Tigers Host Four Teams For Mizzou Gymnastics X-Treme
1/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 11, 2000
Tigers Host Four Teams For Mizzou Gymnastics X-Treme
The Missouri Tigers (0-1) will host a five-team competition at Hearnes Center on Sunday - the 10th annual Mizzou Gymnastics X-Treme. The meet begins at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the MU Athletic Ticket Office - $5 adults, $3 students. Call 1-800-CAT-PAWS, or 884-PAWS (locally) or stop by the Hearnes Center to purchase tickets. Season tickets are on sale as well, at $30/$15.
Providing the opposition will be the Illinois State Redbirds (3-0), Kent State Golden Flashes, Michigan State Spartans (0-3) and Western Michigan Broncos (1-2). Prior to the gymnastics meet, fans will be able to sample a variety of X-Treme sports at booths around the Hearnes Center's main concourse. Contact the MU Sports Marketing Office (882-0710) for more information.
Meet History
For the last nine years, this early-season meet was known as the Shakespeare's Festival, which debuted in 1991. Last year, it shifted from a pre-meet emphasis on the Renaissance and arts- and-crafts displays to an X-Treme games theme. Missouri won the championship in 1991-92-93 but hasn't won since. SE Missouri State took last year's title with a meet-record score of 192.75, while the Tigers placed second (191.65). Michigan State is making its third appearance in the event, and won the last two times the Spartans were here - in 1996 and 1998. Coach Kathie Klages' Spartans hold the meet record in the uneven bars (48.65, '98) and Spartan senior Erin Mullen, who redshirted the '99 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery, tied for first place on balance beam and won the all-around in 1998. Illinois State is appearing for the sixth straight year. The Redbirds have finished third four times and fourth in '98. Western Michigan returns for its second appearance while Kent State is a newcomer to the field.
Coach Rob Drass
First-year Tigers head coach Rob Drass 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, now in his third year with the Tigers.
Mizzou In The Gymnastics X-Treme
Missouri hasn't won the team title in this event since 1993, but three Tigers return to defend individual crowns they won a year ago. Shannon Brown tied for the uneven bars crown last year (with SE Missouri's Malia Roberts), while Meggen Smiley and Ann Gietler were co-champs on floor exercise. In all, Missouri has won 25 individual titles in this event.
Series Records
Missouri leads the series with Illinois State, 10-2, and Western Michigan, 1-0, while Michigan State leads Mizzou, 12-5. The Tigers will be competing against Kent State for the first time.
Missouri Falls To Iowa State In Season Opener
The No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones won every event and spoiled the head coaching debut of Rob Drass, Sunday at Hearnes Center, beating the Missouri Tigers 193.15-189.125 in the season-opening gymnastics meet for both schools. Coach Amy Pyle's Cyclones have now beaten the Tigers 11 straight times, but Mizzou's team score was its third highest for a season opener. Iowa State's Betsy Hamm, a junior transfer from the University of Florida and a former NCAA co-champion on balance beam, tied for the beam title with teammate Kelli More with a score of 9.9, and won the floor exercise (9.85). ISU's Shelly Kringen won the vault (9.675) and the all-around (38.5), while Cyclone Sarah Sanderson took first place on uneven bars (9.85). Missouri's Leah Gremaud set a school freshman record, scoring 9.85 to tie for third place on balance beam. The old record was 9.825 by Shannon Brown in 1997. On Sunday, Brown, now a senior, took second on the floor with a score of 9.825 and placed third in the all-around competition (37.75). MU senior Chandra Harlow (Raytown, Mo.) tied for third on bars (9.75). "Our problems started on bars," Drass said. "We had a few falls that our gymnasts couldn't seem to put behind them, and that affected our performance on beam and floor. But it was a first meet for everyone. We'll all get better."
About The Opponents
ILLINOIS STATE (3-0) - The Redbirds won the Bronco Quad Meet at Western Michigan on Sunday, scoring 189.425. It was ISU's first win in a four-team meet since 1995. Illinois State went 1-2-3 in the all-around, with Beth Larson, Michelle Huston, and Heather Mohler scoring 38.225, 38.05 and 38.0. The Redbirds had the highest team score on each event, and Mohler, a freshman, won the balance beam (9.875) and vault (9.65).
KENT STATE (0-0) - The Golden Flashes will be opening their season at the Gymnastics X-Treme. They return 10 letterwinners from last year's third-place MAC squad, headed by seniors Kristy High and Susie Stadelman and junior Melissa Liebling, who competed as an all-arounder at last year's NCAA Region 4 Championships.
MICHIGAN STATE (1-2) - The Spartans finished fourth in their opener at home on Saturday, losing to three Top 20 teams. No 10 LSU won the event at 192.6, followed by No. 12 Oregon State (191.1), No. 20 Ohio State (190.65) and Michigan State (190.625). Senior Polly Kiker had the Spartans' highest individual finish, scoring 9.8 to place second on bars. MSU's only all-arounder, Jane McIntosh, was third (37.675).
WESTERN MICHIGAN (1-2) - The Broncos were third in their own Bronco Quad Meet on Sunday with a score of 186.825. Junior Jennifer Gleissner, who is from Lenexa, Kan., was fourth in the all-around (37.925). Sophomore Sara Trudeau was second on beam (9.8) and freshman Nicole Berends was second on the vault (9.625).
About The Tigers
Missouri returns six letterwinners from last year's 9-12 unit, led by senior Shannon Brown, a two-time NCAA Regional all-around qualifier and the defending Big 12 Conference tri-champion on balance beam. Four other seniors figure prominantly for Drass' first team at Mizzou - Alison Akers, Katie Cole, Chandra Harlow, and Meggen Smiley. Also back is junior Ann Gietler. MU's experience is countered by a six-member freshman class: Laura Anson, Terri Baker, Jacqueline Coatsworth, Laura Forbes, Leah Gremaud and Alina Hamm
Missouri Records Set in 2000
CLASS RECORDS Balance Beam by a Freshman - 9.85, Leah Gremaud, Jan. 9, Iowa State
Tigers ? Quickly
The Missouri gymnastics team had a team grade point average of 3.017 for the Fall '99 semester, and seven Tigers had individual GPAs of 3.0 or better. Terri Baker, Ann Gietler, Leah Gremaud, and Meggen Smiley made the Dean's List ? In the most recent NCAA report, the Missouri gymnastics team had a 100 percent graduation rate ? Coach Rob Drass signed two gymnasts in the early signing period - Jacqueline Coatsworth from Las Vegas, Nev., and Alisha Robinson from Oak Grove. Coatsworth graduated from high school in December, and has entered Mizzou. She's eligible for the remainder of the season, and could perform an exhibition routine this week on either bars or beam.
Up Next For Mizzou
The Tigers' next two meets are dual meets on the road. On Sat., Jan. 22, they'll venture into uncharted waters, competing at Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., for the first time. On Jan. 29, they return to Big 12 Conference action when they travel to Nebraska. Missouri's next home event is the 20th annual Cat Classic, Feb. 4-5, at Hearnes Center.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS Location: Normal, Ill. Conference: Independent Coach: Jill Hollembeak (fourth year) 1999 Record: 0-7KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES Location: Kent, Ohio Conference: Mid-American Coach: Brice Biggin (ninth year) 1999 Record: 3-6
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Location: East Lansing, Mich. Conference: Big 10 Coach: Kathie Klages (10th year) 1999 Record: 15-13
WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS Location: Kalamazoo, Mich. Conference: Mid-American Coach: Terry Casperson (fourth year) 1999 Record: 5-7
COACHES PRE-SEASON RANKINGS RANK/TEAM PTS. (1st-place votes) 1. Georgia 854 (17) 2. Alabama 825 (7) 3. UCLA 816 (6) 4. Michigan 806 (5) 5. Utah 770 (1) 6. Nebraska 680 7. Arizona State 644 8. Penn State 590 9. Florida 584 LSU 584 11. Stanford 577 12. Oregon State 431 13. N. Carolina St. 354 14. Minnesota 345 15. Denver 315 16. Arizona 283 17. West Virginia 276 18. Maryland 264 19. Washington 250 20. Ohio State 245 21. Utah State 241 22. Iowa State 189 23. BYU 108 24. Auburn 97 25. Oklahoma 70
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Boise State, Kentucky, Central Michigan, Towson, Illinois, Michigan State, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina, Ball State, Massachusetts, MISSOURI, Pittsburgh, Illinois State, George Washington, Bowling Green, California, Cal State-Fullerton, Illinois-Chicago, Sacramento State, SE Missouri State Missouri opponents in boldface
ELSEWHERE IN THE BIG 12 Fri., Jan. 14 Nebraska at Iowa State Sun., Jan. 16 Oklahoma at TX Woman's
MU BESTS IN 2000 VAULT 9.575 Katie Cole (Iowa State) 9.55 Laura Anson (Iowa State) 9.55 Terri Baker (Iowa State) 9.55 Alina Hamm (Iowa State) Team 47.675 (Iowa State)
BARS 9.75 Chandra Harlow (Iowa State) 9.65 Alina Hamm (Iowa State) 9.625 Ann Gietler (Iowa State) Team 47.425 (Iowa State)
BEAM 9.85 Leah Gremaud (Iowa State) 9.8 Alison Akers (Iowa State) Team 47.05 (Iowa State)
FLOOR 9.825 Shannon Brown (Iowa State) 9.7 Meggen Smiley (Iowa State) Team 46.975 (Iowa State)
ALL-AROUND 37.75 Shannon Brown (Iowa State) Team 189.125 (Iowa State)
