BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team wrapped up its
2013 campaign with a Big Ten Conference title, six All-America
awards at the 2013 NCAA Championships and a 19-5 overall
record. The Huskers qualified for NCAA postseason competition
for the 29th time in program history, finishing third at the
NCAA Morgantown Regional in Head Coach Dan Kendig’s
20th season with the Huskers. The talent-laden squad posted
three of the highest team scores in school history throughout
the year while spending consistent time ranked as one of the
nation’s top-10 squads.
Senior Janelle Giblin served as an important anchor for the
Huskers in her final season, taking the floor as a three-event
specialist and NU’s top performer on bars. She posted a 9.85 or
higher on the event seven times in 2013 while earning first-team
All-Big Ten honors and NACGC/W second-team All-America
accolades. The highlight of her season came on Senior Night
against Iowa, when she earned only the second 10.0 on bars
in school history. Her perfect score was the nation’s second in
2013 and was Nebraska’s first 10.0 on any event since 2011.
She added a share of the Big Ten vault title, posting a 9.95.
Brittany Skinner closed her career at Nebraska with another
outstanding season, appearing as an all-around competitor
and a key component of the Huskers’ vaulting lineup. Because
Skinner finished in a tie for first on vault at Nebraska’s regional
meet, she earned an individual berth to the 2013 NCAA
Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. She completed her career
in preliminary competition at the national championship meet,
posting a 9.825 on vault in the first semifinal.
Kassandra Nathe rejoined Nebraska for her senior season
after battling back from season-ending injuries in 2011 and
2012. A steady competitor on two events for the Big Red, Nathe
did not miss a meet all season on beam. She was also one of
Nebraska’s most consistent contributors on bars and came to
anchor NU’s lineup late in the season. Nathe earned a careerhigh 9.90 on bars at the Big Ten Championships, earning her a
tie for second on the event and All-Big Ten Championship Team
honors. She also snagged academic All-Big Ten accolades for
her work in the classroom.
Junior Emily Wong affirmed her position as one of the
nation’s finest all-around competitors, finishing in a tie for
third nationally at the 2013 NCAA Championships with a
42 | NEBRASKA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS | 2014
score of 39.525. Her outstanding performance featured four
All-America honors, including first-team accolades on vault,
floor and in the all-around and second-team laurels on beam.
Wong also captured four NACGC/W All-America awards in
the first year of the honor’s existence. She saved her finest
performance of the season for the Big Ten Championships,
winning her second consecutive conference all-around title
with a career-high 39.725. Her victory made her the first Big
Ten gymnast to win back-to-back conference all-around titles
since 2007-08. She was also the conference champion or cochampion on floor, beam and bars and earned four All-Big Ten
Championship Team awards.
Joining Wong as one of the country’s top all-arounders was
sophomore Jessie DeZiel, who finished 12th nationally in the
all-around at the 2013 NCAA Championships to earn secondteam All-America honors. She also posted a 9.875 on beam to
earn second-team All-America accolades on the event as an
individual. DeZiel was the Big Ten runner-up in the all-around
at the championship meet with a 39.625 and tied for second
place on floor (9.95) and first on vault (9.95). She earned three
All-Big Ten Championship Team selections (V, FX, AA) and was a
first-team All-BigTen pick, an NACGC/W first-team All -American
(V, AA) and an academic All-Big Ten selection.
One of Nebraska’s finest vaulters, junior Jamie Schleppenbach
logged five total appearances on the season before falling to
a season-ending injury in late February. She captured two
vault titles in just four showings on the event, taking home
top honors at Michigan in January and against Illinois in early
February. Schleppenbach earned academic All-Big Ten honors
for her performance in the classroom.
Fellow sophomore Jennifer Lauer opened the 2013 season
with a splash on the road at Michigan, posting the nation’s
top beam score with a 9.95 on Jan. 12. She went on to earn
nine scores of 9.85 or higher during the season. Lauer put up a
top-notch performance at the Big Ten Championships, earning
a share of the conference beam title with a score of 9.90. A
first-team All-Big Ten selection, she also took home All-Big
Ten Championship honors.
Hollie Blanske became the third Twin City Twisters product to
join the Huskers in 2013. The freshman provided a major spark
to the Nebraska lineup as a three-event competitor. Appearing
on vault, bars and floor, Blanske logged season-high scores of
9.85 or better on each apparatus while becoming one of the
squad’s top vaulters by the end of the season. She finished
the season with a trio of individual titles, including a share of
the Big Ten vault title with a 9.95 at the championship meet.
Sophomore Desiré Stephens made her full debut in the
Husker lineup in 2013 after being limited by injuries in her
freshman campaign. Stephens appeared as a two-event
specialist, seeing action on vault and floor throughout the
season. She tied her career-high of 9.85 three times in Nebraska’s
last four meets, including back-to-back efforts at the Big Ten
Championships and the NCAA Morgantown Regional.
Amanda Lauer provided necessary depth to the Husker
roster in her sophomore season but did not see action as a
declared team competitor. .
Redshirt freshman Kailyn Hawkins and freshmen Jordyn
Beck, Ariel Martin and Madison McConkey did not see
competition in their first years at Nebraska. Hawkins took the
floor as an exhibition competitor on bars at the Masters Classic,
earning a 9.75. Beck and Martin were slowed by injuries in 2013.
McConkey made strides in the gym as she used her freshman
year to adjust to the competition level of collegiate gymnastics.
Head Coach Dan Kendig wrapped up his 20th season at
Nebraska with a record of 459-175-4 and a career mark of
572-287-5. Kendig’s 459 wins are a program record and place
him fourth all-time across all sports in Nebraska history. He
has guided Nebraska to three consecutive conference titles,
giving him 13 career conference championships at Nebraska.
Kendig has also coached 38 Husker gymnasts to 137 All-America
awards since 1995.