Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.Nebraska coach Dan Kendig expected good things from freshman gymnast Jessie DeZiel.
"This is really, really good," he said. "She's just an incredibly gifted young lady. She works hard, and she's confident."
DeZiel, from Rogers, Minn., earned her highest all-around score of the season last weekend, a 39.60 before a hometown crowd at Minnesota. It was the highest for an NU gymnast since Emily Parsons posted a 39.65 in 2007.
She also won the vault, beam and floor in NU's victory before a group of about 75 family, former teammates and parents from her Twin City Twisters club.
"I wanted to make it the best, so it was worthwhile for them to come watch," she said. "It was neat to see everyone."
DeZiel was named Big Ten co-gymnast of the week and freshman of the week, adding to her growing collection. She's won gymnast of the week twice and freshman of the week all six weeks of the season.
Kendig said his staff has given DeZiel routines that she feels confident in hitting. That and her consistent performances have pushed her to fifth in the all-around in the GymInfo national rankings with an average of 39.483. She's also seventh in the vault and beam and 11th in the floor.
"It seems simple for her, and I like that," he said. "Now the key is to not get her too bored."
There is nothing easy about DeZiel's routines, Kendig said, or she wouldn't have won the all-around five times. She just makes it look easy, just as former NU gymnasts Heather Brink and Richelle Simpson did when they won NCAA titles in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
"That's the sign of a great competitor," Kendig said.
Coaches are working with DeZiel to keep her routines fresh. She's changed the last half of her routine in the floor exercise, she's working on making her handstands cleaner on the bar, and by the NCAA tournament, she'll likely change her twist on the vault from a one-and-a-half to a double.
She's also working on sticking her landings.
The ninth-ranked Huskers travel to No. 7 Arkansas on Friday. They then have three more meets before the Big Ten championships, where DeZiel will run into some other talented all-arounders such as Ohio State's Colleen Dean, who shared the Big Ten award after also scoring a 39.60 last weekend. Sharaya Musser of Penn State also is strong in the event as is NU teammate Lora Evenstad, who is ranked 14th with an average of 39.344. Both have won Big Ten honors this season.
Based on the awards she's won, Kendig said DeZiel is probably the most talented Big Ten newcomer. But he doesn't want to put extra pressure on DeZiel by predicting how she'll finish in the league championships or at nationals.
DeZiel is just glad she's been able to stay consistent.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. "I like competing with the team and having people come and watch."
Contact the writer: 402-444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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