Y'all ready for this?!! Nebraska leads Alabama in the polls by a mere .039 of a point and The Cornhuskers are not ready to let Bama vault over them in the rankings. Despite having only 10 competing gymnasts, they have been able to find depth in their ranks when they needed it. Saturday's meet promises to be close and it will be essential for both teams to hit with clean routines.

Nebraska lost a valuable gymnast this season when sophomore Alecia Ingram underwent shoulder surgery this fall. Sophomore Richelle Simpson, a transfer from Penn State, has been a tremendous addition to the team, closing some of those holes left in the lineup. She is flourishing on this team, sharing the team's top floor score this season with a 9.95 and sharing the top beam score with 9.875. She has some great beam skills and is a joy to watch. She is also one of the top all-around performers for this team.

Just prior to their season opener against Georgia, the Cornhuskers lost junior Jess Wertz to an ankle injury. She was replaced on floor exercise by junior Jen French who stepped up to the challenge and scored 9.90. French has also been a very solid competitor for the team on the beam. Wertz has not yet competed since the injury.

Junior A.J. Lamb has recovered from the back pain that plagued her during her sophomore season, when she was limited to 2 events, floor and beam. She was a strong all-around competitor in her freshman year and an All-American on floor. Her enthusiasm is very apparent when she takes the floor. The uneven bars have been her biggest challenge this season. And that is where junior Julie Houk comes in. She is a beautiful and polished bar worker who can be counted on to hit her bar routines. Sophomore Tami Harris has also been an important member of the bar line up. She is another solid all-around competitor. Her season high this year is 39.3, equivalent to that of her other two all-around team mates Simpson and Lamb.

Senior Laura Goss has a history of stepping up to the challenge of replacing a teammate in the line up, and coming through for the team. This year she has been a key to the team's success on balance beam, hitting strong steady routines. As head coach Dan Kendig has said of his team on beam, "I think we are known for just doing good clean gymnastics".

On the vault, Nebraska increased their difficulty last weekend, performing 4 vaults with a 10.0 start value. They struggled somewhat on their landings, but will be working this week to improve on them. Sophomore Gina Bruce, a first team All-American on this event last season, continues to be their most consistent vaulter in the line up.

Sophomore Libby Landgraf is able to put out strong performances on bars and floor for the team. Nebraska's floor routines are usually full of energy and pick up on the unique personalities of the gymnasts. By all reports this season, freshman Carrie Gloudemans is one to watch on floor. Kendig said in the pre-season that she is a "powerful and explosive" gymnast, and she has been living up to his assessment.

Be ready for a very close meet that will likely come down to the final few performances. It will be an exciting night for two teams who are expected to come face to face again in Coleman Coliseum at Nationals. Come out, bring a friend, and be ready to cheer with the Ten Troupe. Roll Tide Roll!