NU Notes: Gray Named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week
Sydney Gray was named the Big Ten Softball Co-Player of the Week on Monday following an outstanding weekend at the Troy Cox Classic in New Mexico. Gray won the second Big Ten weekly award of her career, as she was also the co-player of the week in February of 2022.
Gray played a key role in Nebraska posting a 4-1 record last weekend. She went 5-for-16 in New Mexico with three homers and 10 RBIs. Gray averaged 1.0 hit, 1.0 run and 2.0 RBIs per game over five contests. She posted an .875 slugging percentage with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 19 chances at third base.
A native of Tucson, Arizona, Gray drove in the game-winning run in Nebraska’s victory over New Mexico State last Friday. She then went 2-for-5 in a pair of wins on Saturday with a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs. In the final game of the tournament against defending Big Sky regular-season champion Sacramento State, Gray powered the Huskers’ 8-3 come-from-behind victory. Gray had a pair of three-run homers in the win, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a career-high six RBIs.
Gray shared Big Ten Player of the Week with Michigan State’s Britain Beshears. Indiana’s Brianna Copeland was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, while Michigan State’s Jaeya Butler was the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Gray and her teammates close out the opening month of the season this weekend when the Huskers play five games in three days at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California
DAVIS GARNERS AAI AWARD NOMINATION
Nebraska women’s gymnastics senior Kinsey Davis was named an AAI Award nominee, as the American Athletic Inc. announced the list on Monday.
This prestigious award is presented to the most outstanding senior collegiate female gymnast in the country and is voted on by NCAA women’s gymnastics head coaches.
The Huntersville, N.C., native has been a strong leader for her team during her career at NU. Athletically, she has posted career highs of 9.9+ in every event she has competed in – 9.975 on uneven bars, 9.925 on balance beam and 9.900 on vault. Just this season, she has scored a 9.975 on bars twice and earned two Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week awards. She is the first Husker to receive a weekly award since 2020, and her bars average of 9.882 is currently ranked fourth in the Big Ten.
Outside of gymnastics, Davis is a three-time WCGA Scholastic All-American, two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, two-time Academic All-Big Ten and has been on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll every semester since she has been enrolled at NU. She has earned Nebraska’s gold academic medallion twice, which requires a GPA of 3.75 or higher, and has been a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship team every year of her tenure, showcasing her passion for serving her community.
The senior is the women’s gymnastics representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has served on the Nebraska Gymnastics Team Leadership Council since 2021.
HUSKERS SWEEP BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
The Nebraska men’s gymnastics team swept the conference accolades this week, as Taylor Christopulos, Chase Mondi and Zac Tiderman each received weekly honors following Saturday’s tri-meet against Army and Greenville. Christopulos was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, Mondi earned his second Big Ten Freshman award, and Zac Tiderman collected Big Ten Specialist accolades, announced by the conference Monday afternoon.
Christopulos’ accomplishments feature an impressive performance on floor, earning him the event title and registering a new career-high score of 14.75 on the event, only .10 below the Nebraska individual record set in 2017 by former Husker Austin Epperson. Christopulos also helped the squad set a new season-best team score on the floor exercise (70.800), beating out last season's record. The captain also competed on pommel horse where he put up a 13.20. On vault, the Layton, Utah native, collected a new season-best of 14.85, taking second place overall and helped the Big Red secure a new season-best team score on vault.
Mondi had a stand out performance where he competed on floor and secured a 13.80, just one-tenth below his career-best and good for sixth place. The freshman helped the Huskers earn a season-best team score on the floor exercise (70.800), surpassing last season's mark. On vault, the freshman notably made a historic impact after setting a new career-best (14.85) and completing a Kaz double full on vault, being the first Husker to complete this skill on vault in Nebraska school history. Mondi tied teammate Christopulos for a strong second-place finish and helped NU set a season-best team score on vault (72.300).
"Freshman Chase Mondi, the first Husker ever to perform the Kaz double full vaulting was an amazing feat," Head Coach Chuck Chmelka said. "There’s only a handful of people in the world doing this vault and we’re fortunate to have one of those guys and he’s only a freshman."
Tiderman highlighted his craft after setting another historic, record-breaking performance by breaking a Nebraska school record on high bar after scoring a new career-best 14.65, good for the event title. The record was previously set by Anton Stephenson in 2018 with a 14.60. The Wilsonville, Ore., native helped the Huskers set a new season-best team score on high bar (70.100), surpassing the Huskers’ previous top score in 2023. Tiderman also impressed on vault after registering a 14.75, good for fourth overall.
"I couldn’t be more proud of the record Zac Tiderman attained today on high bar," Coach Chmelka said. "He’s a beautiful bar swinger. A very hard worker and he has earned his spot in the elite ranks on high bar."
Each athlete contributed to Nebraska’s success in the tri-meet against Army and Greenville where they played a critical role in setting the Huskers new season-best team score at the meet (412.900).
Two Husker gymnasts, Christopulos and Toby Liang, will compete at the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup in Louisville, Ky., next Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25 at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
HUSKERS EARN NCAA BID
The No. 8 Nebraska rifle team qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championships, as the NCAA announced the eight-team field Monday evening.
The Huskers will face off against West Virginia, TCU, Air Force, Kentucky, Alaska-Fairbanks, Ole Miss and Navy. The 2024 NCAA Championships take place in Morgantown, W.Va, on Friday-Saturday, March 8-9.
“NCAAs will be exciting for the team,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “This season has been extremely competitive for the entire sport. We are one of the top programs in the NCAA. As with any match, any team can win and we will make a run for it.”
NU will make its second straight appearance under Miles and 20th appearance since becoming a varsity program in 1998. The Huskers’ qualifying score was based on its score from qualifiers last weekend and their top three regular-season scores at different locations throughout the season.
Nebraska returns an experienced roster as four shooters - seniors Cecelia Ossi and Madelynn Erickson, junior Mackenzie Strauch and sophomore Emma Rhode - all helped the Huskers to a sixth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
Ossi, a four-time All-American, claimed the national title in smallbore in 2023 and will be looking to continue her success. Erickson (2023 CRCA Honorable Mention Smallbore) and Rhode (2023 CRCA Second-Team Air Rifle) are also returning All-Americans for the Huskers.
The Big Red has faced five out of its seven opponents so far this season – West Virginia, TCU, Air Force, Kentucky and Alaska-Fairbanks.
HUSKERS SURGE IN FINAL ROUND AT SUN COAST
Lindsey Thiele posted her first top-10 finish of the season, while Kelli Ann Strand added Nebraska's best round of the tournament with a 68 to tie for 11th and lead the Husker women's golf team up the standings on the final day of the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational on Monday in Sarasota, Fla.
Thiele, a senior from Wahoo, Neb., added a final-round 73 (+1) to Sunday's opening-round 70 (-2) to finish in a tie for seventh at 143 (-1). Thiele's second round was filled with ups and downs, as she recorded five birdies and six bogeys to go with seven pars on the 6,191-yard layout of the Champions Course at the Palm Aire Country Club. It was Thieles third career top-10 finish as a Husker.
"It was nice to see Lindsey play well this week," Nebraska Head Coach Jeanne Sutherland said. "She will take a lot away from this event that will help her the rest of the spring. Kelli Ann and Miu also showed their games today."
Strand cruised through Monday's 18 holes with four birdies and 14 pars to finish at four-under-par. The sophomore from Challis, Idaho, jumped 17 spots on the leader board into a tie for 11th with a 36-hole score of even-par 144 after an opening-round 76 in rough conditions on Sunday. Strand's 68 was her 11th round better than par in 17 total rounds this season, and her 29th career round under par in 55 rounds.
Junior Miu Takahashi contributed an impressive 69 (-3) to Nebraska's team score on Monday, vaulting 31 spots up the individual standings into a tie for 41st at 151 (+7) for the tournament. The junior from Nasu-machi, Japan carded four birdies and 13 pars against one bogey for the round.
Sydney Harz and Michaela Vavrova both closed the tournament with final rounds of 75 (+3). Harz tied with Husker teammate Andrea Velez in 67th, while Vavrova tied for 72nd in the 81-player field.
As a team, Nebraska posted a final-round 285 (-3), to move up two spots to 11th in the team standings. The Huskers (595) moved in front of both North Carolina State (598) and Kent State (603), while finishing just one shot back of Miami.
"We played a lot better today because we played to targets and with freedom," Nebraska Coach Jeanne Sutherland said. "Yesterday we played away from trouble and tried to control everything, and it just doesn't work. It was a good lesson to learn going into the meat of our spring schedule. We still have work to do with being in the right frame of mind to compete, but I liked what I saw today."
Ohio State (576) held off the College of Charleston (578) for the team title, while Tennessee secured third place after producing the best round of the tournament with a 281 (-7) on Monday. Ohio State's Kary Hollenbaugh took medalist honors with a 36-hole score of 136, including a final-round 65 (-7).
The Huskers head West for the first time this spring to compete at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., Feb. 25-26.
Spartan Sun Coast Invitational
Feb. 18-19, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Palm Aire CC-Champions Course (Par 72, 6,191 Yards)
Final Team Standings
1. Ohio State - 291-285=576 (E)
2. College of Charleston - 296-282=578 (+2)
3. Tennessee - 299-281=580 (+4)
4. Georgia Southern - 298-283=581 (+5)
5. Oklahoma - 301-282=583 (+7)
6. Purdue - 300-285=585 (+9)
7. Notre Dame - 303-284=587 (+11)
T8. Michigan State - 304-286=590 (+14)
T8. North Carolina - 297-293-590 (+14)
10. Miami - 301-293=594 (+18)
11. Nebraska - 310-285=595 (+19)
12. NC State - 307-291=598 (+22)
13. Kent State - 304-299=603 (+27)
14. Grand Valley State - 314-302=616 (+40)
15. South Dakota State - 316-304=620 (+44)
Final Individual Standings
1. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State - 71-65=136 (-8)
2. Sara Byrne, Miami - 72-68=140 (-4)
3. Gracie Mayo, Oklahoma - 71-70=141 (-3)
T4. Lauren Beaudreau, Notre Dame - 74-68=142 (-2)
T4. Regina Plascensia, Georgia Southern - 71-71=142 (-2)
T4. Caley McGinty, Ohio State - 70-72=142 (-2)
T7. Emily Dunlap, College of Charleston - 76-67=143 (-1)
T7. Kayla Holden, Tennessee - 72-71=143 (-1)
T7. Emma Schimpf, College of Charleston - 72-71=143 (-1)
T7. Lindsey Thiele, Nebraska - 70-73=143 (-1)
T11. Kelli Ann Strand, Nebraska - 76-68=144 (E)
T11. Bailey Davis, Tennessee - 75-69=144 (E)
T11. Louise Reau, Georgia Southern - 73-71=144 (E)
T11. Megan Streicher, North Carolina - 71-73=144 (E)
T11. Brooke Biermann, Michigan State - 70-74=144 (E)
Nebraska Individuals
T7. Lindsey Thiele - 70-73=143 (-1)
T11. Kelli Ann Strand - 76-68=144 (E)
T41. Miu Takahashi - 82-69=151 (+7)
T67. Sydney Harz - 82-75=157 (+13)
*T67. Andrea Velez - 79-78=157 (+13)
T72. Michaela Vavrova - 83-75=158 (+14)
*competing as an individual outside Nebraska's lineup
