HUskers.com | 25
Grant
Perdue
Junior | 5-9 | 170 | Missouri City, Texas (Houston Gymnastics Academy)
Floor Exercise | Vault | High Bar
performer in the classroom by earning a spot on
the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll during
the fall semester of 2012.
Honors & Awards
• First-Team NCAA All-American (Floor-2012,
Vault-2013)
• NCAA Individual Finalist (Floor-2012,
Vault-2013)
• Big Ten Medalist (Vault-2013)
• Eleven Individual Event Titles (Floor-7,
Vault-4)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
(Fall 2011, 2012)
2013 (Sophomore)
All-American Grant Perdue focused his
sophomore season on two events - floor exercise
and vault - after suffering from a bicep injury
which limited his training in the offseason. The
injury did not limit him, though. Perdue captured
All-American honors for the second year in a row.
Perdue finished fourth in the nation at the
NCAA Individual Finals with a score of 15.175 on
vault. For most of the regular season, he excelled
on floor exercise. However, late in the year,
Perdue’s vaults became his strongest routine.
The Houston, Texas, native struggled to prove
his All-American status at the beginning of the
year, unable to make the top five on any event at
the first two meets of the season. His confidence
grew as the Huskers returned home for their home
opener.
Perdue earned his first individual event title of
the season at the Huskers’ home opener against
UIC. He broke the 15 mark, scoring a 15.05 on
his floor routine. The sophomore continued to
produce high-scoring routines throughout the
season, earning two more individual titles on floor
and two on vault.
At the Big Ten Championships, Perdue
produced a 15.50 on floor exercise, while adding
a 15.05 on vault. He advanced to the individual
finals on both events, where he earned third place
overall on vault with a 15.15 score.
Returning to national competiton after earning
All-American honors his freshman year, Perdue
earned a score of 15.00 on vault, moving him
through to the individual finals.
On the final day of the NCAA Championships
at the Individual Finals, Perdue produced a 15.175
on vault to place fourth and claim Nebraska’s first
All-America award in the event since 2005.
Perdue also proved himself as a solid
2012 (Freshman)
Perdue opened his Nebraska career by
capturing first-team All-America honors on floor
exercise in 2012. The Houston, Texas, native
became the first Husker freshman since 2005 to
claim All-America honors, while taking NU’s first
All-America award on floor since 1999.
Perdue finished fourth at the NCAA Individual
Finals with a then career-best 15.40 score on
floor exercise. While he starred on the floor
throughout the season, he also provided valuable
contributions on vault and still rings.
A consistent performer, Perdue posted scores
of 15.00 or better on floor seven times in 2012.
He also posted 12 vault scores of 14.00 or better,
including a career-best 14.85 against Arizona State
on March 4. He added a career-best 13.90 on still
rings against Illinois and Minnesota on March 11.
At the Big Ten Championships, Perdue
produced a 14.50 on floor exercise, while adding
a 14.65 on vault and a 13.60 on still rings.
In his first NCAA Championships appearance,
Perdue tallied a score of 15.40 on the floor to
advance to the individual finals. He added a 14.65
on vault.
On the final day of the NCAA Championships
at the Individual Finals, Perdue again produced a
15.40 on floor exercise to place fourth and claim
Nebraska’s first All-America award on the event
since 1999.
Perdue also proved himself as a solid performer
in the classroom as a freshman by earning a spot
Career Highs
Event
Floor Exercise
Still Rings
Vault
on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll during
the fall semester of 2011.
Before Nebraska
A standout on floor exercise, Perdue finished
third (15.05) in the individual event finals at
the Level 10 2011 Junior Olympic National
Championships in Long Beach, Calif.
Perdue also claimed a Level 9 national title on
floor exercise at JO Nationals in 2007.
Perdue finished 14th with a 77.65 all-around
score at the 2010 Junior National Team Qualifier in
Colorado Springs. His 14.00 on floor exercise was
good for third place at the event - two spots ahead
of Husker teammate Wyatt Aycock. Perdue added
a fifth-place finish on vault (15.05) and 10th-place
finishes on both still rings and high bar.
Perdue trained at the Houston Gymnastics
Academy and was coached by 2004 and 2008 U.S.
Olympic Coach Kevin Mazeika, along with Nori
Iwai.
Perdue graduated from Fort Bend Elkins High
School in 2011.
Personal
The son of Brent and Darlene Perdue, Grant
was born Sept. 13, 1993 in Houston, Texas. He has
one sister, Michelle.
Perdue is majoring in international business
at Nebraska, and claimed spots on the Nebraska
Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2011 and
2012.
He chose Nebraska over Ohio State, California
and Oklahoma.
Score (Opponent)
15.50 (at Big Ten Championships)
13.90 (vs. Illinois/Minnesota)
15.30 (vs. Illinois)
Date
April 5, 2013
March 11, 2012
March 23, 2013
NINE NCAA ALL-AROUND CHAMPIONS | MEET THE HUSKERS