Former Nebraska men's gymnastics standout Mace Patterson enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Cal State Fullerton program under Head Coach Jill Hicks.

"Mace Patterson brings a strong work ethic and enthusiasm to our newly formed staff," Hicks said following Patterson's hiring. "He was an outstanding all-around competitor at Nebraska. He is exactly what we needed to continue taking this program to the next level."

Patterson was a four-time NCAA qualifier and the Huskers' top all-around competitor in 2004 before injuries slowed him during his 2005 senior season. He recovered from elbow surgery and closed out the regular season by winning four individual titles in the final home meet of the year against Air Force.

Patterson then closed out the year by finishing seventh on the pommel horse and eighth on high bar at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships and advanced to the preliminary round on both the pommel horse and high bar at the NCAA Championships.

During his junior year, Patterson earned nine individual titles and was twice named the MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors. He finished third on the high bar at the MPSF Championships and qualified for the all-around finals at the NCAA Championships in Illinois, but was forced to withdraw after tearing a muscle during the opening rotation.

As a sophomore in 2003, he set team-high's on pommel horse and high bar while also claiming three individual titles in each event. Entering the NCAA Championships, Patterson ranked among the top 20 gymnasts in the nation on the horse, high bar, and all-around.

In 2002, Patterson was one of only three freshmen to compete at the NCAA Championships, qualifing on floor exercise, parallel bars, and high bar.

A native of Beggs, Okla., Patterson just completed his second summer as a tumbler at SeaWorld in San Diego. He joined the Huskers' program after a successful junior career at the Bart Connor School of Gymnastics. He qualified for the Junior Olympic Nationals four times, earning All-America honors three times in the all-around.