The No. 23 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team (5-4, 3-2 Big Ten) will travel to State College, Pa., to compete in the annual Big Fives meet on Friday, Feb. 23. The Huskers will compete in Session I starting at 5 p.m. (CT)/6 p.m. (ET). It will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
NU will face off against the four teams in the Big Ten that it does not have a dual with during the regular season – No. 8 Michigan State, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 15 Minnesota and Rutgers.
Last Time Out
The Big Red defeated Penn State in its closest competition of the year, 196.500-196.400. Nebraska claimed three event titles – Ayzhia Hall and Isabel Sikon on vault (9.850), Sophia McClelland on floor (9.925), and Emma Spence and Csenge Bácskay in the all-around (39.325).
Bácskay earned a career-high 9.825 on beam, while McClelland’s 9.925 on floor tied her career best. Sikon’s 9.850 on vault registered a new career high, and her score of 9.800 on beam tied her personal best.
Scouting the Competition
Session I of Big Fives includes four teams that are ranked in the top 25 of the nation, along with three of the top four teams in the Big Ten in No. 8 Michigan State, No. 14 Ohio State and No. 15 Minnesota. Nebraska is ranked No. 23 in the country, and Rutgers will also compete.
Sage Kellerman of Michigan State and Nicole Riccardi of Ohio State were Big Ten Co-Specialists of the Week after leading their respective teams to victory.
The Spartans are 5-0 in conference competition and 8-3 overall. Notably, they have defeated No. 11 Michigan twice. They average a 197.282 team score. The Buckeyes own an average team score of 197.021, and are 5-2 on the year with a 4-1 mark in the Big Ten.
The Golden Gophers hold an 8-1 overall record and are 4-1 against conference opponents. They average 196.911 as a team. The Scarlet Knights possess an average score of 195.059. They are 5-9 overall and are still searching for their first conference win.
Follow the Huskers
Fans can follow the Huskers on Facebook at HuskerWGym, Twitter at HuskerWGym or Instagram at huskerwgym for live updates during the meet. The meet will also be streamed live on the Big Ten Network.
