February 3, 1999
19th Annual Cat Classic Set for Friday-Saturday
The 26th-ranked Missouri Tigers (3-5) host their signature event this Friday and Saturday at Hearnes Center - the 19th annual Cat Classic. Acknowledged to be the nation's premier collegiate gymnastics meet, outside of the NCAA Championships, the Cat Classic brings together some of the nation's most outstanding teams who have "cat" nicknames. This year is no different. The host Tigers will be joined by the Tigers of Auburn (0-3, ranked 24th), the Cougars of Brigham Young (2-3, ranked 27th) and the Wildcats of New Hampshire (3-2, ranked 25th). The meet begins each evening at 7 p.m. On Friday, the team championship and the individual all-around title (the 'Top Cat' award) will be decided. On Saturday, the top 10 finishers in each event from Friday will battle for the individual event championships. Tickets are on sale at the Hearnes Athletic Ticket Office. Two-day passes are $10 for adults and $6 for students. Individual session tickets are $6 and $4. By phone, tickets may be purchased by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS, or 884-PAWS (locally).
The Field Has New Faces
For the first time in history the Cat Classic field does not include either Penn State or Arizona. One or the other, or both, had been in the previous 18 events. The Penn State Lady Lions won last year's event for a meet-record ninth time with a score of 192.65. It was their 17th trip to Columbia. The Arizona Wildcats wrapped up a 16-year run in the Cat Classic in 1997, and they won in their final visit, too. Arizona trails Penn State in Cat Classic team championships with seven. All three of this year's visiting teams have appeared in the Cat Classic before, but only the homestanding Missouri Tigers have won the event. Mizzou prevailed in 1990 and '94. The BYU Cougars will be competing in their seventh Cat Classic, but first since 1991. Their highest previous finish was third place in 1990. Auburn is the veteran visitor this year. The Tigers are in the Cat Classic for the ninth time, returning for the first time since 1996. They've finished second twice (1988 and '91), but never won. Auburn has won a major event championship in Columbia, though, claiming last year's Corvette Cup. New Hampshire has appeared here just twice, taking sixth place in 1985 and fifth in 1993.
Tigers Don't Want A Repeat of Last Year
The Tigers didn't enjoy last year's Cat Classic when they placed last for the first time in the event's history (188.675). Mizzou did relish its individual accomplishments, though, topped by now-departed senior Charise Schrupp, who won her second Cat Classic floor exercise championship with a school-record score of 9.9.
Here's how Missouri's Cat Classic team finishes break down: 1st - twice 2nd - three times 3rd - 9 times 4th - once 5th/6th - neverCompetition Should Be Fierce The Cat Classic has probably never had a field as balanced as the one that will compete this weekend at Hearnes Center. Just look at the average scores of the four teams so far in 1999:
1. Auburn 191.542 2. New Hampshire 191.175 3. MISSOURI 191.156 4. BYU 191.063
And here are the scores posted by each team in its most recent meet:
New Hampshire, 193.45 in a win Sunday over Massachusetts (190.725) Missouri, 192.575 in a loss Friday to Nebraska (194.55) Brigham Young, 192.0 in a loss Friday to Utah (195.15) Auburn, 191.925 in a loss Saturday to Iowa State (194.05)
Missouri Coach Jake Jacobson
The only gymnastics coach in school history, head coach Charles "Jake" Jacobson began MU's gymnastics program in 1979. Now in his 33rd season overall, he has a career record of 355-216-1. He's in his 20th season with the Tigers where his mark is 223-191-1. In his career at MU, Jacobson has guided the Tigers to one Big Eight Conference championships (1992), three second-place conference finishes (1981-82-90) and a NCAA Central Region championship (1981). In addition, he has coached 29 all-conference gymnasts and five regional champions. In 1981, his team placed 16th at the national championships. Jacobson's 33-year tenure makes him the nation's most veteran coach of a women's athletic program at the Division I level.
20-Something Coaches Square Off
It's a veteran bunch of coaches who will be directing their teams at this weekend's Cat Classic. Auburn's Bob Dillard is in his 24th, and final, season as a head coach - the last 14 of those at Auburn. Mizzou's Jake Jacobson and New Hampshire's Gail Goodspeed are both in their 20th seasons. BYU's Brad Cattermole is the relative youngster, coaching the Cougars for the 11th season.
Peterson, Haag Are All-Around Great
Missouri seniors Amanda Peterson and Jessica Haag are coming off the best meets of their careers. Against Nebraska, last Friday, both established career highs in the all-around, and finished 1-2, beating defending Big 12 Conference all-around champion Heather Brink. Peterson's score of 39.1 was a new Missouri record, topping the old mark of 38.9 set by Kim Leslie in 1992 and '94 and Kellie Copeland in 1993. Included was a career-high floor score of 9.825 and a career-high tying 9.8 on bars. She had a 9.65 vault and 9.8 on beam. Haag's all-around score was 38.85. She tied for second place on vault (9.7) and tied for third on the bars with a career-best of 9.825. Haag ranks third in NCAA Region 3 in vaulting and eighth in the all-around.
Brown Is On a Roll
Missouri junior Shannon Brown has won the uneven bars competition in three consecutive meets. Her last victory came against Nebraska on Friday when she tied a school record with a score of 9.9. The old mark was set by Kim Leslie at the 1990 Cat Classic. It was just the third 9.9 ever recorded in any event by a Missouri gymnast and the highest mark ever posted in any event by a Tiger junior.
Missouri Records Set in 1999
TEAM Highest Meet Score in 1st Home Meet - 191.65, Shakespeare's Festival, Jan. 17 Highest Meet Score vs. Nebraska - 192.575, Jan. 29 Highest Floor Exercise Score - 48.925, Shakespeare's Festival, Jan. 17 Highest Uneven Bars Score - 49.075, Nebraska, Jan. 29INDIVIDUAL All-Around- 39.1, Amanda Peterson, Jan. 29 vs. Nebraska Uneven Bars- 9.9, Shannon Brown, Jan. 29 vs. Nebraska (ties record)
CLASS RECORDS Vault by a Senior - 9.825, Jessica Haag, Jan. 9 at Michigan State Uneven Bars by a Junior - 9.9, Shannon Brown, Jan. 29 vs. Nebraska
Tigers Quickly
Missouri ranks 16th in the nation on bars, averaging 48.112, and stands 17th on floor with an average of 48.337 Against Nebraska, Missouri set a new team uneven bars score of 49.075. Of the five counting scores, four were career highs and the other was a season best Missouri set a new school floor exercise record - 48.925 - in the Shakespeare's Festival Missouri has averaged 191.97 in its last two meets The Tigers currently rank fifth in NCAA Region 3 After this weekend, Missouri has only two home meets remaining - the Corvette Cup on March 7 and the Big 12 Conference Championships on March 27.
MU BESTS IN 1999 VAULT 9.825 Jessica Haag (Michigan State) 9.8 Jessica Haag (Shakespeare's) Team 48.175 vs. Iowa StateBARS 9.9 Shannon Brown (Nebraska) 9.825 Jessica Haag (Nebraska) 9.825 Amanda Peterson (Nebraska) 9.8 Chandra Harlow (Nebraska) 9.775 Shannon Brown (Shakespeare's) Team 49.075 vs. Nebraska
BEAM 9.8 Amanda Peterson (Nebraska) 9.7 Shannon Brown (Michigan State) 9.7 Meggen Smiley (Shakespeare's) Team 47.65 vs. Mich. St., Ball St., Iowa
FLOOR 9.825 Ann Gietler (Shakespeare's) 9.825 Meggen Smiley (Shakespeare's) 9.825 Amanda Peterson (Nebraska) 9.7 Amanda Peterson (Iowa State) 9.7 Ann Gietler (Nebraska) Team 48.925 at Shakespeare's Festival
ALL-AROUND 39.1 Amanda Peterson (Nebraska) 38.85 Jessica Haag (Nebraska) 38.55 Jessica Haag (Michigan State) 38.475 Meggen Smiley (Shakespeare's) 38.475 Meggen Smiley (Iowa State) 38.45 Jessica Haag (Shakespeare's) Team 192.575 vs. Nebraska
MU CAT CLASSIC CHAMPIONS 1983 Gayle Anderson (all-around) 1983 Sherry Towle (beam) Val Erickson (all-around) 1983 Patti McCormick (vault) 1983 Patti McCormick (vault) Mary Houghton (vault) 1988 Julie Dorn (floor) 1988 Julie Dorn (vault) 1988 Kim Leslie (all-around, vault, bars) 1988 Jennifer Sand (floor) 1988 Jennifer Sand (floor) 1996 Charise Schrupp (floor) 1998 Charise Schrupp (floor)
NATIONAL RANKINGS BY AVERAGE SCORE RANK/TEAM REGION AVG 1. Alabama 4 195.906 2. Georgia 6 195.720 3. Utah 2 195.267 4. LSU 4 194.792 5. Penn State 5 194.294 6. Michigan 5 194.087 7. Minnesota 2 193.694 8. Stanford 1 193.537 9. Arizona St. 3 193.367 10.UCLA 1 193.020 11.Oklahoma 3 192.890 12.Iowa State 3 192.850 13.Nebraska 3 192.842 14.Oregon State 1 192.537 15.Ohio State 4 192.394 16.Florida 6 192.362 17.Denver 2 192.337 18.Utah State 2 191.987 19.Washington 1 191.919 20.W. Virginia 6 191.912 21.Kentucky 4 191.817 22.Ill.-Chicago 3 191.675 23.Cent. Mich. 4 191.567 24.Auburn 4 191.542 25.N Hampshire 5 191.175 26.MISSOURI 3 191.156 27.BYU 2 191.063 Missouri opponents in boldface
TOP-50 GYMNASTS IN THE CAT CLASSIC BY AVERAGE SCORE VAULT Avg. Rank Jessica Haag, Missouri 9.75 35th
BARS Avg. Rank Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 9.883 4th Anne Soynerowski, UNH 9.783 32nd Cara Lepper, UNH 9.75 47th
BEAM Avg. Rank Sarah Balogach, Auburn 9.812 10th Suzanne Poretz, UNH 9.725 35th
ALL-AROUND Avg. Rank Sarah Balogach, Auburn 38.875 13th Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 38.783 19th Cara Lepper, UNH 38.581 37th Jessica Haag, Missouri 38.494 46th