Jan. 22, 2000
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI, ___ -- Central Michigan's Bethany Couturier won the all-around title Saturday with a score of 39.025 and paced the Chippewas to a 193.4-190.5 gymnastics victory over the Missouri Tigers.
For Mizzou, it was the Tigers' second highest score ever for its first road meet of the season, and left MU with a 2-4 record. The Tigers compete at No. 3 Nebraska next Saturday.
Couturier also won on balance beam (9.825) and was joined in the winners circle by teammates Michele Orloski on vault (9.75), Sarah Nelson on bars (9.825) and Nicole Liphardt on floor (9.875). Central Michigan is now 5-2.
But first-year Missouri Coach Rob Drass was encouraged. "Allie Akers and Shannon Brown really stepped up and had a nice meet for us. As a team, we're doing the right things. We knew coming up here that this would be a tough place to win, but we've identified our problems, corrected them, and now we just need to put a full meet together.
"Hopefully that will come next week at Nebraska. We'll certainly have nothing to lose."
Brown placed second for Mizzou in the all-around with a second-high score of 38.75. Akers scored 9.7 on vault, 9.75 on beam to place second, and 9.7 on floor. Tiger freshmen Laura Anson and Alina Hamm each scored 9.725 on vault to tie for second place. The rookies led MU to a second-high team vault score of 48.4.
VAULT 1. Michele Orloski, CM 9.75 2. Laura Anson, Missouri 9.725 Alina Hamm, Missouri 9.725 3. Alison Akers, Missouri 9.7 Tommy Verrinder, CM 9.7UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS 1. Sarah Nelson, CM 9.825 2. Nicole Liphardt, CM 9.8 3. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.775 Bethany Couturier, CM 9.775 5. Chandra Harlow, Mizzou 9.7
BALANCE BEAM 1. Bethany Couturier, CM 9.825 2. Alison Akers, Missouri 9.75 3. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.65 4. Autumn Hansen, CM 9.625 5. Katie Cole, Missouri 9.6 Tara Cartier, CM 9.6
FLOOR EXERCISE 1. Nicole Liphardt, CM 9.875 2. Gina Black, CM 9.825 3. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.775 Bethany Couturier, CM 9.775 Kelly Duce, CM 9.775
ALL-AROUND 1. Bethany Couturier, CM 39.025 2. Shannon Brown, Missouri 38.75 3. Nicole Liphardt, CM 38.675
VAULT, TEAM 1. Missouri 48.4 2. Central Michigan 48.35
UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS, TEAM 1. Central Michigan 48.4 2. Missouri 47.2
BALANCE BEAM, TEAM 1. Central Michigan 47.725 2. Missouri 47.225
FLOOR EXERCISE, TEAM 1. Central Michigan 48.925 2. Missouri 47.675
TEAM TOTALS 1. Central Michigan 193.4 2. Missouri 190.5
Attendance: 613