# Nebraska Cornhuskers men's gymnastics

The Nebraska Cornhuskers men's gymnastics team competes as part of NCAA Division I, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. NU is one of just twelve Division I universities that sponsors a men's gymnastics program. Nebraska has hosted meets at the Bob Devaney Sports Center since 1976.
Since being established in 1939, the program has won eight national championships, finished as the national runner-up seven times, and won forty-two NCAA event titles. The bulk of this success came under longtime head coach Francis Allen, a former All-American who led the program for forty seasons. Twelve Cornhuskers have participated in the Olympic Games and combined to win four gold medals. The team has been coached by Chuck Chmelka since 2010.

## Conference affiliations

* Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association / Big Eight Conference (1939–1994)
* Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (1995–2011)
* Big Ten Conference (2012–present)

## Coaches
### Coaching history

| No. | Coach | Tenure | Overall |
| 1 | Charlie E. Miller | 1939–1948 | 16–25–2 (.395) |
| 2 | B. R. Patterson | 1949 | 3–2 (.600) |
| 3 | Jake Geier | 1950–1969 | 140–64–2 (.684) |
| 4 | Francis Allen | 1970–2009 | 817–309–4 (.725) |
| 5 | Chuck Chmelka | 2010–present | 103–179–1 (.366) |

### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | First year | Alma mater |
| Chuck Chmelka | Head coach | 2010 | Nebraska |
| Jim Hartung | Assistant coach | 2006 | Nebraska |
| John Robinson | Assistant coach | 2011 | Nebraska |

## Venues

Nebraska played its early years at the NU Coliseum before moving to the NU Sports Complex (now the Bob Devaney Sports Center) upon its completion in 1976. When Nebraska's basketball programs moved to the newly constructed West Haymarket Arena (known as Pinnacle Bank Arena for sponsorship purposes) in 2013, the Devaney Center underwent a $20-million remodel to reconfigure and shrink its main arena.
Nebraska opened the Francis Allen Training Complex in 2020 to house its men's and women's gymnastics programs; at 46,000 square feet it is among the largest gymnastics practice facilities in the country.

## Championships and awards
### National championships

* NCAA: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994

### Team conference championships

* Big Eight: 1964, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994
* Mountain Pacific Sports Federation: 1997, 1999

### Individual awards

* NCAA Top Ten Award: Tom Schlesinger (1989), Patrick Kirksey (1991), Anton Stephenson (2020)
* National coach of the year: Francis Allen (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994)
* Conference gymnast of the year: Marshall Nelson (1998), Jason Hardabura (1999), Derek Leiter (2000), Grant Clinton (2002), Anton Stephenson (2019), Taylor Christopulos (2023)
* Conference freshman of the year: Taylor Christopulos (2021), Chris Hiser (2022)
* Conference coach of the year: Francis Allen (1999)

### NCAA champions

* Phil Cahoy – 1980 (HB, PB), 1981 (HB, PB)
* Steve Elliott – 1980 (FX), 1982 (FX, V)
* Jim Hartung – 1980 (AA, SR), 1981 (AA, PB, SR), 1982 (PB, SR)
* Scott Johnson – 1983 (FX, HB, PB)
* Chris Riegel – 1983 (V), 1984 (V)
* Wes Suter – 1985 (AA, FX, HB)
* Tom Schlesinger – 1987 (AA, PB)
* Kevin Davis – 1987 (PB), 1988 (AA, PB)
* Patrick Kirksey – 1989 (AA, PB), 1990 (PB)
* Che Bowers – 1992 (PH)
* Richard Grace – 1993 (FX), 1994 (PB)
* Dennis Harrison – 1994 (AA)
* Rick Kieffer – 1995 (HB)
* Richard Grace – 1995 (AA, PB)
* Marshall Nelson – 1997 (HB. PB), 1998 (PB)
* Jason Hardabura – 1999 (AA, FX)

### First-team NCAA All-Americans

* Phillip Sprague – 1948 (T)
* Bruce Riley – 1955 (HB)
* Karl Byers – 1959 (PH)
* Dennis Albers – 1964 (V)
* Francis Allen – 1964 (PB)
* Gene Mackie – 1975 (AA)
* Pete Studenski – 1975 (SR)
* Jim Unger – 1975 (FX)
* Steve Dickey – 1976 (PH)
* Larry Gerard – 1976 (AA, HB, SR), 1977 (HB), 1978 (AA, HB, SR)
* Kurt Mackie – (SR)
* Mark Williams – 1978 (HB)
* Jim Hartung – 1979 (AA, FX, PB, PH, SR), 1980 (AA, FX, PB, PH, SR), 1981 (AA, FX, HB, PB, PH, SR), 1982 (AA, FX, HB, PB, PH, SR)
* Phil Cahoy – 1980 (AA, HB, PB), 1981 (AA, HB, PB), 1982 (AA, PB, PH), 1983 (AA)
* Steve Elliott – 1980 (FX, V), 1982 (FX, V)
* Scott Johnson – 1980 (V), 1981 (HB, SR), 1982 (AA, FX), 1983 (AA, FX, HB, PB, SR, V)
* Frank Hibbitts – 1981 (PH)
* John Balluff – 1982 (PH)
* Jim Mikus – 1982 (AA, FX), 1983 (HB), 1984 (FX, HB)
* Chris Riegel – 1983 (AA, V), 1984 (AA, FX, HB, PB, V)
* Mike Epperson – 1985 (PB), 1989 HB)
* Neil Palmer – 1985 (HB)
* Wes Suter – 1985 (AA, FX, HB), 1986 (AA, PB)
* Kevin Davis – 1986 (PB), 1987 (AA, PB, PH), 1988 (AA, PB, SR)
* Tom Schlesinger – 1986 (PB), 1987 (AA, HB, PB), 1988 (AA, HB, SR)
* Patrick Kirksey – 1988 (V), 1989 (AA, HB, PB, PH), 1990 (AA, PB, PH)
* Bob Stelter – 1988 (V), 1989 (AA), 1990 (AA)
* Mark Warburton – 1988 (PB), 1990 (PB, SR)
* Trent Dimas – 1990 (FX, HB)
* Dennis Harrison – 1991 (V), 1992 (AA, HB), 1993 (AA, PB), 1994 (AA, FX, HB, PB, PH, V)
* Che Bowers – 1992 (HB, PH), 1993 (HB, PH), 1994 (PH)
* Sumner Darling – 1992 (PB), 1994 (AA)
* Rich Kieffer – 1992 (HB), 1993 (SR), 1994 (SR), 1995 (HB)
* Josh Saegert – 1992 (PB)
* Richard Grace – 1993 (FX), 1994 (AA, HB, PB), 1995 (AA, PB)
* Burkett Powell – 1994 (PB)
* Jason Christie – 1996 (HB, PB)
* Ted Harris – 1996 (SR)
* Marshall Nelson – 1996 (PH), 1997 (HB, PB, V), 1998 (PB, PH)
* Ryan McEwen – 1997 (HB)
* Jim Koziol – 1998 SR), 1999 (SR)
* Derek Leiter – 1998 (AA), 2000 (AA, V)
* Bill Mulholland – 1998 (V)
* Blake Bukacek – 1999 (HB)
* Jason Hardabura – 1999 (AA, FX, HB)
* Dusty Jakub – 2000 (PB)
* Ashter Lichterman – 2000 (V)
* Steven Friedman – 2003 (PB)
* Josh Rasile – 2004 (SR)
* Paul Chumreonlert – 2005 (PH)
* Stephen Tetrault – 2005 (V), 2007 (AA, PH)
* T. J. Schmidt – 2007 (PH)
* Anthony Ingrelli – 2010 (SR)
* Grant Perdue – 2012 (FX), 2013 (V)
* Wyatt Aycock – 2013 (AA), 2014 (AA)
* Sam Chamberlain – 2013 (PB), 2016 (PB)
* Ethan Lottman – 2015 (AA), 2016 (PH)
* Austin Epperson – 2016 (FX), 2017 (FX)
* Anton Stephenson – 2016 (PB), 2018 (V), 2019 (AA, V)
* Kyle King – 2017 (FX)
* Connor Adamsick – 2018 (FX)
* Griffin Kehler – 2018 (FX)
* Chris Stehenson – 2018 (PB)
* Jake Bonnay – 2019 (FX)
* Charlie Giles – 2019 (V), 2021 (PH, V)
* Khalil Jackson – 2019 (HB)
* Josh Martin – 2019 (PH)
* Taylor Christopulus – 2021 (V), 2023 (AA, FX, PB), 2024 (AA, FX, HB, V)
* Evan Kriley – 2021 (PH)
* Mitch Tyndall – 2021 (PH)
* Dillan King – 2022 (PB)
* Donte McKinney – 2022 (V), 2023 (HB)
* Zac Tiderman – 2023 (V), 2024 (HB, V)
* Asher Cohen – 2024 (SR)
* Cooper Giles – 2024 (PH)
* Sam Phillips – 2024 (AA, HB)

## Seasons

| National champion | Regular season champion | Tournament champion |
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference tournament | Postseason |
| MVIAA / Big Eight Conference (1939–1994) |||||||||
| 1939 | Charlie E. Miller | 5–3 | Not available | |
| 1940 | Charlie E. Miller | 2–3 | Not available | |
| 1941 | Charlie E. Miller | 4–2 | Not available | |
| 1942 | Charlie E. Miller | 1–9 | Not available | |
| 1943 | Did not compete |
| 1944 | Did not compete |
| 1945 | Did not compete |
| 1946 | Did not compete |
| 1947 | Charlie E. Miller | 1–4–1 | Not available | Not held |
| 1948 | Charlie E. Miller | 3–4–1 | Not available | |
| 1949 | B. R. Patterson | 3–2 | Not available | |
| 1950 | Jake Geier | 2–3 | Not available | |
| 1951 | Jake Geier | 5–5 | Not available | |
| 1952 | Jake Geier | 6–3 | Not available | |
| 1953 | Jake Geier | 10–1 | Not available | |
| 1954 | Jake Geier | 7–1 | Not available | |
| 1955 | Jake Geier | 5–1 | Not available | |
| 1956 | Jake Geier | 5–1 | Not available | |
| 1957 | Jake Geier | 8–2 | Not available | |
| 1958 | Jake Geier | 5–4–1 | Not available | |
| 1959 | Jake Geier | 10–2 | Not available | |
| 1960 | Jake Geier | 5–0 | Not available | |
| 1961 | Jake Geier | 7–2 | Not available | |
| 1962 | Jake Geier | 8–2 | Not available | |
| 1963 | Jake Geier | 13–1 | Not available | |
| 1964 | Jake Geier | 11–1 | 1st | |
| 1965 | Jake Geier | 9–4–1 | 3rd | |
| 1966 | Jake Geier | 6–9 | 4th | |
| 1967 | Jake Geier | 9–8 | 4th | |
| 1968 | Jake Geier | 8–7 | 5th | |
| 1969 | Jake Geier | 2–12 | 6th | |
| 1970 | Francis Allen | 5–8 | 5th | |
| 1971 | Francis Allen | 3–7 | 5th | |
| 1972 | Francis Allen | 5–8 | 4th | |
| 1973 | Francis Allen | 7–4 | 2nd | |
| 1974 | Francis Allen | 6–4 | 3rd | |
| 1975 | Francis Allen | 11–8 | 2nd | NCAA 5th |
| 1976 | Francis Allen | 12–6 | 1st | NCAA Prelims |
| 1977 | Francis Allen | 37–19 | 3rd | |
| 1978 | Francis Allen | 31–14 | 3rd | |
| 1979 | Francis Allen | 66–6 | 2nd | NCAA Champion |
| 1980 | Francis Allen | 37–3 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| 1981 | Francis Allen | 15–2 | 2nd | NCAA Champion |
| 1982 | Francis Allen | 39–0 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| 1983 | Francis Allen | 45–0 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| 1984 | Francis Allen | 31–10 | 2nd | NCAA Prelims |
| 1985 | Francis Allen | 41–5 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1986 | Francis Allen | 21–3 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1987 | Francis Allen | 25–4–1 | 2nd | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1988 | Francis Allen | 28–3 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| 1989 | Francis Allen | 22–4 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1990 | Francis Allen | 37–2–1 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| 1991 | Francis Allen | 12–16 | 2nd | NCAA Prelims |
| 1992 | Francis Allen | 39–4 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1993 | Francis Allen | 32–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1994 | Francis Allen | 32–3 | 1st | NCAA Champion |
| Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (1995–2011) |||||||||
| 1995 | Francis Allen | 26–11–1 | 3rd | NCAA Runner-up |
| 1996 | Francis Allen | 18–9 | 4th | NCAA Regional |
| 1997 | Francis Allen | 21–8 | 1st | NCAA Regional |
| 1998 | Francis Allen | 18–7 | 2nd | NCAA Regional |
| 1999 | Francis Allen | 24–6–1 | T–1st | NCAA 3rd |
| 2000 | Francis Allen | 10–11 | 3rd | |
| 2001 | Francis Allen | 7–6 | 3rd | |
| 2002 | Francis Allen | 5–12 | 4th | |
| 2003 | Francis Allen | 4–16 | 4th | |
| 2004 | Francis Allen | 13–16 | 4th | |
| 2005 | Francis Allen | 13–13 | 4th | |
| 2006 | Francis Allen | 4–15 | 4th | |
| 2007 | Francis Allen | 6–14 | 4th | |
| 2008 | Francis Allen | 7–14 | 4th | |
| 2009 | Francis Allen | 2–7 | 4th | |
| 2010 | Chuck Chmelka | 8–10 | 4th | |
| 2011 | Chuck Chmelka | 6–16 | 4th | |
| Big Ten Conference (2012–present) |||||||||
| 2012 | Chuck Chmelka | 5–19 | 7th | |
| 2013 | Chuck Chmelka | 5–19 | 7th | |
| 2014 | Chuck Chmelka | 5–22 | 6th | |
| 2015 | Chuck Chmelka | 2–18 | 7th | |
| 2016 | Chuck Chmelka | 5–17–1 | 6th | |
| 2017 | Chuck Chmelka | 12–17 | 5th | NCAA 6th |
| 2018 | Chuck Chmelka | 14–14 | 6th | NCAA 5th |
| 2019 | Chuck Chmelka | 8–6 | 4th | NCAA 3rd |
| 2020 | Chuck Chmelka | 7–2 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Chuck Chmelka | 9–8 | 6th | NCAA 4th |
| 2022 | Chuck Chmelka | 9–5 | 2nd | NCAA 4th |
| 2023 | Chuck Chmelka | 10–6 | 3rd | NCAA 5th |
| 2024 | Chuck Chmelka | 6–2 | 3rd | NCAA 4th |

## Olympians

Ten Nebraska gymnasts and two coaches have combined to compete in sixteen Summer Olympiads, with nine representing the United States and one representing Canada. Francis Allen, Phil Cahoy, Larry Gerard, and Jim Hartung were a part of the U. S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and did not participate in any events. Four years later, Hartung and two other NU gymnasts, Jim Mikus and Scott Johnson, won the team all-around gold medal in Los Angeles. Trent Dimas won Nebraska's only individual gymnastics gold medal on the horizontal bar in Barcelona in 1992; it was the second American gymnastics gold medal in an Olympiad held outside the United States.
| Olympiad | City | Gymnast | Country | Medal(s) |
| 1980 (XXII) | Moscow | Phil Cahoy | United States | Boycotted |
| 1980 (XXII) | Moscow | Larry Gerard | United States | Boycotted |
| 1980 (XXII) | Moscow | Jim Hartung | United States | Boycotted |
| 1980 (XXII) | Moscow | Francis Allen (head coach) | United States | Boycotted |
| 1984 (XXIII) | Los Angeles | Jim Hartung | United States | Gold (Team all-around) |
| 1984 (XXIII) | Los Angeles | Jim Mikus | United States | Gold (Team all-around) |
| 1984 (XXIII) | Los Angeles | Scott Johnson | United States | Gold (Team all-around) |
| 1988 (XXIV) | Seoul | Kevin Davis | United States | |
| 1988 (XXIV) | Seoul | Scott Johnson | United States | |
| 1988 (XXIV) | Seoul | Tom Schlesinger | United States | |
| 1988 (XXIV) | Seoul | Wes Suter | United States | |
| 1992 (XXV) | Barcelona | Trent Dimas | United States | Gold (Horizontal bar) |
| 1992 (XXV) | Barcelona | Francis Allen (head coach) | United States |
| 1996 (XXVI) | Atlanta | Mark Williams (asst. coach) | United States | |
| 2016 (XXXI) | Rio de Janeiro | Mark Williams (head coach) | United States | |
| 2024 (XXXIII) | Paris | Yanni Chronopoulos | Canada | |