee Falls, Wis. A level 10 gymnast, Gloudemans placed fifth in the all-around and fifth on the uneven bars at the 2000 Junior Olympic National Championships. She captured the bars title at the 2000 Region 4 meet, and won three events (vault, bars and beam) en route to placing first in the all-around at the Wisconsin State Level 10 Championships. Personal: The daughter of Ron and Helen Gloudemans, Carrie was born Aug. 5, She has two sisters, Christy and Tracy. Undecided on a major, Carrie was a four-year member of the Honor Roll at Our Lady of the Rosary High School. If you could play another sport at NU, what would it be and why Diving, because I could use a lot of my gymnastics BIG EIGHT/BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

5 Vault vs. Penn State (3/3/02) at West Virginia Invite (2/10/01) Uneven Bars at Masters Classic (2/24/01) Balance Beam at Hearts Invite (2/15/02) Big 12 Championships (3/23/02) at Big 12 Championships (3/24/01) Floor South Central Regional (4/7/01) at Maui Invite (1/5/01) All-Around at Hearts Invite (2/15/02) Second-Team All-American (Bars) All-Big 12 (Beam) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 First-Team All-American (Bars) South Central Region Champion (All-Around, Floor) All-Big 12 (Bars) Co-Newcomer of the Year Big 12 Gymnast of the Week (3/7/01) Freshman record holder on bars (9.975) and co-record holder on floor (9.925) Noting Harris Floor Exercise Music - Missy Elliott/Justin Timberlake Mix Parents - Gloria and David Harris Sister: Shannon Major - Business Marketing Favorite event and why - Uneven bars because it comes easy to me, and I like learning new skills. Outlook: A consistent all-around performer, Tami Harris will again challenge for national honors in She showed her ability throughout last season, turning in outstanding routines en route to winning six event titles, including two all-around competitions. Tami is one of the standouts on this team, Head Coach Dan Kendig said. When everything is going well for her, when she feels good and is healthy, she is dynamic in all four events. She brings her personality to the competition floor and always has strong routines in all four events. I expect the same out of her again this year. As a sophomore: Harris was a key figure in the Huskers fourth consecutive berth in the Super Six Finals. Her on bars at the NCAA Qualifier earned her second-team All-America honors. At the Hearts Invitational on Feb. 15, Harris led the Huskers to their highest road score of the season with a Harris career-high all-around total of was her first all-around title of the season. Harris matched her career high on vault against Penn State with a At the Masters Classic, she was one of five Huskers to set or tie career highs on the balance beam en route to a school record Her 9.90 on beam marked the second consecutive meet in which she tied her career best. Harris also won the first vault title of her career with a 9.875, and placed first on the floor exercise with a season-high For her efforts, Harris was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week, the only Husker awarded the honor in. At the Big 12 Championships, Harris tied her career high on beam, earning All-Big 12 honors. Harris won every event at least once last season. As a freshman: Harris quickly placed her name on Nebraska s all-time charts, while earning first-team All-America honors on bars. She scored at least a 9.90 on bars in each of the Huskers last six regularseason meets, including a then-school-record at the Masters Classic on Feb. 24. Her mark, a Masters Classic record, was the highest ever by a Husker freshman on any event, and tied the school record held by All-American Heather Brink. In Nebraska s win over 10th-ranked Florida, Harris finished in the top five on three events en route to winning the first all-around title of her career with a then-personal-best of She also finished second on vault (9.875), and tied for third on the uneven bars (9.925) to claim Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week honors. Harris also earned a share of the freshman floor record. In the Huskers season-opener, she recorded a and took sole control of the class record until Alecia Ingram posted a at West Virginia. At the Big 12 Championships, Harris was back on three events and was one of three Huskers to score a 9.95 on bars and also scored a career-high 9.90 on beam, helping the Huskers to schoolrecord scores on both events. Harris also played a valuable role in the Huskers second consecutive South Central regional win. Competing in the all-around for the first time since March 12, Harris posted solid numbers on her first three events and capped the evening with a spectacular floor routine. Harris tied her career high with a 9.925, helping her capture the second all-around title of her career with a Her victory marked the third straight year that a Husker gymnast had won the allaround at the regional meet. She finished the season tied for 12th in the nation on the uneven bars (9.925 RQS), a mark that also Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around ranked third in the conference. She hit 42-of-47 routines on the season (89 percent). Prior: A level 10 and former elite gymnast who competed for Coach Tony Hampton at Ocean Tumblers in Virginia Beach, Va., Harris was a two-time Junior Olympic national champion, placing first on balance beam and floor exercise in She was a two-time J.O. Nationals qualifier who also placed 18th in the all-around as a sophomore. She missed the 1999 J.O. Nationals because of injury, but rebounded to place 12th in the all-around, including a ninth-place finish on uneven bars at the 2000 J.O. Nationals. Harris also competed in gymnastics for Ocean Lakes High School for two years, earning most valuable gymnast honors in both 1997 and She was a member of the U.S. Junior National Training Team from 1994 to 1996, and also trained with the Hungarian National Team for three weeks in Personal: The daughter of Gloria and David Harris, Tami has one older sister, Shannon. Tami was born on April 6, 1982, and is a business marketing major. FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 25

6 Vault at Alabama (2/2/02) Uneven Bars at Big 12 Championships (3/24/01) at Arizona State Invite (3/16/01) vs. Florida (3/4/01) at Missouri (1/28/01) vs. Oregon State (1/14/01) at Region 3 Championships (4/1/00) vs. Iowa (3/12/00) Masters Classic (2/27/00) Balance Beam at Oklahoma (2/4/00) Floor vs. Iowa State (2/15/00) First-Team All-American (Bars) Second-Team All-American (Bars) All-Big 12 (Bars) 2000 Second-Team All-American (Bars) 2000 Big 12 Co-Champion (Bars) 2000 Region 3 Runner-up (Bars) 2000 All-Big 12 (Bars) Noting Houk Floor Exercise Music - Dance with Me Parents - John and Nancy Houk Brothers: Chris, Brad and Mark Favorite event and why Uneven bars because it comes easy to me, and floor because I like to smile and have fun. Goals for this season Compete on more than one event and win NCAAs as a team BIG EIGHT/BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Outlook: A standout on the uneven bars, Julie Houk will go in search of a national championship to go along with her three All-America awards. In addition to her work on bars, Head Coach Dan Kendig thinks she can expand her role on the vault and floor exercise. Houk will feature a round-off, full-twisting half pike off vault, which carries a start value of She has also been working new tumbling passes on the floor. She really is the real deal on bars, Kendig said. I feel like Julie has the routine that is capable of winning an NCAA title. What is really going to make this season successful for her is to get in and compete on more than one event, and I think she has the capabilities to do it. Entering the season, Houk has won 17 bars titles in her three-year career, including two Big 12 titles. A three-time All-American, Houk has posted at least a 9.90 on the event 20 times, including nine 9.95s. As a junior: Houk was a force on the uneven bars for the Huskers. She captured first-team All-America honors at NCAAs, en route to a 10th-place finish on the bars. She finished the regular season ranked 14th on the event (9.90 Regional Qualifying Score). In all, she won six bars titles, including the Masters Classic, where she tied the Bob Devaney Sports Center record with a Houk boasted one of the most difficult routines on the team. She was the only Husker to perform an uprise to a giant pirouette and a hop full release. In addition, her dismount, a double front with a half twist, is the toughest on the team. Houk, who competed bars and floor as a sophomore, added a vault to her repertoire, having competed exhibition on the event in the Huskers dual over Iowa State. She saw her first competition on vault against Missouri, earning a 9.55, and also competed against Alabama scoring a season-high Houk was unable to compete at the Hearts Invitational after injuring her knee in warm-ups on vault at Alabama. As a sophomore: Houk finished the season as Nebraska s highest ranked athlete on any event with her fifth-place national ranking on the uneven bars RQS. In the Huskers 14 meets, Houk scored at least a 9.90 eight times, including a streak of six straight contests. Until the regional, Houk had not missed on bars since the Huskers season opener on Jan. 5. At the NCAA Championships, Houk earned the second All-America award of her career, posting a 9.85 in the qualifier to finish fifth overall. She also posted a solid at the Super Six Finals, helping the Huskers to a fifth-place finish. At the Big 12 Championships, she again recorded a 9.95, but had to settle for second as teammate Bree Dority O Callaghan became just the third Husker to score a 10.0 in competition, and the first to do it on the uneven bars. Houk was a major reason why the Huskers finished the season ranked second in the nation on bars behind only NCAA champion UCLA. In all, she recorded a 9.95 on bars five times during the season and nine times in her three-year career. Houk also made a few appearances in the Huskers floor lineup, recording a season-high 9.80 in Nebraska s victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 3. As a freshman: Houk emerged as one of the nation s top bars performers in her first season at Nebraska. She earned second-team All-America honors on the uneven bars with a 9.80 during preliminaries before scoring a at the Super Six Finals. Houk ranked third in the country during the regular season on the uneven bars with an RQS of 9.92 and was one of only two freshmen ranked in the top five Bars Vault Bars Floor Bars Beam Floor nationally on any event (also West Virginia s TeShawne Jackson, who tied for fourth on vault). Houk led the Big 12 and Region 3 on the uneven bars and had a streak of five straight uneven bars titles snapped at regionals, where she finished second to Heather Brink with a career-best score of She finished in a four-way tie for the Big 12 Championship on the event with a 9.925, one of eight scores of 9.90 or better during the 2000 season. Houk became one of the top contributors on floor, scoring a 9.85 or better in seven of her 13 routines. She finished second on floor against Iowa State with a career best of She made her lone beam appearance at Oklahoma, where she scored a 9.65 to clinch the Huskers win over the Sooners. Prior: Houk competed for Coach Mary Lee Tracy and current Iowa Coach Mike Lorenzen at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. Houk was the 1999 Junior Olympic national champion on the uneven bars, and qualified for J.O. Nationals on three occasions. She placed first on uneven bars at the Aloha Gymfest, the Coca-Cola Classic and the Level 10 state meet in She was a club teammate of fellow Husker Jess Wertz. Personal: The daughter of John and Nancy Houk, Julie has three older brothers, Chris, Brad and Mark. A business major, Julie was born on Sept. 3, 1981, in Hamilton, Ohio, near Cincinnati.

7 Vault at NCAA Northeast Regional (4/8/02) Uneven Bars vs. Iowa State (3/10/02) at Region 3 Championships (4/1/00) at Shanico Inn-vitational (3/3/00) Balance Beam at Big 12 Championships (3/24/01) Floor vs. Missouri (1/27/02) vs. Iowa State (3/10/02) All-Around vs. Penn State (3/3/02) First-Team All-American (Vault and Bars) Second-Team All-American (All- Around) Northeast Regional Vault Champion Big 12 Vault Co-Champion All-Big 12 (All-Around, Vault and Floor) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Big 12 Balance Beam Co-Champion All-Big 12 (Beam and Floor) First-Team Academic All-Big First-Team All-American (Floor) 2000 All-Big 12 (Vault and Floor) 2000 Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Tied for first on Nebraska s all-time beam charts (9.95) Big 12 Gymnast of the Week (2/1/00) Noting Lamb Floor Exercise Music - Pink Panther Parents - Dave and Janelle Lamb Sisters: Arica, Alisha and Mandy Major - Business Administration Three words that describe your gymnastics Quick. Springy. Energetic. Outlook: A.J. Lamb heads into her senior season with four NCAA All-America honors to her credit, including three a year ago. She will contend for conference and national accolades once again in 2003, as one of the Huskers top all-arounders. Her unique combination of grace, power and attitude makes Lamb a crowd favorite wherever she goes. A.J. is one of our superstars, Kendig said. She is a local favorite, being the hometown girl, but people seem to know her wherever we go. She is very powerful, and her expressions really highlight her performances. She puts everything she has into everything she does. She is a hard worker, and those things are going to carry her through another great year. Lamb will anchor the Huskers on floor exercise and balance beam, while looking to improve on her fifth-place showing on vault and ninth-place finish on bars at the NCAA Individual Event Finals last season. She now boasts a career total of 23 individual event or all-around titles. As a Junior: Lamb made an impressive return to all-around competition after only competing on the beam and floor in due to injury. In 13 meets last season, she scored at least a in the all-around nine times. Lamb bettered her career high in the allaround with a against Penn State, a mark that ranks 12th on Nebraska s all-time charts. The score is also a junior class school record, breaking the 1999 mark of set by 2000 NCAA All-Around Champion Heather Brink. She also tied the junior class event record on beam (Masters Classic) and floor (vs. Missouri and vs. Iowa State) with 9.95s. Lamb also posted a at the Big 12 Championships, the second-highest allaround score of her career, to finish fourth. She won the floor exercise four times, including back-to-back meets against Penn State and Iowa State. A 2000 All-American on floor, Lamb was also impressive on the balance beam. Lamb tied her career high of 9.95 at the Masters Classic and bettered 9.80 eight times last season, including a string of seven straight scores of at least At the Big 12 Championships, Lamb posted a thencareer high 9.90 on vault to share the title with teammate Jess Wertz. She also earned All-Big 12 honors on floor and in the all-around. At the NCAA Northeast Regional, Lamb increased her career-high vault score to a to earn a share of the title with Michigan s Elise Ray. Lamb won first-team All-America honors on the vault and bars at the NCAA Championships, while garnering second-team recognition in the all-around. She went on to finish fifth on the vault and ninth on the bars at the NCAA Event Finals. Lamb lead the team with 10 event titles in with two coming in the all-around, two on vault, two on beam and four on floor. As a sophomore: Despite missing the Huskers first three meets of the season with a back injury, Lamb returned to form and posted several key scores on beam and floor for the Huskers. Lamb s performance at the Big 12 Championships helped the Huskers capture their seventh conference title in the last eight years. Her 9.95 on the balance beam tied the school record and gave her a share of the Big 12 title, while her 9.90 on floor tied for fourth. One of Nebraska s top all-arounders as a freshman, Lamb was limited to two events in, but earned All-Big 12 honors on both, capturing her second conference honor on floor and her first on beam. Lamb competed only on beam in her first three meets in, but performed a new floor routine for the first time in competition at the Masters Classic on Feb. 24, and tied a meet record with a career-high score of On the season, Lamb was one of the Huskers top floor performers, Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around Beam Floor Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around capturing two titles and posting a or better in six of her eight routines. As a freshman: Lamb quickly stepped into the Huskers all-around lineup, filling the void after replacing a pair of All-Americans from Following the conference championships, Lamb was selected as the co-big 12 Newcomer of the Year, along with Iowa State s Betsy Hamm. Lamb finished second in the all-around at the Region 3 Championships with a score of , including top-10 finishes on all four events. She earned All-Big 12 honors on vault, where she tied for third with a 9.85, and on floor exercise, where she tied for third with a She finished the season ranked 14th nationally on floor (9.905 RQS), and captured every event title, but vault during the season. She also placed first on the uneven bars (9.875), balance beam (9.90) and floor exercise (9.925) against Missouri, earning Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week honors for her performance. She recorded a pair of season bests at Oregon State, placing second on the uneven bars with a 9.90 and fifth on vault with a She set her season best on floor with an NU freshman record of against Missouri, before tying the mark against both Iowa State and Iowa. In all, Lamb hit 44-of-49 routines (90 percent) on the season. Prior: A Level 10 gymnast under former Husker gymnast and coach Duane West at Capital City Gymnastics in Lincoln, Lamb was a four-time Junior Olympic National qualifier and three-time J.O. National champion, winning national titles on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise in She was selected to the Junior Olympic National Team in 1995 and 1997, and earned runner-up finishes on both floor and vault at the 1998 J.O. Nationals in Seattle, Wash. She placed third on vault and 13th in the all-around at the 1999 J.O. Nationals in Austin, Texas. Personal: The daughter of Dave and Janelle Lamb, A.J. was born on June 22, 1981, in Lincoln. A 1999 graduate of Lincoln Northeast High School, A.J. was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top three percent of her class. Her older sisters, Alisha ( ) and Arica ( ) were also members of the Husker gymnastics team. A.J. also has a younger sister, Mandy, who will serve as the Huskers team manager in A business administration major, A.J. was named to the academic All-Big 12 team in and. FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 27

8 Vault vs. Iowa State (3/10/02) vs. Penn State (3/3/02) Bars at Super Six Finals (4/19/02) Floor vs. Penn State (3/3/02) at Big 12 Championships (3/24/01) vs. Iowa State (3/12/01) at Maui Invite (1/5/01) Second-Team All-American (Bars) First-Team Academic All-Big 12 All-Big 12 (Floor) Most Improved Gymnast NACGC Scholastic All-American (, ) Noting Landgraf Floor Exercise Music - Cirque du Soliel - Alegria Parents - Chuck and Davida Landgraf Brothers: Logan and Aaron Major - Business Administration Favorite event Bars has always been my favorite event. If you could play another sport at NU what would it be and why Diving. I think it s a pretty sport and being a gymnast, it might be easy to pick it up. What would you like to do after college Work for a major resort or cruise line. Outlook: Libby Landgraf will be a valuable asset for Nebraska once again in The junior from Fort Collins, Colo., is a quiet but steady performer for the Huskers on vault, bars and floor. Landgraf hit 94.9 percent of her routines in, including a perfect 13-for-13 on both vault and floor, on her way to earning second-team All-America honors on the uneven bars. Libby is one of those quiet ones on the team that just goes about doing her work, Coach Dan Kendig said. You can always count on her. Libby will be able to provide us with strong routines, and she is getting better every day on each event. She is a quiet role player. She doesn t make a lot of noise doing what she does, but she s one that is very valuable to our team. As a sophomore: Landgraf really stepped up for Nebraska in, highlighted by capturing secondteam All-America honors on bars at the NCAA Championships with a 9.80 in the qualifier. She followed that with a 9.90 at the Super Six Finals. Landgraf had her best meet of the season against Penn State in early March, setting or tying her career high on all three events. She won the vault and also tied for second on the uneven bars with a then-career best Landgraf also finished in a two-way tie for fourth on floor, tying her personal-best Landgraf, one of four Huskers to compete a vault with a 10.0 start value in, won the event with a crushing her previous best of Against Iowa State the following week, Landgraf again tied her career highs on vault and bars. At the Hearts Invitational on Feb. 15, she captured the first event title of her career, tying her then-personal best on the uneven bars with a Landgraf was one of three Huskers (Julie Houk and Tami Harris) to win an event title on bars in. Favorite memories from last season The Georgia meet. We made them work to win it. And bus trips BIG EIGHT/BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS An All-Big 12 performer on floor in, Landgraf averaged on the event in. After starting the season with a handspring front pike, Landgraf added a half twist to bring the start value Vault Bars Floor Vault Bars Floor from a 9.90 to a She earned a 9.70 at Iowa State, her first attempt at the new vault, before posting a against Missouri. She then preceded to post at least a 9.80 in her final nine meets. Last season, Landgraf competed a handspring double twist, which was also worth a 10.0 start value. As a freshman: A mainstay in the Huskers vault, bars and floor lineups, Landgraf was an integral part of Nebraska s success in. She competed in every meet on vault and bars for the Huskers, and also competed on floor in all but three of Nebraska s contests. But floor was the event that proved to be Landgraf s best. She received a 9.90 on three occasions, including in her first collegiate meet at the Maui Invitational, where she helped the Huskers to their highest score of the season (49.475) on the event. She received her second 9.90 on floor in the Huskers victory over Iowa State on March 12, and earned All-Big 12 honors on the event with a fourthplace showing (9.90) at the conference meet. Landgraf was also solid on vault and bars. She owns career highs of 9.85 on both events and at one point had a streak of three consecutive bars scores of She bettered 9.80 on vault five times during the season, including at the South Central Regional. A consistent performer, Landgraf hit a team-high 97 percent of her routines (38-of-39). Prior: A Level 10 gymnast, Landgraf competed for Coaches Gene and Lorraine Koehnke at GK s Gymnastics in Fort Collins, Colo. She qualified for the 1999 Junior Olympic Nationals, earning top-10 finishes on both uneven bars (9.475, ninth) and floor exercise (9.40, 10th), en route to finishing 16th in the all-around. She attended Fort Collins High School, where she was a member of the honor roll. Personal: The daughter of Chuck and Davida Landgraf, Libby was born on Sept. 7, 1981, in Greeley, Colo. She has two younger brothers, Logan and Aaron. A business administration major, Libby s full name is Olivia Marie Landgraf. She is a two-time NACGC Scholastic All- American team and boasts a 3.77 GPA. Landgraf was named first-team academic All-Big 12 in.

9 Vault at Georgia (1/6/02) Beam NACGC Scholastic All-American Noting Saas Floor Exercise Music - Antz Marching Parents - Tomi Minner and Phillip Saas Brothers: Jared and Jeremy Minner Sister: Brandi Saas Major - Deaf Education Favorite event and why Beam because I m the most confident and consistent. Three words to describe your gymnastics Powerful. Confident. Consistent. What would you like to do after college Teach hard of hearing children. Favorite memory from last season Competing at nationals. Outlook: Jamie Saas (pronounced SOSS) arrived at semester break last year and jumped straight into competition for the Huskers. She competed beam in every meet for Nebraska in without missing a routine. She started her freshman campaign working vault as well, but a shoulder injury forced her to focus only on beam. Saas will once again anchor the Huskers on balance beam and provide solid depth on floor and vault. But Head Coach Dan Kendig believes that as she gets stronger and healthier, Saas will be able to work her way into the lineup on other events. Jamie came in at mid-year last year and that is a tough place to come in, Kendig said. She seems to be stronger now and getting healthier. She should be able to provide the same types of things for us on beam with the ability to work into the lineup on other events. As a freshman: Saas made the most of her opportunities last season. After competing on vault against Georgia, where she received a 9.65, Saas was in both the Huskers vault and beam lineups against Iowa. Saas, who anchored the Huskers beam unit, found herself in a tough situation as two of the Huskers first five gymnasts fell. Despite the pressure, she produced a solid routine and scored a Against Iowa State, Saas again competed on vault and beam. This time she found herself in the second position on beam and scored a The Aurora, Ill., native continued to improve in every meet on the balance beam throughout the season. Saas turned in an impressive performance at Alabama, after falling on a Vault tumbling pass in Beam her exhibition routine on floor, Saas rebounded to post a then-careerhigh 9.825, which tied teammates A.J. Lamb and Richelle Simpson for third. However, it was in the Masters Classic that Saas produced her best beam performance, earning a career-high The mark helped propel the Huskers to a school record of on beam that day. She continued her steady performances throughout the season, helping Nebraska capture the Big 12 and Northeast Regional championships. Saas once again turned in a solid routine at the NCAA Qualifier, posting the Huskers third-highest beam score, as NU advanced to its fourth straight NCAA Super Six Finals appearance. She closed out her year with a 9.75 on beam at the Super Six Finals, as the Huskers recorded a fifth-place finish. Prior: Originally from Aurora, Ill., Saas competed for Geri Griffith and Bill Etheridge at Westside Gymnastics in Nashville, Tenn. At the AAU national meet, she finished first on the uneven bars en route to a fourth-place finish in the all-around. She finished sixth in the all-around at the USAIGC meet in Haines City, Fla., on the strength of a fourthplace finish on bars and sixth-place finishes on vault and beam. At the Region 8 meet in Suwanee, Ga., in April, Saas finished sixth on bars and ninth on the balance beam. Personal: The daughter of Phillip Saas and Tomi Minner, Jamie was born Sept. 30, She has a sister, Brandi, and twin brothers, Jared and Jeremy. Saas was named a NACGC Scholastic All-American for her work in the classroom. The valedictorian of her high school class, Saas is a special education (deaf education) major. FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 29

10 Vault at NCAA Northeast Regional (4/8/02) at NCAA Preliminaries (4/18/02) Bars Big 12 Championships (3/23/02) Beam Floor All-Around Big 12 Championships (3/23/02) Second-Team All-American (All-Around, Vault, Bars and Beam) Northeast Regional Floor Champion Big 12 Balance Beam Champion All-Big 12 (All-Around, Bars, Beam, Floor) Set or tied six Nebraska school records NACGC Scholastic All-American Outlook: Richelle Simpson joined the Huskers last year and provided an instant spark that helped Nebraska advance to its fourth straight Super Six Finals. Voted NU s Newcomer of the Year and the winner of the Hawkinson Award as the Huskers most valuable gymnast, Simpson etched her name throughout the Nebraska record books during her first season in the scarlet and cream. I m really not sure where we would have been last year without her, Head Coach Dan Kendig said. She is an incredibly gifted and talented athlete who is not afraid of the hard work and is only going to continue to improve. Richelle is very confident and has the kinds of routines and demeanor that makes this team successful. She is a very valuable asset. Simpson set or tied six Husker records in, including balance beam and floor exercise in which she recorded on each event. Those marks eclipsed the Nebraska sophomore record and tied the Bob Devaney Sports Center record. She also tied Heather Brink for the NU sophomore record in the allaround with a at the Big 12 Championships in Lincoln. Kendig expects much of the same when Simpson steps on the floor for the Huskers this season. Altogether, she bettered in the all-around 11 times last season, including the last nine meets to average nearly during that stretch. As a junior: Simpson, a transfer from Penn State, was a huge boost for Nebraska last season, especially on the balance beam and floor exercise. A sophomore from Toronto, Ontario, Simpson led the Husker contingent at the NCAA Championships with four All- America selections. She claimed second-team honors on the vault, bars and beam, as well as in the allaround competition. Simpson set two school records at the Masters Classic, helping the Huskers to their 10th title with a season-best Simpson became the first Husker to record a on the balance beam, helping Nebraska to a school-record beam score of , which was the highest score in the nation last season. In addition, Simpson bettered the school record on floor with a 9.975, becoming only the second gymnast to earn that score at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. At the Big 12 Championships, Simpson tied her then-career high on vault (9.80) and posted a personal best on bars with a score of en route to a in the all-around, the highest total by a Husker in, tying the Nebraska class record for a junior. Simpson also won the beam title outright (9.95) and tied for first on floor (9.95). At the NCAA Northeast Regional, Simpson unveiled a new 10.0 vault, a Tsukahara full twist, and scored a career-high Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around helping the Huskers to a season-high score of In the Huskers last seven meets of, Simpson scored at least a on floor. She failed to post a 9.80 on beam only once in, when she fell against Iowa. As a freshman (at Penn State): Competing for Penn State as a freshman in, Simpson kicked off her collegiate career with an impressive performance at the Super Six Challenge, where she led the Nittany Lions in the all-around (38.725) and vault (9.80). In a dual with Illinois, Simpson captured her first individual award, winning the beam title with a Against Pittsburgh, Simpson recorded her highest all-around total of the season, scoring a with a winning score of on beam. She also scored a on floor and posted a 9.80 on the uneven bars. Simpson scored a 9.90 or better on beam five times, including against Rhode Island, when she captured her third beam title of the season with a 9.975, helping the Nittany Lions to a school record on beam (49.65). Simpson added a fourth beam title against Massachusetts with a score of She placed 11th on the floor (9.875) at the Big Ten Championships. On the season, she posted highs of 9.80 on vault, on bars, on beam and 9.95 on floor. Prior: Competing for Leonid Grakovsky and Debbie Vidmar at the Winstonettes Gymnastics Association, Simpson placed fifth in the all-around at the 1999 Canadian National Championships, including a fourthplace finish on the balance beam. At the 2000 championships, Simpson finished sixth in the allaround, highlighted by a fourth-place finish on beam. Personal: The daughter of Richard and Ruth Simpson, Richelle was born Nov. 16, 1982, in Toronto. Simpson who is a double major in international studies and French, was named an NACGC Scholastic All-American in. Noting Simpson Floor Exercise Music House of the Rising Sun Parents - Richard and Ruth Simpson Major - International Studies and French Favorite event and why Beam because it s the most fun to train. What would you like to do after college Go work for Cirque de Soleil and work for the United Nations. Favorite memories from last season Our team winning the Big 12 championship BIG EIGHT/BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

11 Vault at Arizona State Invite (3/16/01) Bars vs. Iowa State (3/12/01) Beam Masters Classic (2/27/00) Floor Masters Classic (2/24/01) All-Around Masters Classic (2/27/00) Co-record holder on vault (10.00) First-Team All-American (Vault) Big 12 Vault Co-Champion All-Big 12 (Vault) Two-Time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (, ) Big 12 Vault Co-Champion All-Big 12 (Vault) Big 12 Gymnast of the Week (March 21) Featured in Sports Illustrated s Faces in the Crowd (April 9, ) Three-Time NACGC Scholastic All-American (2000,, ) Noting Wertz Floor Exercise Music - Taika Parents Fred and Joan Wertz Sister: Wendy Brothers: Scotty, Nicholas, Jordan and Zach Major Biological Sciences Favorite event and why You can t make me choose, I love gymnastics. End of story. Goals for this season Team - Capture the National Title Personal - To be an All-American again Outlook: Jess Wertz heads into her senior campaign with the potential to be an all-arounder for the Huskers. Bothered by injuries early in, Wertz struggled to find a consistent rhythm after spraining an ankle the day before opening the season. She returned to the lineup in February and provided consistent scoring on bars, but didn t hit full stride on vault until the Big 12 Championships where she tied teammate A.J. Lamb for her second consecutive Big 12 vault title. Wertz will feature a layout Yurchenko full and a half, which carries a start value of 10.0 on vault. She is also expected to be a major contributor on the uneven bars, and now that she is healthy again should be in the mix on floor exercise. Jess seems to always rise to the occasion when you need her, Coach Dan Kendig said. Jess has the potential to go on all four events this year, it is just a matter of keeping her healthy, and keeping her moving forward. She struggled with injuries early last season, but when it was crunch time, Jess was right there scoring big for us when we needed her. I expect nothing but the same this year. As a junior: After missing the first month of the season because of an ankle injury, Wertz slowly worked her way back into the Huskers vault and bars lineups. The Lebanon, Ohio, native saw her first action of the season at Alabama, where she competed on bars and exhibitioned on vault. Following another exhibition routine on vault at the Hearts Invite on Feb. 15, Wertz was pressed into action at the Masters Classic after Gina Bruce was injured in warm-ups. Although Wertz struggled with her vault landings, her bars scores continued to improve, and she posted back-to-back scores of But it was at the Big 12 Championships that Wertz finally pieced everything together on vault. The Big 12 vault champion, Wertz successfully defended her title with a seasonhigh score of 9.90, which tied teammate A.J. Lamb for first place. Although she was forced to take extra swings on her bar routine at the league championships, Wertz was one of NU s strongest bars workers, averaging on the event. She continued her impressive vaulting at the NCAA Championships. Wertz turned in a 9.90 at the qualifier to earn first-team All-America honors. She just missed a perfect landing on her vault at the individual event finals, placing her eighth with a score of As a sophomore: In the middle of the season, it became apparent that Wertz would play an important role in the Huskers national championship run. At the Arizona State Invitational, Wertz did what only one other Husker had ever done before score a perfect 10.0 on vault. Wertz, who joined former All-Americans Heather Brink and Bree Dority O Callaghan as the only gymnasts in school history to record a 10.0, had never before performed the vault, a Yurchenko layout half front, in competition. In fact, she had only competed on vault one previous time during the season, and only four times as a freshman. Her score helped the Huskers to their highest vault total of the season (49.40). In addition, Wertz scored a on bars and a 9.80 floor to earn Co-Big 12 Gymnast-of-the- Week honors with Iowa State s Shelly Kringen, who also scored a 10.0 on vault that week. Wertz proved she would be a force on vault by tying Kringen for the Big 12 title. With the victory, Wertz earned her first All- Big 12 honor. At the Masters Classic, she tied the meet record on floor with a careerhigh 9.925, sharing the title with teammates A.J. Lamb and O Callaghan. Wertz also played an important role in the Huskers regional Vault Bars Vault Bars Floor Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around win, scoring a 9.90 on floor to tie for fourth and helping the Huskers tie their season high on the event with a On the season, Wertz hit 32-of-33 routines (97 percent), and captured two vault and two floor titles. As a freshman: One of four newcomers forced into the Husker lineup in 2000, Wertz became one of the Huskers most consistent performers. She usually competed on uneven bars and floor exercise, but was also the Huskers top reserve on both vault and balance beam. Wertz sprained her left ankle before NCAAs and competed only on uneven bars, scoring a at the Super Six Finals. She scored or better in two of her three allaround appearances, including a career high of to place fourth at the Masters Classic. She placed second in the all-around at the Bermuda Triangle Challenge (38.80), earning NU s nomination for Big 12 Gymnast-of-the-Week honors. Wertz scored or better on eight of her last 10 uneven bars performances, including a season best of 9.90 to place third at the Masters Classic. She recorded scores of 9.80 or better on seven of her 14 floor exercise routines, including four of the final five. Wertz posted her career-best mark of at the Big 12 Championships. She vaulted four times during the season, scoring a season best of at the Bermuda Triangle Challenge to place third. Prior: Wertz competed for Coach Mary Lee Tracy and current University of Iowa Coach Mike Lorenzen at Cincinnati Gymnastics. She was a two-time qualifier who placed 13th and 15th in the all-around at the 1998 and 1999 Junior Olympic National Championships, respectively, Wertz also placed third on floor exercise at the 1999 J.O. Nationals in Austin, Texas. She won the Ohio Level 10 all-around and floor exercise as a junior, and competed for her regional all-star team at the Malar Cup in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fall of She was the Bermuda Triangle Challenge all-around champion. Wertz was a club teammate of fellow Husker Julie Houk. Personal: The daughter of Fred and Joan Wertz, Jess was born Nov. 30, 1980, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. She has an older sister, Wendy, and four brothers, Scotty, Nicholas, Jordan and Zach. A biological sciences major, Jess is a three-time NACGC Scholastic All-American and carries a 3.57 grade-point average in biological sciences. FOUR STRAIGHT NCAA SUPER SIX FINALS APPEARANCES 31