Nebraska is home to countless elite female athletes, many of whom are household names. You probably know of Jordy Bahl, Harper Murray, and Brent Prince, as you should; they have all had major impacts on Nebraska and women’s sports as a whole. However, there is one female Cornhusker whose name seems to fall through the cracks, even as she has gone on a dominant run her whole career.
Emma Spence from the women’s gymnastics team has been nothing short of elite her whole career at Nebraska. Now, during her senior year, she has somehow pushed herself to new limits, and her performance this year has not gone unrecognized. Spence was just recently nominated for the 2025 AAI Award. I’ll put it in football terms for those who may not know what that award is: it’s the Heisman Trophy of women’s gymnastics. The award recognizes the top senior female gymnast in the nation for their dedication, leadership, and excellence in the sport. Emma Spence marks all those boxes and more. Spence looks to join Emily Wong (2014) and Richelle Simpson (2005) as the only winners of the AAI Award for Nebraska.
