University of Missouri
Auburn
Tigers Win First Cat Classic Since 1994
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
February 5, 1999
COLUMBIA, MO. -- The Missouri Tigers scored a school and meet-record 194.825 Friday night to win their first Cat Classic since 1994, and only their third in the 19-year history of the event, generally acknowledged to be the nation's best regular-season affair.
Performing on floor exercise in their final rotation, the Tigers posted a school-record score of 49.05 to hold off the Brigham Young Cougars, who scored 194.225. The New Hampshire Wildcats, ranked 25th in the nation, and the No. 24 Auburn Tigers rounded out the field with respective scores of 193.3 and 192.025.
Missouri's record score cracked the old school mark of 193.775 set at Iowa in 1997, and the former Cat Classic record of 194.275 set by Arizona in 1996.
For the first time in school history, the Tigers registered a pair of 9.9s in the same meet. Junior Shannon Brown scored 9.9 to tie for first place on the uneven parallel bars and senior Amanda Peterson won the floor exercise with a 9.9 in the final performance of the evening. Peterson placed second in the all-around competition breaking her own school record with a score of 39.175. She set the mark last week against Nebraska at 39.1.
Auburn's Sarah Wentworth, a junior from Neosho, Mo., won the all-around title with a Cat Classic record score of 39.225. The old mark of 39.0 was posted twice by Kentucky's Jenny Hansen in 1994 and '95, and Arizona's Stacy Fowlkes in 1993.
In effect, Missouri won the meet on the balance beam. Victimized by falls on the beam in their last three meets, the Tigers won the event with their highest score of the season - 48.675, led by Brown and junior Alison Akers who each scored 9.8. Mizzou placed second in the other three events with scores of 48.25 on vault (also a season best), 48.85 on bars and 49.05 on floor.
Tiger Coach Jake Jacobson, now in his 20th season as the only coach the MU gymnastics program has ever known, was honored during the meet's awards presentation when it was announced that the team championship trophy had been renamed "The Jake."
The Cat Classic concludes Saturday night when the top ten finishers in each event from tonight's competition square off to decide the individual championships. Saturday's competition begins at 7 p.m.
VAULT UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS 1. Kelly Parkinson, BYU 9.8 1. SHANNON BROWN, Missouri 9.9 2. Hilary Johnson, BYU 9.775 Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 9.9 Kim Little, BYU 9.775 Cara Lepper, N. Hampshire 9.9 4. JESSICA HAAG, Missouri 9.75 Leah Jacobs, BYU 9.9 5. AMANDA PETERSON, MU 9.675 5. Natalie Broekman, BYU 9.875 KATIE COLE, Missouri 9.675 6. AMANDA PETERSON, Mizzou 9.825 CHANDRA HARLOW, Missouri 9.825BALANCE BEAM FLOOR EXERCISE 1. ALISON AKERS, Missouri 9.8 1. AMANDA PETERSON, Mizzou 9.9 SHANNON BROWN, Missouri 9.8 2. ANN GIETLER, Missouri 9.875 Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 9.8 Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 9.875 4. AMANDA PETERSON, MU 9.775 Jennifer Ross, Auburn 9.875 5. Suzanne Poretz, UNH 9.725 5. HI-D Beck, BYU 9.85 6. Jennifer Ross, Auburn 9.7 Kelly Parkinson, BYU 9.85 Lisa Koning, UNH 9.7 Katie Revis, UNH 9.7
ALL-AROUND 1. Sarah Wentworth, Auburn 39.225 2. AMANDA PETERSON, Missouri 39.175 3. JESSICA HAAG, Missouri 38.75 4. Cara Lepper, New Hampshire 38.625 5. Kelly Parkinson, BYU 38.4 6. SHANNON BROWN, Missouri 38.3
VAULT, TEAM BARS, TEAM 1. BYU 48.675 1. New Hampshire 48.925 2. MISSOURI 48.25 2. MISSOURI 48.85 3. Auburn 48.025 3. BYU 48.8 4. New Hampshire 47.7 4. Auburn 47.825
BEAM, TEAM FLOOR, TEAM 1. MISSOURI 48.675 1. Auburn 49.075 2. New Hampshire 48.05 2. MISSOURI 49.05 3. BYU 47.75 3. BYU 49.0 4. Auburn 47.1 4. New Hampshire 48.675
TEAM TOTALS 1. MISSOURI 194.825 2. BYU 194.225 3. New Hampshire 193.3 4. Auburn 192.025
Attendance: 2,009
