One
that
Got Away
Men's gymnasts
enjoy successful
year despite
bittersweet finish
By Darren Ivy
Assignment Reporter
Coach Francis Allen is still wondering what
happened at the NCAA Regional
Champibnships when his then-No. 2 ranked
menh gymnastics team failed to qualify for the
NCAA Championships.
“We had a perfect year except regionals,”
Allen said. “We built on our scofe from the
beginning and built up to a No. 1 team.”
But NU finished fourth at regionals and
missed out on the championships as a team.
But junior Marshall Nelson!? repeat national
individual championship in die parallel bars and
three other Husker All-Americans provided solace.
Nelson won the parallel bars and finished
second in the pommel horse.
Junior Jim Koziol finished fourth in the still
rings, and senior Bill Mulholland finished
fourth in the vault. Sophomore Derek Leiter
also earned AIL America status by finishing
ninth in the all-around.
“It was a positive season with a smudge at the
ending and then a good end,” Leiter said “It was
good we kept ow heads upand kept mayir^j on.”
NU (17-9) finished the year ranked seventh
- die highest of any.non-NCAA Championship
team.
Leiter said the Minnesota dual Feb. 27 was
special, with the Huskers hitting 100 percent of
their routines.
“That hasn’t been done at Nebraska in a lot
of years,” Leiter said. T can’t remember it ever
happening.”
With Leiter and all his teammates except
Mulholland returning, Allen has high hopes for
next year.
“Fm excited we have returning studs,” Allen
said. “It is laid out All we have to do is fill in the
puzzle pieces.”
One piece is Martin Fournier, a top recruit
horn Canada.
Fournier is a member of the Canadian
National Team, and Allen thinks he can con
tribute in the alLaround as a freshman.
“He’s explosive and a dam good gymnast”
Allen said.
The second piece will come in hosting the
1999 NCAA Championships at the Bob
Devaney Sports Center. It will be the 10th time
the championships have been held in Lincoln.
Nebraska has won seven of its nine national
titles at home.
“We’re excited to have it back at home,”
Allen said, “and we should have a tremendous
team back next year.”
ScottMcClurg/DN
NEBRASKA JUNIOR GYMNAST Marshall Nelson
competes in the parallel ban during a triangu
lar against Oklahoma and New Mexieo in
Fphunfy Nelson won Mssecoad straight par
allei bar titie at the NCAA Championships while
also finishing second in the pommel hone.
•*A ■ •
I
By Darren Ivy
Assignment Reporter
Big expectations awaited the
Nebraska women’s gymnastics
team when it entered the gym
before the season.
Unfulfilled goals remained
when the Cornhuskers left at the
end of the year.
“It was frustrating because of
the way it ended,” said sophomore
Nicole Wilkinson.
Despite being ranked 16th at
the NCAA Regionals, the Huskers
failed to qualify for the NCAA
Championships.
“It was an eye-opener,” said
sophomore Laura Ohlendorf. “We
learned nationals aren’t always a
sure thing.”
Failing to qualify as a team also
left a sour taste in Coach Dan
Kendig’s mouth.
“Regional bars,” Kendig
groaned. “The lows are the ones I
remember.”
But after the bitter taste had left
his mouth and he had time to
reflect on the entire season, Kendig
said his team had a successful year.
Wilkinson agreed.
“We overcame a lot of obstacles
and came together for two big
meets,” she said. “It gave us a lot of
confidence for next year.”
The Huskers struggled early in
the year, but got better as the year
went on.
Wilkinson said highlights of the
year came in the middle and end of
the season when NU won the
Master’s Classic, Penn State dual
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and Big 12s.
At the Big 12 meet, the Huskers
scored the second-best score in
school history. NU also set a school
record in the uneven bars (49.40).
During the year, sophomore
Heather Brink tied the school
record in the all-around, vault and
uneven bars. Junior Misty Oxford
also scored a 9.95 on the uneven
wmmmmmmmwmmmmmmmmmmmmm
bars to tie the school record.
Brink was the lone Husker to
qualify for nationals, earning All
America honors in the vault.
Kendig said he was pleased
with Brink, but is looking forward
to next year.
NU returns all its gymnasts, but
Assistant Coach Teresa Ijams won’t
be back. After three years with NU,
she has decided to concentrate on
being a personal trainer, Kendig
said.
With all the Huskers back and
two new recruits, Kendig looks to
return to the NCAA
Championships next year.
“I’m extremely excited,”'
Kendig said. “We think next year
could be our strongest year.”
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