Norman, Okla.- For the sixth consecutive time, the Nebraska men's gymnastics team made yet another appearance at the NCAA Championships Finals where the Huskers took home two All-America Honors and a fourth-place podium finish (406.453) at the NCAA Championships Finals.

The night was highlighted by junior Donte McKinney earning All-America Honors on vault (finishing seventh) and senior Dillan King finishing in eighth on parallel bars to earn All-America Honors.

Stanford took home the team title after earning a 423.628. Oklahoma came in second with 414.555. Michigan took third with 414.490. Ohio State followed in fifth place with 399.326, and Illinois in sixth with 398.523.

Rotation One
The Huskers started the competition on floor. Dylan LeClair led the squad notching a 13.466. Chris Hiser, 2022 B1G Freshman of the Year, followed with a 13.566. Taylor Christopulos scored a 14.266, notching a season-high. Charlie Giles put a 14.166 for the Huskers and Sam Phillips rounded off the rotation with a 13.366. 

After the first rotation on floor, Nebraska tallied a 68.830, taking third-position behind Michigan in second after competing on parallel bars (69.932), and Stanford in first following vault (73.432). 

Rotation Two
NU rallied over to pommel horse for rotation two led by Charlie Giles with a score of 13.366. Taylor Christopulos notched a 12.866 and Khalil Jackson put up a 12.933. Evan Kriley collected a 13.266. Travis Wong scored a 12.566 to cap off the rotation.

Following the second rotation, Nebraska had a running-score of 133.827. Stanford continued to occupy first (144.164), Michigan in second (138.163), and Ohio State in third (137.230).

Rotation Three
Nebraska transitioned to rings for the third rotation with Dylan LeClair as lead-off, scoring a 13.466 for the Big Red. Liam Doherty-Herwitz maintained the momentum with a 13.500. Moritz Mueller notched a 12.966.  Sam Phillips earned 13.366, while teammate Dylan Young anchored the rotation with a solid 13.400 for the Huskers. 

Moving into the fourth rotation, Nebraska put up a running scoring of 200.525. Stanford maintains first place (211.530), Michigan in second (208.462), and Oklahoma in third (205.294).

Rotation Four
The Big Red moved to vault where they finished with an event score of 71.798. Donte McKinney showed strength scoring a 14.600 and a seventh-place finish, earning All-America Honors on vault. Trailing closely, Sam Phillips collected a 14.466. Dylan LeClair scored a 13.866 while teammate Charlie Giles registered a 14.433. Taylor Christopulos landed a 14.433 to finish the rotation. 

Nebraska holds fourth-place as they move into rotation five with a running-score of 272.323. Stanford maintains first (283.963), Michigan in second (274.460), and Oklahoma in third (273.459).

Rotation Five
Showing parallel bars for the fifth rotation, senior Dylan LeClair fires up the squad with a 13.933. Taylor Christopulos registered a 13.100 for the Huskers, while Sam Phillips put up a 13.633. Dylan Young scored a 13.000. Dillan King concluded the rotation with a strong 14.033, claiming an eighth-place finish and All-America Honors on parallel bars.

Looking ahead to the final rotation, Nebraska tallied a running-score of 340.022 landing in fourth position, behind Michigan in third (343.191), Oklahoma in second (343.324) and Stanford in first (351.962).

Rotation Six
The Huskers capitalized on their final rotation of the competition on high bar led by Dylan LeClair, notching a career-high 13.333. Taylor Christopulos earned a 13.733, a career-high for the sophomore. Donte McKinney continued to rally after registering a 13.833. Sam Phillips collected a score of 11.666 and Dillan King closed out the competition landing a score of 13.866 for NU.

The Nebraska Huskers finished in fourth place with a final team score of 406.453.

Season Review
The Huskers finished the 2022 season 9-5, highlighted by a second-place team finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Huskers Finish Sooner Invitational

The Nebraska track and field team wrapped up the Sooner Invitational with seven more event titles on Saturday in Norman, Okla. 

Of the Huskers' seven titles on Saturday, five came in the field events. Ashley McElmurry won the triple jump gold medal with a new personal best of 42-2 1/4 (12.86m), Favour Wanjoku was third with a jump of 40-4 1/4 (12.30m). 

Mayson Conner claimed the men's high jump crown, clearing 6-11 3/4 (2.13m), while Tyus Wilson came in third for the Big Red with a mark of 6-8 3/4 (2.05m). 

Riley Masten led a 1-2-3 finish for the Husker women in the high jump. Masten won the title, clearing 5-8 3/4 (1.75m), while Madison Yerigan was second at 5-7 (1.70m). Madi Scholl placed third with a bar of 5-5 (1.65m). 

Maxwell Otterdahl put forth a winning effort in the discus. Otterdahl posted a season-best 180-0 (54.87m), and Tyler Brown placed third with a throw of 168-4 (51.31m), a new PR. 

The Husker women also took the top three spots in the pole vault. Jessica Garnder, Hannah Preissler and Andy Jacobs all cleared 12-7 1/2 (3.85m) on the day. Gardner and Preissler shared the top spot after neither recorded a miss. 

On the track, the Husker women earned gold in the 4x100-meter relay, as Emma Algarin, Kayla Hugg, Winsome Harris and Riley Masten finished with a time of 47.34 to edge Oklahoma (47.36). Algarin and Hugg also tied for third in the 200 meters, both running identical times of 24.51. Johanna Ilves finished third in the 100-meter hurdles after a personal-best 13.87. 

For the men, Tyler Drew was victorious in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.32. 

Nebraska will participate in the Michael Johnson Invitational, hosted by Baylor in Waco, Texas next Friday and Saturday.

Neal Powers Huskers Past Gophers

The Nebraska softball team moved to 32-9 and 12-0 in Big Ten Conference play after an 11-0 victory over Minnesota (19-17-1, 5-6 Big Ten) in five innings. Among eight Huskers who recorded a hit, Caitlynn Neal led the Big Red, finishing the day 3-for-3 with 6 RBIs including a double and a home run. 

Kaylin Kinney (3-1)  recorded her second complete-game shutout this season in the circle for Nebraska. Kinney struck out three batters, walked one and held the Gophers to only three hits. 

In the circle for the Gophers, Autumn Pease (10-10) earned the loss. Pease pitched 2.2 innings, giving up eight hits and six runs. 

Nebraska held Minnesota to only three hits on the day and allowed only one runner to reach scoring position. A single in the top of the first and a  two-out walk put a Gopher in scoring position, but Kinney was able to strikeout the batter to get NU out of the inning. 

The Huskers were the first to score with two runs in the bottom of the second. Mya Felder led off with a single to left field followed by a single from Abbie Squier to center field. With one out, Caitlynn Neal hit a bases-clearing double to right center to take the 2-0 lead. 

The Big Red added six more runs in the bottom of the third. Cam Ybarra led off with a single to left field followed by a single from Sydney Gray up the middle. Felder reached base on an error to score Ybarra. With one out, Ava Bredwell hit a single to score one.  Neal followed it up with a  two-run homer over the right field fence. Peyton Glatter added a single while Brooke Andrews smashed the second homer of the season for two more runs. NU extended the lead to 8-0. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Nebraska tallied three more runs. With one out, Abbie Squier singled followed by a walk for Bredwell. Caitlynn Neal doubled to center to score two more. Peyton Glatter singled to left field followed by a single for Brooke Andrews. An error on a throw scored Neal for an 11-0 victory over Minnesota. 

The Huskers return to action Sunday, April 17, for the final game of the series. Nebraska will take on Minnesota at 12 p.m. (CT) at Bowlin Stadium. Fans can listen to the action live on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers.com with the call by Nate Rohr and Mattie Fowler Burkhardt. It will also be streamed live on BTN+ (subscription required). 

Game Notes

  • Cam Ybarra's single in the bottom of the third marked her eighth-straight game, recording a hit. 
  • Caitlynn Neal notched 6 RBIs. The last time a Husker drove in five or more runs was when Sydney Gray tallied five RBIs against Iowa on April 12. 
  • Neal's 6 RBIs were a career-high for the sophomore. 
  • Nebraska moved to 12-0 in conference play. This marks the longest win-streak NU has had since joining the Big Ten. 
  • A 12-0 start marks the best start in conference play for Nebraska since a 12-0 start in 2004. 
  • Today marked NU's 17th-consecutive win. This is the longest win-streak since 2002 when the Huskers tallied 23 in a row. 
  • The Huskers are 19-0 when hitting two or more homers in a game. 
  • With this win, Nebraska has clinched the series win over Minnesota. This marks the first time NU has won a three-game series over Minnesota since joining the Big Ten Conference.

Weber Scores, NU Drops Spring Game at KU

Lawrence, Kan. – The Nebraska soccer team returned to action on Saturday as it faced Kansas in its lone road game of the spring season, falling to the Jayhawks 2-1. 
 
The Huskers started with Cece Villa in the goal for the fourth-straight game, along with Abbey Schwarz, Eleanor Dale, Florence Belzile, Katie Stoneburner, Marissa Popoola, Lauryn Anglim, Gwen Lane, Allison Napora, Jordan Zade and Sarah Weber.
 
Nebraska and Kansas played to a 0-0 draw after the first 45 minutes before the Jayhawks scored first and found the back of the net 21 seconds into the second half. 
 
The Huskers then responded as Weber tied the game with her fourth goal of the spring season, scoring with a little over 20 minutes left in the match. 
 
Kansas then stretched the lead back to one with less than 10 minutes to go and held on to defeat NU, 2-1. 
 
Next week, the Big Red will return home for its fifth and final spring game as it hosts Kansas State on Saturday, April 23 at 1 p.m. CT. 

Five Huskers Finish in Top 25 at OSU

Vanessa Bouvet tied for ninth individually to lead five Huskers with top-25 finishes, as the Nebraska women's golf team took fifth at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.

Bouvet, a senior from France/Brunei, produced a solid three-round total of 226 (+10) in challenging scoring conditions on the 6,319-yard layout of the Scarlet Course. She closed the 10-team tournament with a final-round 76 (+4), after opening with rounds of 75 and 76 on Friday. It marked Bouvet's fourth top-10 showing of the season and sixth of her Husker career.

While Bouvet led a balanced Husker lineup in the tournament, fellow senior Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) produced Nebraska's best individual round on Saturday with a 74 (+2) to climb the leader board and capture her seventh consecutive top-25 finish of the season. Whittaker, who struggled Friday with rounds of 79 and 80, closed the tournament with a 54-hole score of 233, battling her way nine spots up the leader board in the final round.

Michaela Vavrova joined Whittaker in making a major jump up the individual standings Saturday. The sophomore from Slovakia vaulted 12 spots up the leader board with a final-round 75 (+3) to finish with a three-round total of 235 to match senior teammates Kirsten Baete (Beatrice, Neb.) and Nicole Hansen in a tie for 25th. Baete notched Nebraska's No. 4 score in the tournament's six-count-four format on Saturday with her 78, while Hansen added a 79.

True freshman Miu Takahashi rounded out the Nebraska contingent in the tournament with a 251 to finish 57th in a 60-player field.

As a team, Nebraska posted a 303 (+15) score on Saturday to close with a three-round total of 923 (+59). It was the fourth-best team score of the final round, allowing the Huskers to move up one spot in the team standings after carding rounds of 311 and 309 on Friday.

The hosts from Ohio State won the team title with an 897 (+33) that included a final-round 292 (+4). The Buckeyes defeated in-state rival Kent State, which finished second at 912 (+48), including a 298 (+10) on Saturday. Illinois (913) and Michigan State (916) rounded out the top four teams ahead of the Huskers in the final standings.

Nebraska defeated Big Ten foes Maryland (925), Penn State (935) and Rutgers (938), while also knocking off Xavier (937) and NCAA Division II power University of Indianapolis (977).

Kent State All-American Emily Price took home medalist honors with a three-round score of 215 (-1), which included a final-round 68 (-4). Price was the only golfer to finish with a 54-hole score better than par, and she won the individual title by six strokes over Michigan State's Valery Plata, Kent State teammate Chloe Salort and Ohio State's Emily Hummer, who finished in a three-way tie for second at 221.

"Good preparation for Big Tens," Nebraska Coach Lisa Johnson said. "As always, Ohio State provided a great challenge - windy and cold weather and tough course conditions. We will build on the positives from this event. I am really pleased with where we are technically, but we need some more putting and chipping reps before heading to Pittsburgh."

The Huskers return to action next weekend for the Big Ten Championship (April 22-24) at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational
Scarlet Course (Par 72, 6,319 Yards)   
Columbus, Ohio
April 15-16, 2022

Final Team Results
1. Ohio State (57) - 298-307-292=897 (+33)
2. Kent State (44) - 305-309-298=912 (+48)
3. Illinois (25) - 305-303-305=913 (+49)
4. Michigan State (35) - 306-313-297=916 (+52)
5. Nebraska (70) - 311-309-303=923 (+59)
6. Maryland (62) - 314-304-307=925 (+61)
7. Penn State (92) - 316-312-307=935 (+71)
8. Xavier (94) - 310-313-314=937 (+73)
9. Rutgers (117) - 314-318-306=938 (+74)
10. Indianapolis (11-DII) - 330-327-320=977 (+113)

Final Individual Results
1. Emily Price, Kent State - 72-75-68=215 (-1)
T2. Valery Plata, Michigan State - 73-76-72=221 (+5)
T2. Chloe Salort, Kent State - 75-72-74=221 (+5)
T2. Emily Hummer, Ohio State - 72-73-76=221 (+5)
T5. Aneka Seumanutafa, Ohio State - 75-76-71=222 (+6)
T5. Crystal Wang, Illinois - 71-74-77=222 (+6)
7. Alexis Phadungmartvorakul, Ohio State - 77-75-73=225 (+9)
8. Patrice Mackova, Maryland - 77-74-75=226 (+10)
T9. Kornkamol Sukaree, Illinois - 75-80-72=222 (+11) 
T9. Vanessa Bouvet, Nebraska - 75-76-76=227 (+11)

Nebraska Individuals
T9. Vanessa Bouvet - 75-76-76=227 (+11)
T23. Megan Whittaker - 79-80-74=233 (+18)
T25. Michaela Vavrova - 83-77-75=235 (+20)
T25. Kirsten Baete - 77-80-78=235 (+20)
T25. Nicole Hansen - 80-76-79=235 (+20)
57. Miu Takahashi - 84-83-84=251 (+35)