State College, Penn.- Nebraska men’s gymnastics made their seventh consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship Finals on Saturday evening, where they claimed five All-America honors and a fifth-place finish (412.427), their second-best score this season.
The evening was highlighted by three Huskers who earned All-America honors. Taylor Christopulos finished in second place and career-best score in the all-around (84.166), the first since Anton Stephenson in 2019. Christopulos also finished fifth on floor (14.60), and seventh overall on parallel bars (14.40). Donte McKinney impressed with talent after taking second on high bar (14.366). Zac Tiderman showed strength after landing in eighth in the nation (14.70) on vault.
Stanford took home the team title (422.458), Michigan took second (419.889), and Illinois claimed third (415.590). Oklahoma (414.024), and Penn State (412.057), followed in fourth and sixth respectively.
Parallel Bars
The Huskers began the competition on parallel bars where they tallied their best score of the season (69.833) as a team. Yanni Chronopoulos led off with a 13.80, a career-best for the junior. Asher Cohen put up a 14.00, and Liam Doherty-Herwitz collected a solid 14.033, respectively. James Friedman notched a 13.60 for NU. To round off the rotation, Taylor Christopulos stuck a 14.40 career-best for the Huskers, good for seventh position.
High Bar
Nebraska earned a team score of 67.298 on high bar for rotation two. Donte McKinney highlighted his routine with a stick (14.366), good for second overall. Chronopoulos notched a score of 13.433 for NU, and Toby Liang scored a 12.233 due to a fall, respectively. Zac Tiderman picked up the energy with a stick and scored a 13.533. Christopulos capped the rotation with a 13.733.
Floor
NU rallied on floor for the third rotation to collect their second-best team score of the season (70.698). Led by Big Ten Bronze Medalist on floor, Nathan York put up a 14.066. Luke James collected a 13.766, while Chris Hiser put up a 14.066. In his final senior performance, Moritz Mueller earned a 14.20, tying his career-best score. Christopulos anchored for Nebraska with a 14.60, just .05 below his career-best and fifth overall.
Pommel Horse
Nebraska moved to their fourth rotation on pommel horse where they tallied a 65.166 as a team. Travis Wong made way for the Huskers after posting a 13.633. York notched a 13.40, while Liang scored an 11.133 after suffering a fall, respectively. Cooper Giles and Christopulos both registered a 13.50 to conclude the rotation on pommel horse.
Rings
The Cornhuskers moved onto rings where they scored a 67.666 as a team. Chronopoulos opened the rotation with a score of 12.90. Hiser earned a 13.70, while teammate Cohen collected a score of 13.766 for Nebraska. Liam Doherty-Herwitz showcased his final routine as a Husker taking a score of 13.80. Christopulos finalized the rotation with a score of 13.50.
Vault
On their final event rotation of the season, the Huskers collected a score of 71.766 as a team. Tiderman steered the squad with a solid 14.70 to lead off the rotation and take eighth overall. Friedman collected a 14.00 on the event, while James notched a score of 14.033, respectively. McKinney registered his final performance as a Husker with a score of 14.60. Christopulos anchored the night with a 14.433 for the Big Red.
Season Review
The Huskers finished the 2023 season 10-6, highlighted by their third-place finish at the Big Ten Conference Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
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