Feb. 5, 2000
COLUMBIA, MO, ___ -- The Missouri Tigers completed their most dominating performance in the 20-year history of the State Farm Insurance Cat Classic by winning three of the four individual championships that were contested Saturday night at Hearnes Center.
Senior Shannon Brown, who paced the Tigers to the team title on Friday night by winning the all-around, placed first on Saturday in the uneven parallel bars and on the floor exercise with respective scores of 9.85 and 9.875. She narrowly missed winning on balance beam. Her score of 9.75 was second to the 9.8 posted by Southeast Missouri State's Kathy Smith.
Brown became the most decorated Missouri gymnast in Cat Classic history. With three event crowns this year and the beam title a year ago, her four Cat Classic championships eclipsed the three won in 1990 by Kim Leslie.
Senior Katie Cole added Mizzou's other individual crown, winning the vault with a score of 9.8. It was the first event championship of her career.
The Tigers' four individual championships also topped their 1990 performance when Leslie won the vault, bars and all-around.
Mizzou took home plenty of other hardware, too. Freshmen Alina Hamm (9.575) and Laura Anson (9.55) and senior Alison Akers placed 4-5-6 on vault. Junior Ann Gietler (9.675) was fifth on bars. Cole finished sixth on beam (9.5). Akers, senior Meggen Smiley and freshman Leah Gremaud were third, fourth and sixth on floor.
"It was a great meet," first-year coach Rob Drass said. "We almost got a sweep. The girls really went out and did a great job."
Next Saturday, the Tigers compete at Ohio State. Their next home meet is a dual against Southeast Missouri State on Sun., Feb. 26, at 3 p.m.
VAULT 1. Katie Cole, Missouri 9.8 2. Stephanie Furman, SE Missouri 9.725 3. Kathy Smith, SE Missouri 9.675 4. Alina Hamm, Missouri 9.575 5. Laura Anson, Missouri 9.55 6. Alison Akers, Missouri 9.525UNEVEN BARS 1. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.85 2. Samantha Salyers, Pittsburgh 9.8 3. Freddie Alba, Pittsburgh 9.75 4. Jessica Dunbar, SE Missouri 9.725 5. Ann Gietler, Missouri 9.675 6. Jessica Bagwill, SE Missouri 9.65
BALANCE BEAM 1. Kathy Smith, SE Missouri 9.8 2. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.75 3. Heather Launse, Pittsburgh 9.625 4. Lakisha Jones, N. Illinois 9.625 5. Pam Lieberman, Pittsburgh 9.5 6. Katie Cole, Missouri 9.5
FLOOR EXERCISE 1. Shannon Brown, Missouri 9.875 2. Lisa Fronhofer, Pittsburgh 9.85 3. Alison Akers, Missouri 9.8 4. Meggen Smiley, Missouri 9.725 5. Nathalie Sulpher, Pittsburgh 9.7 6. Leah Gremaud, Missouri 9.525