NU Notes: Huskers Take Sixth at NCAA Championships
The Huskers shot a team air rifle score of 2,366 at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio. That score, combined with their smallbore score from yesterday, totaled an aggregate score of 4,706.
"I'm proud of the team," said Head Coach Mindy Miles. "We were very close to fifth and within grasp of fourth and third. It's anyone's game when it comes to the NCAA Championships. They worked hard all season and gave the match their all. I'm looking forward to further building the team next season."
Freshman Vittoria Watts led NU with a 594 to place 14th in the air rifle. Junior All-American and 2023 NCAA Smallbore champion Cecelia Ossi shot a 593 to finish 18th. Junior Madelynn Erickson shot a 590 in the first round of competition and placed 31st, while freshman Emma Rhode (589, 33rd) and sophomore Mackenzie Strauch (583, 45th) finished out the air rifle lineup for Nebraska.
"I couldn't be more proud of what this team has accomplished this year," said Assistant Coach JT Schnering. "They've broken every team record, broken or tied every individual record, and continued to push their own limits throughout the season. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish next season as a team."
Ossi earned a 1,183 aggregate score to top the Huskers. Watts had a 1,178, Erickson recorded a 1,175, Rhode posted a 1,170 and Strauch shot a 1,159 over the two days of competition.
NU's smallbore score from yesterday is the fourth-highest in program history. This season, the team has shot all five of the top-five aggregate scores in Nebraska rifle history, along with the top three smallbore and air rifle scores. Freshmen Emma Rhode and Vittoria Watts broke the Husker air rifle record -- both shot a 598 against Alaska-Fairbanks on Nov. 13. All five Huskers that comepted in the NCAA Championships earned personal-bests in all three disciplines (air rifle, smallbore and aggregate) this season.
Final Results- Teams
1st- Alaska Fairbanks, 4,729
2nd- TCU, 4,723
3rd- Kentucky, 4,713
4th- Ole Miss, 4,713
5th- West Virginia, 4,708
6th- Nebraska, 4,706
7th- Air Force, 4,697
8th- Murray State, 4,688
Final Results- Husker Individuals
Air Rifle- 593
Smallbore- 590
Aggregate- 1,183
Air Rifle- 594
Smallbore- 584
Aggregate- 1,178
Air Rifle- 590
Smallbore- 585
Aggregate- 1,175
Air Rifle- 589
Smallbore- 581
Aggregate- 1,170
Air Rifle- 583
Smallbore- 576
Aggregate- 1,159
Huskers Claim Three Individual Titles in Regular Season Finale
The Nebraska women's gymnastics team notched a 197.275 and claimed three individual titles at the Masters Classic on Saturday night.
Emma Spence claimed the uneven bars title with a career-high score of 9.975 and the all-around title with a 39.650 while Kylie Piringer took home the floor title after tallying a 9.925.
No. 11 Denver had the highest team mark with a 197.375 while Air Force finished with a 193.925.
Rotation One
The Huskers started the night on vault, matching their season-best score of 49.375. Spence led the way with a 9.925, matching her career best. Davis followed with a 9.900, matching her career best. Martina Comin added a 9.875 while Katie Kuenemann earned a 9.800. Sophia McClelland rounded out the rotation with a 9.725.
The Falcons started on uneven bars, tallying a 48.275. The Pioneers started on beam, earning a 49.225. Jessica Hutchinson and Abbie Thompson both tallied a 9.900, earning the event title.
Rotation Two
Spence led the Big Red during rotation two, notching a 9.975 on uneven bars as Nebraska scored a 49.500 as a team. Spence's 9.975 ties for third-best score in Nebraska history. Emma Simpton and Davis both followed with a 9.900 while Genesis Gibson tallied a 9.875. Clara Colombo earned a 9.875 while Sophia McClelland finished with a 9.375.
Air Force competed on beam, earning a 97.150 while Denver earned a 98.425 on floor.
Rotation Three
On rotation three, the Huskers competed on beam, earning a team score of 48.950. Spence led with a 9.850 while McClelland and Hall followed with a 9.825. Colombo added a 9.750, and Allie Gard tallied a 9.700. Simpton finished with a 8.825 due to a fall.
The Falcons earned a 47.900 on floor during rotation three. The Pioneers added a 49.400 on vault. Rosie Casali led DU with a 9.950, earning the event title.
Rotation Four
Nebraska finished on floor, earning a team score of 49.450. Kylie Piringer led, claiming the event title, with a 9.925 to match her career best. Spence and Halle Rourke followed with a 9.900 while McClelland earned a 9.875. Comin and Kuenemann both tallied a 9.850.
Denver competed on bars in the final rotation, tallying a team score of 49.550. Air Force finished the meet on vault, earning a team score of 48.875.
All-Around
Spence claimed the all-around title, matching her career-best score of 39.650. McClelland finished in sixth with a 38.800.
Up Next
The Huskers return to action next Saturday, March 18 at the Big Ten Championships in Iowa City, Iowa. The meet is set to begin at 11 a.m. (CT) with live television coverage by the Big Ten Network.
Donahue Adds Top-Five Finish on Final Day
Nebraska closed the 2023 CSCAA National Invitational Championships in 14th place out of over 50 teams with 235 total points.
Gabby Donahue earned NU's fourth top-five finish of the week, clocking a 55.71 in the 100 IM final to capture fourth.
Sarah Barton pitched in a 2:00.63 in the 200 butterfly to place 11th. The junior from Huntersville, N.C. added a sixth-place finish in the 400 IM (4:18.34) and an eighth-place finish in the 200 IM (2:02.30) over the past two days.
JoJo Randby swam a 2:16.29 in the 200 breaststroke to place 23rd. On Thursday, Randby finished fourth in the 50 breaststroke with a 28.13. She followed that up with another fourth-place finish on Friday in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.99).
Caitlin Cairns and Giulia Marchi teamed up with Donahue and Randby in the 400 freestyle relay to place 21st in 3:24.35.
Nebraska divers' scores from the NCAA Zone Championships were added to the team score at the end of competition.
Gena Jorgenson and Kelsey Clairmont are set to continue their seasons March 15-18 at the 2023 NCAA Championships, hosted in Knoxville, Tenn.
Huskers Beat Texas, Fall to No. 14 Washington
The Nebraska beach volleyball team posted a split in its two matches at the Heineken Queen's Cup in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday. The Huskers knocked off Texas, 3-2, before falling to No. 14 Washington, 4-1.
Against the Longhorns, the Huskers (8-4) got wins from Bekka Allick/Lexi Rodriguez (21-16, 21-19), Bergen Reilly/Ally Batenhorst (21-15, 15-21, 17-15) and Laney Choboy/Lindsay Krause (18-21, 21-14, 15-12). Reilly and Batenhorst provided the match-clinching point. Nebraska's other two pairs, Harper Murray/Merritt Beason and Maisie Boesiger/Andi Jackson, both pushed their matches to three sets before falling in deuce games.
In the 4-1 loss to No. 14 Washington, Murray and Beason picked up the Huskers' lone win. They took their No. 3 matchup, 21-18, 21-14.
The Big Red finishes the Queen's Cup on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) against Oregon.
Nebraska 3, Texas 2
1. Bekka Allick/Lexi Rodriguez (NEB) def. Marina Crownover/Molly Phillips (TEX) 21-16, 21-19
2. Keonilei Akana/Devin Kahahawai (TEX) def. Harper Murray/Merritt Beason (NEB) 21-17, 23-21
3. Bergen Reilly/Ally Batenhorst (NEB) def. Sydney Helmers/Madisen Skinner (TEX) 21-15, 15-21, 17-15
4. Laney Choboy/Lindsay Krause (NEB) def. Bella Bergmark/Reilly Heinrich (TEX) 18-21, 21-14, 15-12
5. Jordyn Byrd/Jenna Wenaas (TEX) def. Maisie Boesiger/Andi Jackson (NEB) 17-21, 21-18, 17-15
Order of finish: 1,2,4,3,5
No. 14 Washington 4, Nebraska 1
1. Chloe Loreen/Natalie Robinson (UW) def. Lexi Rodriguez/Bekka Allick (NEB) 23-21, 21-10
2. Piper Monk-Heidrich/Kendall Mather (UW) def. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly (NEB) 21-15, 21-18
3. Merritt Beason/Harper Murray (NEB) def. Teagan DeFalco/Shannon Gormally (UW) 21-18, 21-14
4. Paloma Bowman/Scarlett Dahl (UW) def. Laney Choboy/Lindsay Krause (NEB) 21-13, 21-15
5. Mary Sinclair/Hannah Yerex (UW) def. Masie Boesiger/Andi Jackson (NEB) 21-13, 21-10
Order of finish: 5,1,3,2,4
Huskers Dominate Omaha, 4-0
Lincoln, Neb. – The No. 48 Nebraska men's tennis team (8-5, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated Omaha (8-5, 0-0 Summit League) 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center.
Nebraska made clean work during doubles to take a 1-0 lead. On Court 1, William Gleason and Calvin Mueller picked up a 6-2 win over Omaha's Davis Lawley and Quintan Van Wijk. NU clinched the doubles point on Court 3, as Roni Hietaranta and Shunya Maruyama defeated Hugo Piles Ballester and Alvaro Quintana, 6-3.
Leo Linquet and Nic Wiedenhorn were leading 5-3 on Court 2, but the match went unfinished.
Nebraska continued its dominance in singles play. On Court 5, Mueller took down Piles Ballester, 6-3, 6-3 to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead. Linquet defeated Lawley, 6-4, 6-2, on Court 2 to extend the Big Red lead to three.
Hietaranta clinched the team victory for the Huskers on Court 1, picking up a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Mikhail Korkunov.
With Nebraska already having clinched the win, the remaining matches went unfinished. Maruyama was up 6-4, 2-1 on Court 3, Gleason was up 7-5, 2-2 on Court 4, and Wiedenhorn was tied 4-6, 6-2 on Court 6.
The Huskers return to action at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center when they host Michigan State to open up conference play on Friday, March 24, at 5 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
Omaha vs Nebraska
Mar 11, 2023 at Lincoln, Nebraska (Dillon Tennis Center)
#48 Nebraska 4, Omaha 0
Singles competition
1. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Mikhail Korkunov (UNO) 6-4, 6-4
2. Leo Linquet (NEB) def. Davis Lawley (UNO) 6-4, 6-2
3. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) vs. Ethan Gaubert (UNO) 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
4. William Gleason (NEB) vs. Ryoma Mishiro (UNO) 7-5, 2-2, unfinished
5. Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. Hugo Piles Ballester (UNO) 6-3, 6-3
6. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) vs. Quintan Van Wijk (UNO) 4-6, 6-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Calvin Mueller/William Gleason (NEB) def. Davis Lawley/Quintan Van Wijk (UNO) 6-2
2. Leo Linquet/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) vs. Hugo Piles Ballester/Alvaro Quintana (UNO) 5-3, unfinished
3. Roni Hietaranta/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) def. Ethan Gaubert/Ryoma Mishiro (UNO) 6-3
Match Notes:
Omaha 8-5
Nebraska 8-5; National ranking #48
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,2,1) A-85
Husker Men and Women Post Top-15 NCAA Finishes
The Nebraska track and field team capped off the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., with eight first-team All-Americans, two second-team All-Americans and the best team finishes in over a decade.
The Nebraska men placed eighth with 24.75 points, the best indoor finish since 2009. The Nebraska women claimed their best finish since 2006, finishing 14th with 17 points.
Axelina Johansson achieved the top NCAA indoor finish by a Husker woman since 2011 with her runner-up placement in the shot put. Johansson had a mark of 62-8 3/4 (19.12m) in her final attempt to close in second place and garner first-team All-American honors.
In the men's shot put, Jonah Wilson and Maxwell Otterdahl each accomplished personal-best marks and first-team All-America honors. Wilson tabbed the best indoor NCAA finish by a Husker man since 2018, placing second with a distance of 68-7 1/4 (20.91m). Otterdahl had the third-best mark in school history with a 67-8 (20.62m) to place fourth.
That was the first time NU has placed two athletes in the top five in the same event since the 1996 NCAA Indoor Championships, when Frank Mensah and Willie Hibler finished fourth and fifth in the 55m hurdles.
Darius Luff captured the bronze and first-team All-America honors in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.60, a day after breaking the school record in the prelims with a 7.54.
Till Steinforth posted a new heptathlon school record in his first-team All-American effort. He ended the day with 6,196 total points to finish fourth behind three athletes that now rank in the top five all-time in the collegiate men's indoor heptathlon.
Steinforth's performance is the seventh-best score in collegiate indoor heptathlon history. He finished as runner-up in the pole vault, clearing 16-11 (5.16m), sixth in the 60m hurdles with an 8.03 and 11th in the 1000m with a 2:49.83. The sophomore from Germany entered Saturday in a good position after achieving personal-bests in the long jump and high jump portions on Friday.
Jenna Rogers closed her indoor season with first-team All-America honors in the women's high jump, placing fourth with a clearance of 6-2 (1.88m).
On the men's side, Mayson Conner was named a first-team All-American in the high jump, clearing 7-1 3/4 (2.18m) to tie for seventh.
The Huskers will start their outdoor season at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, March 30-April 1, in Austin, Texas.