Nebraska offensive coordinator Mark Whipple met with members of the media following Wednesday's spring practice. Whipple talked about noticeable improvements within the group of quarterbacks.
 
"They are taking care of the ball better which I thought we were a little loose with the ball earlier at quarterback," Whipple said. "Today we had an interception in the red zone. We are getting more work in the red zone which will help us in the tight windows and third downs and things like that. Casey (Thompson) has done well. Logan (Smothers) has done well. Chubba (Purdy) has been working a little bit more so it has been good to see him."
 
Whipple discussed the depth in the receivers' room and the possibility of some receivers playing two positions.
 
"They have done a really good job," he said. "I think we have good leadership with some of the older guys. We have taken some guys and moved them to different positions and that gives you some more depth also. So Alante (Brown) is able to play two positions. Trey (Palmer) has been inside but we will let him play some outside stuff as we go. Oliver (Martin) has done a good job. Omar (Manning) has done a good job. I really like where we are going. We have a deep room there and we are getting better every day."
 
He was asked what the best part of spring practice has been.
 
"The best thing is these kids are fun," Whipple said. "They come to work every day. They fought through Monday, it was a tough day. When you look at the schedule you will see we had a practice on Thursday where we scrimmaged and you have to come right back on Monday with full pads but I thought they did a really good job that way. They are fun to be around. We had a walk through in here which was something new before the scrimmage. There was an air of confidence but a business-like attitude which is what you want. You do not want them all being uptight."
 
Whipple talked about the offense and defense balancing each other out during spring practices.
 
"We have had good battles with the defense," he said. "What I have learned with spring practice is if one side is dominating the other then you probably do not have a good team. Defense has made plays and offense has bounced back and handles adversity so it is a fun group to be around."  
 
The Huskers will continue their spring practice on Monday. The annual red-white spring game is set for April, 9 at 1 p.m. (CT) with national television coverage by the Big Ten Network.

Husker Bowlers Earn NCAA Bid

The Nebraska bowling team's quest for a seventh NCAA title begins next weekend, as the Huskers will travel to Rochester, N.Y. for the NCAA Regional.

Nebraska, the No. 2 overall seed in the 16-team field, is the top seed in the four-team Rochester Region and will be joined by Wilmington (Del.) University. Fairleigh Dickson and Sacred Heart.  Competition will take place beginning Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9.

The double-elimination format will advance one winner from each of the four regionals to the National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on April 15-16.

The regionals, except for the if-necessary match, will use the Mega Match format, which includes a five-person team, baker total pinfall and a best-of-seven Baker Match play. If the if-necessary match is needed, it will be a best-of-seven Baker Match play.
The 2022 season is the first time where the NCAA will have four regional sites with the winners advancing to the championship finals.

With today's NCAA bid announcement, the Husker bowling program is the only program to qualify for every national championship since the NCAA sponsored bowling in the 2003-04 season. The Huskers, who are ranked No. 2 in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, are 82-27 in matches this year and have won five tournament titles in nine tournaments while posting eight top-three finishes. Nebraska is looking for its first back-to-back national titles since 2004 and 2005.

The Huskers return their entire starting lineup for 2021 NTCA National Coach of the Year Paul Klempa, including All-Americans Crystal Elliott, Cassidy Ray and Kayla Verstraete. Ray, a two-time All-American, paces the Huskers with four top-five finishes while Verstraete has three top-five showings. Elliott, who was the 2021 NTCA Bowler of the Year, leads NU in baker scoring at 20.80 pins per frame, while four of the Huskers top five bowlers average at least 20.0 pins per frame in either baker or traditional
format.

Nebraska has won eight national titles since becoming a varsity sport in 1997-98 (1999-IBC, 2001-IBC, 2004-NCAA; 2005-NCAA, 2009-NCAA, 2013-NCAA; 2015-NCAA and 2021-NCAA) while earning runner-up honors on four other occasions.

Huskers Set for Pepsi Florida Relays

The Nebraska track and field team continues the outdoor season this weekend with student-athletes heading to four different locations. 

The majority of the Husker squad - 28 athletes - will head to Gainesville, Fla., for the Pepsi Florida Relays. The Huskers will start competing on Friday at 1:30 p.m. (CT), and the meet will be streamed on ESPN+. Saturday's events begin at 11 a.m. for the Huskers.

Four distance runners will travel to California this week to represent the Big Red. Mark Freyhof and Ryan Martins will run the 10,00 meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. (CT). Bailey Timmons is in the 5,000 meters at 1:25 p.m. on Friday. Erika Freyhof will run the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational at 11:07 p.m. on Saturday in Palo Alto, California. 

Three Husker decathletes will get more work in this weekend at the Central Nebraska Challenge, hosted by UNK. Matthias Algarin, Kolby Heinerikson and Till Steinforth will all compete in the 110m Hurdles and pole vault. Heinerikson will also compete in the 200 meters and discus, while Steinforth will run the 100 meters and throw the javelin. 

Pepsi Florida Relays - Live Results
Friday
1:30 p.m. - Women's Long Jump Invite (Pearson, Stepney)
1:30 p.m. - Men's Long Jump Invite (Hoffer, Moore, Mudundulu)
2:00 p.m. - Women's High Jump Invite (Masten, Miller, Rogers, Yerigan)
2:00 p.m. - Women's Pole Vault (Gardner, Jacobs)
3:45 p.m. - Women's Long Jump (Pearson, Stepney)
3:45 p.m. - Men's Long Jump (Hoffer, Moore, Mudundulu)
4:30 p.m. - Men's High Jump Invite (Conner, Hoffer, Nelson)
4:50 p.m. - Women's 200m (Algarin, Hugg, J. Ilves)
5:25 p.m. - Men's 200m (Nelson, Paissan)
6:00 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles (Moore)
6:20 p.m. - Men's 400m Hurdles (Berg, Drew, Keys)
Saturday
11:00 a.m. - Women's 100m Hurdles Prelims (J. Ilves, Stepney)
11:00 a.m. - Men's High Jump (Conner, Hoffer, Nelson)
11:25 a.m. - Men's 110m Hurdles Prelims (Luff)
12:00 p.m. - Men's Pole Vault (Hughes)
12:00 p.m. - Women's Triple Jump (Pearson)
12:30 p.m. - Women's 4x100m Relay
12:45 p.m. - Men's 4x100m Relay 
2:00 p.m. - Men's Triple Jump (Hoston, Moore, Mudundulu)
2:05 p.m. - Women's 100m Hurdles Finals (J. Ilves, Stepney)
2:15 p.m. - Men's 110m Hurdles Finals (Luff)
2:25 p.m. - Women's 400m (Clarke, Hugg, Moore)
2:55 p.m. - Men's 400m (Bryant, Drew)
3:25 p.m. - Women's 100m (Algarin)
3:45 p.m. - Men's 100m (Paissan, Ramsey)
4:40 p.m. - Women's 4x400m Relay 
5:10 p.m. - Men's 4x400m Relay

Mike Fanelli Track Classic - Live Results
Thursday
12:15 p.m. - Men's 10,000m (Freyhof, Martins)
Friday
1:25 p.m. - Men's 5,000m (Timmons)

Central Nebraska Challenge - Live Results
Saturday
TBD - Men's 100m (Steinforth)
TBD - Men's 200m (Heinerikson)
TBD - Men's 110m Hurdles (Algarin, Heinerikson, Steinforth)
TBD - Men's Pole Vault (Algarin, Heinerikson, Steinforth)
TBD - Men's Discus (Heinerikson)
TBD - Men's Javelin (Steinforth)

Stanford Invitational - Live Results
Saturday
11:07 p.m. - Women's 10,000m (Freyhof)

Davis, Colombo Head to Seattle for NCAA Regionals

Two Husker gymnasts head to Washington to take part in the NCAA Seattle Regional on Thursday, March 31. Nebraska's representatives will battle for a spot at the NCAA Championships later this month. 

Sophomore Kinsey Davis will compete on vault, uneven bars and balance beam at 3 p.m. (CT) while junior Clara Colombo will perform on uneven bars at 9 p.m. (CT). 

Davis qualified for the NCAA Tournament on vault, where she holds a national qualifying score of 9.860. Throughout the 2022 season, Davis has claimed one event title on the apparatus. On uneven bars, Davis holds a national qualifying score of 9.875. The sophomore has claimed three event titles and notched a personal best 9.975. The Huntersville, N.C., native will also compete on the balance beam. Davis holds a 9.865 national qualifying score on the balance beam and earned two titles on the apparatus. She also claimed a personal best on the event this season with a 9.925. Davis was named a First-Team All-Big Ten honoree and was selected for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. 

Colombo will take part in the NCAA Tournament on uneven bars, where she holds a national qualifying score of 9.870. Colombo had a breakout season in 2022, claiming one event title and a personal best 9.900 on the bars three times. Colombo finished tied for fifth on the apparatus at the Big Ten Championships. 

The Huskers will take the floor in Seattle on Thursday, March 31. Davis will compete during the afternoon session starting at 3 p.m. (CT) and Colombo is set to compete in the evening session at 9 p.m. (CT). The meet will be streamed on ESPN+.

Huskers Ready for Big Ten Championships

Ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten conference, the Nebraska Huskers are headed to Penn State University where they are set to compete in the Big Ten Championships for a chance at the title. All five teams competing in the Big Ten Championships are ranked among the top 7 in the NCAA.

Last Time Out
Nebraska closed out the regular season against Ohio State in a close meet where they fell 406.650-407.350. Despite the loss, the Huskers claimed two event titles. Sophomore Taylor Christopulos earned the vault title notching a score of 14.50. Senior Charlie Giles claimed the pommel horse title after registering a career-high 14.90 for the Big Red. 
The Huskers worked to put up a team score of 67.350 on high bar, tied with their season-high. 

Looking ahead, NU is ranked fourth overall moving into week twelve. Following the all-around, Nebraska ranks second on pommel horse, vault and high bar, and fourth on floor, parallel bars, and still rings.

In the B1G conference, senior Jake Bonnay places first on floor, and senior Charlie Giles ranks first on vault and second on pommel horse. Senior Dylan LeClair ranks third on parallel bars. Junior Sam Phillips is fifth on high bar.

Scouting the Competition
Ahead of the championships, Michigan is ranked No. 1 in the conference and shares a title with Ohio State as the regular-season champions. Paul Juda leads the Wolverines after being named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, repeating as a back-to-back recipient. Juda leads the conference in the all-around with a 86.100. Senior Cameron Bock stands out as a two-time all-around champion, while senior Nicholas Guy holds B1G's highest average score on vault (14.608).
No. 3 Ohio State's Jesse Tyndall, brother of Husker gymnast Mitch Tyndall, leads the Buckeyes with 11 event titles this season and a Nissen-Emery Finalist.
No.4 Illinois and No. 5 Penn State follow in rank in the Big Ten conference as tough competitors for the upcoming competition.

Follow the Huskers
Fans can follow @NebraskaMensGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet. The meet will be broadcasted live on Big Ten Network Friday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. CT.