Feb. 23, 2000
The Missouri Tigers (6-6) host the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) on Saturday night at Hearnes Center, looking for their first win over a Big 12 Conference opponent since 1996. Oklahoma was the last league team Missouri beat when the Tigers prevailed 192.2-191.1 at Hearnes in '96. More important than a victory, though, is a high team score. Missouri needs to bolster its Regional Qualifying Score over the next several weeks to solidify its chance to qualify for the NCAA Region 3 Championships.
Series Record
Oklahoma leads the series, 10-7, and defeated the Tigers 193.325-192.15 last season in Norman. Oklahoma also edged out Mizzou for third place at last year's conference championships at Hearnes Center. OU scored 194.675 to MU's 194.55.
Scouting The Sooners
Oklahoma has been the upstart team in the Big 12 Conference this season, climbing to a No. 10 position in the national rankings. With a 9-1 record, Nebraska is the only team to have beaten Coach Becky Buwick's Sooners this year. Oklahoma is led by Amber McCracken, a senior from Kansas City who currently ranks third in the nation on vault (avg. of 9.896) and 18th in the all-around with an average score of 39.142. McCracken is this week's Big 12 Conference "Gymnast of the Week" and last week recorded a 10.0 vault - the third perfect score in conference history (Nebraska's Heather Brink also had a 10 last week on vault, and former Iowa State Cyclone Kim Mazza scored a 10 on floor at the 1997 league championships). Also starring for Oklahoma has been freshman Leticia Ishii who ranks 15th in the nation in the all-around (39.189).
Missouri Records Set in 2000
TEAM RECORDS
Highest Road Score - 194.325, at Nebraska, Jan. 29
Highest Score at Nebraska - 194.325, Jan. 29
Highest Uneven Bars Score - 49.175, vs. SE Missouri State, Feb. 20
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Floor Exercise - 9.9, Shannon Brown, Cat Classic, Feb. 4, Columbia (ties record)
CLASS RECORDS
Balance Beam by a Freshman - 9.85, Leah Gremaud, Jan. 9, Iowa State, Columbia
Uneven Bars by a Senior - 9.85, Shannon Brown, at Nebraska, Jan. 29, Lincoln, and Shannon Brown, Cat Classic, Feb. 5, Columbia (ties record)
Balance Beam by a Senior - 9.875, Alison Akers, three times, and Shannon Brown, Cat Classic, Feb. 4, Columbia
Floor Exercise by a Senior - 9.9, Shannon Brown, Cat Classic, Feb. 4, Columbia (ties record)
MU Coach Rob Drass
First-year Tigers head coach Rob Drass has a record of 6-6 in 2000. He spent the last eight years as an assistant coach with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who have won the last six conference championships. He's a 1990 graduate of Penn State, where he was a NCAA qualifier on the men's gymnastics team from 1987-90. Also new to the MU coaching staff is Kansas City native Karen Tierney, who was a top gymnast at Arizona, and spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach there. Mizzou's other assistant coach is Eric Geren, in his third year with the Tigers.
Tigers Top SEMO With Record Bars Score
From worst to first, that was the situation on the uneven parallel bars for the Missouri gymnasts on Sunday, and was the big reason why the Tigers defeated the Southeast Missouri State Otahkians, 193.525-191.225, at Hearnes Center. A week earlier at Ohio State, Missouri scored a season-low 46.225 on uneven bars. But on Sunday, four Tigers posted career bests on the event and another had her best score of the season, propelling MU to a school record bars score of 49.175. The old mark was 49.075 set last year against Nebraska. Seniors Shannon Brown and Chandra Harlow tied for first place on the event at 9.875. It was Brown's best score of the year and Harlow's career best. They were followed by career highs from freshmen Laura Anson (9.85) and Jacqueline Coatsworth (9.825) and junior Ann Gietler (9.75). Missouri also starred on its final rotation - the floor exercise. The Tigers' score of 48.95 was the second best in school history. Mizzou took the first five places. Brown won with a 9.85 and was followed by senior Katie Cole (9.825), senior Alison Akers (9.775), Gietler (9.775) and freshman Laura Forbes (9.725). Cole won the vault title at 9.775 and SE Missouri State's Kathy Smith won the balance beam (9.825). The Tigers' Brown was the all-around champion at 38.825. "We're getting there," MU Coach Rob Drass said of his Tigers who posted a much-needed score in their quest for an NCAA Regional bid. MU's score of 193.525 was its third of the season above 193. Not coincidentally, the Tigers counted only one fall in each of those meets.
How To Figure The RQS
With the 2000 gymnastics season now in its eighth week, it's time for the Tigers to start posting scores, since the time is nearing when Regional Qualifying Scores (RQS) begin to come into focus. The RQS formula has changed slightly in 2000. The score is calculated by using a team's six highest scores, at least three of which must have been posted on the road. The top score is then thrown out and the remaining five scores are averaged to determine the RQS. Six teams will qualify from Mizzou's Region 3 and the Tigers are currently tied for the sixth spot with Illinois State. That's by average score, though. The rankings won't reflect RQS tabulations until next week. MU's RQS is currently 191.7. But every score the Tigers can post above that figure from now on out will increase their chances at qualifying for the regional competition.
Missouri National Ranked Gymnasts
Senior Shannon Brown is MU's highest ranked performer. She is tied for 50th in the country on floor (9.81), 89th on beam (9.685) and 94th in the all-around (38.496). Alison Akers is 79th on beam (9.692).
MU BESTS IN 2000VAULT 9.825 Katie Cole (Nebraska) 9.8 Katie Cole (Cat Classic) 9.775 Katie Cole (SE Missouri State) 9.75 Katie Cole (Cat Classic) 9.725 Laura Anson (C. Michigan) 9.725 Alina Hamm (C. Michigan) 9.7 Alison Akers (C. Michigan) 9.675 Katie Cole (C. Michigan) 9.675 Laura Anson (Nebraska) Team 48.425 (Nebraska)
BARS 9.875 Shannon Brown (SE Missouri) 9.875 Chandra Harlow (SE Missouri) 9.85 Shannon Brown (Nebraska) 9.85 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) 9.85 Laura Anson (SE Missouri State) 9.825 Laura Anson (Nebraska) 9.825 Jacq. Coatsworth (Cat Cla.) 9.825 Jacq. Coatsworth (SE Missouri) 9.8 Jacq. Coatsworth (Nebraska) 9.8 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) Team 49.175 (SE Missouri State)
BEAM 9.875 Alison Akers (Gym X-Treme) 9.875 Alison Akers (Nebraska) 9.875 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) 9.85 Leah Gremaud (Iowa State) 9.85 Shannon Brown (X-Treme) 9.8 Alison Akers (Iowa State) 9.7 Shannon Brown (Nebraska) 9.8 Jacqueline Coatsworth (Nebraska) 9.8 Katie Cole (Nebraska) 9.775 Alison Akers (Cat Classic) 9.775 Alison Akers (SE Missouri State) 9.775 Meggen Smiley (SE Missouri) Team 48.8 (Nebraska)
FLOOR 9.9 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) 9.875 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) 9.85 Shannon Brown (Nebraska) 9.85 Shannon Brown (SE Missouri) 9.85 Alison Akers (Cat Classic) 9.825 Shannon Brown (Iowa State) 9.825 Shannon Brown (X-Treme) 9.825 Katie Cole (Nebraska) 9.825 Katie Cole (SE Missouri State) 9.8 Alison Akers (Cat Classic) Team 48.95 (SE Missouri State)
ALL-AROUND 39.15 Shannon Brown (Nebraska) 39.025 Shannon Brown (Cat Classic) 38.825 Shannon Brown (SE Missouri) 38.75 Shannon Brown (C. Michigan) 38.5 Shannon Brown (X-Treme) 37.975 Meggen Smiley (Nebraska) 37.75 Shannon Brown (Iowa State) Team 194.325 (Nebraska)
MU LEADERS BY AVERAGE SCORE
Vault - Katie Cole, 9.684 Bars - Shannon Brown, 9.584, Chandra Harlow, 9.584 Beam - Shannon Brown, 9.694 Floor - Shannon Brown, 9.819 All-Around - Shannon Brown, 38.496