Welcome to the first Monday night meet of the 2020 season! The Nebraska Cornhuskers are facing the BYU Cougars for the first time since March 2000. (Fun Fact: Nebraska head coach Heather Brink scored a perfect 10 at that meet!)
This should be a pretty interesting—and evenly matched—competition: Nebraska arguably has higher scoring potential, but BYU is a team on the rise with a deep roster. The Huskers lost several standouts, including Sienna Crouse and Megan Schweihofer, and will depend on contributions from every team member to improve on last season’s results. The Cougars, meanwhile, have plenty of depth but will have to work on consistency to break into the top 20 this season.
What to Watch For
Nebraska
- Adnerys de Jesus: De Jesus had a great freshman season and is poised to make even more of an impact in 2020.
- Kynsee Roby: The redshirt sophomore missed last season due to injury but is a solid all arounder (and could especially bolster the bars and beam lineups).
- Clara Colombo: Not only is the freshman a fantastic bars and beam worker, she’s also the first Italian gymnast to compete in the NCAA.
- Other: Nebraska was able to field a lineup of six 10.0 vaults last season. Don’t expect to see that tonight, but do keep an eye on how things are shaping up.
BYU
- Shannon Evans: Evans not only made a splash in 2019 with her oh-so-fun Mario-themed floor routine, but was also ranked 18th all around nationally. Expect her to lead the way again in 2020.
- Rebekah Bean: The sophomore missed the bulk of her freshman season due to injury. Her front handspring pike half vault would be a welcome addition to this year’s lineup.
- Other: Floor was a great event for the Cougars in 2019 and should be again this season. Not only is the entire 2019 lineup back, but several freshmen could also factor in.
The meet is Monday, January 6 at 7:30 pm EST, and will be broadcast on BYU TV (if you need help figuring out how to tune in, CGN has you covered). Live scores will be available here.
Note: You will need to register and set up a free account in order to watch BYU TV.
Rotation One: BYU vault, Nebraska bars
Sounds like Evans and Zhong are out for BYU. Also, no Roby or De Jesus in the Huskers’ bars lineup (no word on why).
On a brighter note, fabulous new leos from both teams!
Pitou (BYU): Yikes, she completely missed her right hand (like, halfway off the table) and wiped out. Hope she’s okay…. 8.975
Thayler (Nebraska): Good Maloney to Pak. Hits the last handstand but goes sideways on her pirouette. Manages to work through it to a solid double tuck and an almost stick. Big hug from Brink! 9.700
Mathews (BYU): Big Yurchenko half with a large step forward. 9.650
Colombo (Nebraska): Blind change to gorgeous piked Jaeger (I think anyways, it’s a weird angle). Pretty Pak. A little shy on the last handstand. Double tuck a little cowboyed, but a good landing (looked like a nervous hop). 9.775
Bennett (BYU): Cool full-on tuck off. Looks like she was still twisting into the board, but overall very powerful. 9.725
Quinn (Nebraska): Short on her first handstand, ugh… Wipes out on her Geinger. Rough bail, short final handstand. Okay double lay with a big hop back. 8.750
S. Miner (BYU): Really dynamic Yurchenko 1.5 with a moderate step. 9.775
Verceles Carr (Nebraska): Great handstand and blind change to far piked Jaeger. Excellent blind full to FTDT with just a small hop. 9.800
A. Miner (BYU): Well done Yurchenko full, more-or-less stuck. Lots of height and distance.
Houchin (Nebraska): Beautiful full pirouette to huge Tkatchev to excellent bail. Gorgeous double lay with the smallest hop. 9.825
Stainton (BYU): Yurchenko tucked 1.5, cool variation. Looked a little awkward, but that could just be because I’m not used to seeing those, haha! 9.725
Pringer (Nebraska): Stepouts on the low bar and a Shaposh, nice. Some leg form on her bail. Gets hung up on her full pirouette, but works through to a great double tuck. 9.725
Apologies, the scores have stopped coming in. We’ll update asap!
AFTER ONE: BYU 48.675, NEBRASKA 48.825
BYU has a really cool variety of vaults and good difficulty, but don’t have the landings yet. They did a great job of bouncing back after Pitou’s fall. Nebraska put up a respectable rotation on bars even with the scant lineup. Really impressed with their ability to push through most of the hangups and control their landings.
Rotation Two: BYU bars, Nebraska vault
Hassel (Nebraska): Yurchenko full with a botched block and lots of form. Way to hang on. 9.550
A. Miner (BYU): Pretty straddled Jaeger to overshoot. Didn’t get a ton of height on her double lay, but stuck the landing. 9.800
Verceles Carr (Nebraska): Poweful Yurchenko one and a half with a ton of distance. Soft legs throughout, but just a small hop forward. Good. 9.800
Beeston (BYU): Free hip to Geinger, nice. Bail not to handstand, but fine. Nice handstands throughout. Piked double lay, but she drilled the landing. 9.825
Dujakovich (Nebraska): HUGE Yurchenko one and a half, crazy distance and a very small hop. 9.825
Cyrenne (BYU): Toe circles to handstand stepouts. Leg sep on the Shaposh. Bail to handstand, a little off. Shortish handstands throughout. Double layout with a big step forward. Not her best, but okay. 9.725 feels a little high.
Quinn (Nebraska): Again, misses her hand on the block and sits her Yurchenko one and a half. Starting to wonder if there’s something going on with the vault table. 9.200
Alvarado (BUI): Maloney to Pak, good body position on both. Pretty double lay in the air, but her legs buckled on the landing. 9.700
Houchin (Nebraska): Enormous Yurchenko one and a half, tiniest hop forward. Gorgeous form in the air. 9.850 seems low.
Pitou (BYU): Oh good, she’s okay! Blind change to straddled Jaeger. Nice handstands. Great bail to handstand. Love her aggressive handstands. FTDT a little close, but near stick. Great way to bounce back. 9.850
Curtis (Nebraska): Strong Yurchenko full. Piked down seemed unnecessary, she had a ton of height. Nailed the landing. 9.750
Stainton (BYU): Pretty blind changed to piked Jaeger (hand to bend arms, but not bad) to bail. High FTDT with an emphatic stick. 9.900 ties her career high.
AFTER TWO: BYU 97.775, NEBRASKA 97.600
BYU looked really strong on bars, breaking 49.000 (that many sticks this early bodes well). Nebraska had some hiccups on vault, mostly from missed blocks. Houchin looks as great as ever. Don’t think we’ll be seeing six 10.0s any time soon, but there is potential for this to be a solid event for them.
Rotation Three: BYU beam, Nebraska floor
Mather (BYU): Hitch kick to side aerial to beat, well done. bhs loso, some soft knees. Switch split to straddle quarter, didn’t quite hit the positions. Beautiful cartwheel gainer full, stuck. Great freshman debut for her! 9.750
Curtis (Nebraska): Well done double pike, but mostly someone’s butt. Nice front full to lay. A little shy on leap series. YES, THE WORM! Double tuck landed a little short, but she pulled it out the controlled lunge anyway. 9.825
Pearson (BYU): Some form on her aerial to split, didn’t quite hit all her positions. Bhs loso with a lot of legs; she looks nervous, but is pushing through. Several hip checks throughout. Slow connection between jumps, but should be credited. Round-off one and a half with a college stick. 9.600
Dujakovich (Nebraska): Huge opening double pike, able to kick out. Gorgeous fhs Rudi. Good straddle full (missed the first leap, sorry). Beautiful one and a half to front full. Really well done routine. 9.775… Sorry, did I miss something? Thought that’d score higher than Curtis.
A. Miner (BYU): Nice split jump. Nice cover on balking on her acro series. Hitch kick to kickover to bhs, good. Beat to split full a little shy, but rock solid. Stuck gainer full dismount. Nice set. 9.850
Piringer (Nebraska): Good double tuck to open. One and a half to front lay, pretty. Excellent position on straddles. Double pike with chest a little low, but again, pulls out the landing. 9.825
Cyrenne (BYU): Off on her bhs loso, big check but she stays on. Switch split was nice, but didn’t quite hit the second jump. Gainer pike with a couple of hops. 9.700
Ew, they’re going to have to fuse her toe
Houchin (Nebraska): Giant two and a half, beautiful. Switch ring to split full, well done. I sneezed and missed her middle pass, but it sounded like it went well! High double pike to finish, but opens to soon and has to bound forward. 9.575, ouch.
Stainton (BYU): Front toss to bhs, some form but no wobbles. Switch split to split quarter, well done. One and a half stuck, but her legs were at least shoulder width apart… 9.825
Hassel (Nebraska): Beautiful fhs double full to open. One and a half to front lay, excellent. Love how she executes every move. Great wolf full. Fhs Rudi to a really dynamic straddle. Great routine. 9.900
S. Miner (BYU): Way off on bhs loso and has to stick her leg up, but somehow stays on. A little shaky on her full turn. Nice beat to side aerial, much more secure. Stuck round-off one and a half dismount. Way to fight through. 9.625
Quinn (Nebraska): Appreciate the BYU commentators being supportive of Nebraska. Opening double tuck a little short, but she pulls it out. Great front full to front lay. She’s getting into the choreo. Love the front aerial to her back (no worries, it’s choreographed!). Ouch, double pike to her knees. Not sure if she was overthinking things or if she ran out of steam. Tough night for her. 9.150
AFTER THREE: BYU 146.575, NEBRASKA 146.500
As expected, it’s close heading into the final rotation. Again, BYU looked pretty solid for this time of year (especially without Shannon Evans competing), but they’ll need to clean up their form on acro to consistently break 49.000. Nebraska has a lot of potential on floor, nearly cracking 49 even with Houchin’s error and no Roby or ADJ (who’s there in a t-shirt… Still no word on why she’s sitting out). This was a strong event for them last season, and it’s shaping up to be this season as well.
Rotation Four: BYU floor, Nebraska beam
Curtis (Nebraska): Wow, beautiful wolf jump to punch front. Nice bhs loso. Hip bend after full turn. Switch split to split jump, excellent. Small hop on one and a half dismount, but overall a nice start for the Huskers. 9.725
Stainton (BYU): All aboooooard! Round-off double pike with a foot OOB. One and a half to whip half to split, huge amplitude. Switch ring to switch full, a little shy. Tight double tuck landed a little low and has to take a small hop. Fun routine! 9.725
Veraceles Carr (Nebraska): Solid side aerial. Pretty full turn with hands over the head. Bhs loso solid, but soft legs. Split to split 3/4, a tad slow. College stick on her round-off one and a half, very nice. 9.775
Bain (BYU): Her sister helped choreograph her routine, cool. Front double to open, a little stutter on the landing. Round-off double tuck, really high. Switch full to wolf, good amplitude. Nice Hawthorn. Pretty front lay to front full. 9.800
Thaler (Nebraska): front aerial to bhs bhs, very good. Switch split to back tuck, rock solid. Round-off one and a half slightly piked and with a crossover step, but really nice routine. Heather Brink is ecstatic! 9.825
Vitkauskas (BYU): Front double full, more like a 1 and 7/8. One and a half to front lay, huge height. Nice position on straddle series. Great, dynamic Rudi to close. 9.850
Quinn (Nebraska): Front aerial to split, gorgeous. Bhs pike, and she comes off. Nice amplitude on jump series. Slight check on full turn. Lovely double full with a small hop. She has such good skills and technique, hopefully her next meet will be better. 9.150
S. Miner (BYU): Gigantic double lay to open. Kicks out of her double pike. Switch full to pike full to piked Shushanova. One and a half to front lay, really great. So. Much. Power. 9.875
Houchin (Nebraska): Gorgeous bhs loso. Floats her front aerial . Switch split to split, money. Small check on her choreo, and she laughs. Missed her foot on the double twist dismount but still puts it to her feet. 9.800
Pearson (BYU): Another almost front double full. Switch ring to switch split, maybe a little short (didn’t have a great angle). Fhs Rudi, very nice. One and a half to front layout, excellent control. 9.775
Hassel (Nebraska): Fabulous bhs loso. Front aerial, spot on. Split jump to sheep, fine. Hip check on her round-off one and a half dismount, but the feet don’t move! 9.900
A. Miner (BYU): Another big double lay to open, juuust keeps her foot in bounds. Leaps looked okay (camera angle again wasn’t great). Front full to front lay looked a little off, but decent landing. Double pike landed deep. 9.875
AFTER FOUR: BYU 195.750, NEBRASKA 195.500
BYU looks to be off and running on floor. Definitely their most solid event of the meet. Nebraska has some truly lovely beamers on this team and a great variety of skills; this should be a strong event for them.
We knew this would be a close one, and we weren’t disappointed! Despite various hiccups, both teams should be pleased with their overall performances (especially when missing so many key players).
Article by Claire Billman
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