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Feb. 28, 2001
7th Annual Lathrop & Gage Corvette Cup
Meet #7 * Sun., March 4 * Columbia, Mo.
Participants:
University of Missouri (3-7 overall, 0-3 in Big 12)
No. 20 Oklahoma (10-4 overall, 1-2 in Big 12)
Bowling Green (6-7 overall, 3-3 in the MAC)
Texas Woman's (5-9 overall, independent)
Start Time: Meet is scheduled to start at 2 p.m..
Series:
Oklahoma leads the all-time series with the Tigers, 13-7
Tigers lead the all-time series with Bowling Green, 6-0
Tigers lead the all-time series with Texas Woman's, 10-1
Coaches:
Missouri: Rob Drass (Penn State '90) 11-17 at MU (2nd season), 11-17 overall (2nd season).
Oklahoma: Becky Switzer (Oklahoma City `76) 216-98 at OU (18th season) and Steve Nuno (Massachusetts `79) 10-4 at OU (1st season).
Bowling Green: Dan Connelly (USC `70) 87-87 at BGSU (9th season) 87-87 overall (9th season).
Texas Woman's: Frank Kudlac (West Chester `78) 200-275 at TWU (22nd season)
Ladies, Start Your Engines!
The University of Missouri women's gymnastics team continues its bid for a return trip to NCAA Regional Competetion and hosts the Seventh Annual Lathrop and Gage Corvette Cup on Sunday. The Tigers need to return to their late January-early February form where they were scoring in 193-195 range in order to make the regional competition.
The Tigers returns to the Hearnes Center for the first time in nearly a month and will welcome Oklahoma, Bowling Green and Texas Woman's to Columbia for what has become one of the most popular meets on the Tiger's schedule. This spectacular meet features a car show at 11 a.m. with the gymnastics action firing up at 2 p.m..
Honoring A Great Entertainer
Senior Ann Gietler has had an outstanding career at Missouri and will be honored Sunday. A former walk-on, Gietler will compete in the final home meet of her career this weekend in the Corvette Cup. Gietler has been a fan favorite throughout her career especially on the floor exercise. Gietler's energetic delivery and spunk has provided Mizzou gymnastics fans with great joy and has definitely entertained them. Gietler holds the sophomore record on the floor exercise with her career-high 9.875 effort at the 1999 Cat Classic. The Mesa, Ariz. native has continued to improve every season and recorded her career-best bar score this year, a 9.875 effort against Nebraska on Jan. 28. Gietler has also got the job done in the classroom being named to the academic all-Big 12 team three straight years.
Qualifying for Regional Competition is as Easy as R-Q-S
The Tigers have only four regular season meets left in their 2001 season and are 3-7 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12. They are currently ranked No. 42 in the nation according to their RQS (Regional Qualifying Score). A team's RQS ultimately determines if a team will or will not compete in NCAA Regional competition. RQS is determined by taking the team's three top road scores and then its top three other scores, dropping the best score, and then averaging the five remaining scores. Pretty simple, eh? (even this SID has a vague grasp of the concept.)
The teams with the top 18 RQS' in the country automatically qualify for the top three spots in each of six regionals along with the top three teams in each region outside of the top 18. As of Feb. 26, the Tigers are currently eighth in the South Central Region and if the regionals were to start today, would have an RQS of 192.160. Mizzou looks to make up some ground on the South Central Region with two road meets remaining.
A Look at the Sooners
OU is 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12 and are currently in third place in the conference. Led by sophomore Leticia Ishii, the Sooners recorded a season-high score of 196.225 at Texas Woman's University on Feb. 27. Ishii has proved to be one of top gymnasts in the Big 12 as has twice won the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week Award. Ishii has won four all-around titles this season and eight during the course of her career.
Oklahoma was victorious in its 2001 home opener last Sunday, defeating Missouri 194.275-191.875 at the Lloyd Noble Center in Oklahoma. OU swept the individual titles and received a stellar performance from Kasie Tamayo. The freshman won the all-around (39.400) as well as the uneven parallel bars (9.925) and the balance beam (9.900). For her outstanding efforts over the weekend, Tamayo was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week.
A Look at the Falcons
Bowling Green's women's gymnastics team wrapped up the Mid-American Conference regular season portion of the schedule by dropping its second consecutive meet by a score of 193.075-192.425 to the Chippewas of Central Michigan University. With the defeat, the Falcon's record drops to 6-7 overall and 3-3 in MAC competition.
The Falcons will visit the Hearnes Center for the second time this season this season on Sunday. BGSU competed in the Cat Classic on Feb. 2-3 placing third with a score of 192.250. They are currently ranked No. 34 in the nation with an RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) of 193.805.
A Look at the Pioneers
TWU Gymnastics moved into the No. 1 spot by the USAG Collegiate (Division II) rankings this week with a regional qualifying score of 190.945. The Pioneers travel to Columbia, Missouri, to participate in the Corvette Cup hosted by the University of Missouri. TWU is coming off of a dual meet win over Centenary College. The win moved the Pioneers to 5-9 overall this season, with four victories coming at the expense of the Centenary. Texas Woman's is ranked No. 9 in the South Central region behind eight Div. I teams, including this week?s opponent Missouri at No. 8.
Head Coach Rob Drass
Now in his second year at the helm of the University of Missouri gymnastics program, Rob Drass looks to continue the upward trend he has set in motion.
Winning a second consecutive Cat Classic championship and returning as a team to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 1994 made Drass' first season as the University of Missouri's gymnastics coach a successful one. The program effectively transitioned from its first 20 years under the direction of the program's creator, Jake Jacobson.
Under Drass' tutelage, the Tigers broke 16 school records, accumulated 22 individual titles and had three Academic All-Big 12 selections in the historic 2000 campaign. Mizzou's average meet score and Regional Qualifying Score were the highest in school history. The Tigers finished the year at 8-10.
Derby Diaper Dandy
(Sorry about the Dick Vitale Inference Baby!) Derby, Kansas, freshman Lindsay Davis, (her teammates call her D) has been rock-solid for the Tigers in the all-around competition all season. She is averaging a score of 38.300 in all-around competition. She broke the freshman all-around record with her mark of 38.900 eclipsing the mark of 38.850 that was set by teammate and roommate Andrea Nervig against Nebraska. Davis set or tied career highs in all four events during the Cat Classic. During the individual competition on Sat., Feb. 3, Davis appeared in three of the four events and picked up the balance beam title with a career-high score of 9.800.
Several Tigers Set Rocky Mountain Career Highs During Utah Trip
Several Tiger gymnasts tied or set personal bests against the Cougars and Aggies on their trip to Utah Feb. 16-17. For a complete list of career-highs set during the 2001 season, please turn to page four in the Tiger Superlatives section.
We've Got Next
The talented freshman class is already beginning to leave its mark on the MU gymnastics program. Lauren Owca has become a valuable two-event performer for Mizzou and has set career-highs on floor (9.750) and vault (9.675) in the past three meets. Lindsay Davis and Andrea Nervig have been solid in the all-around competition for most of the season and continue to be a potent one-two punch. Heather Holden has also been a valued performer on beam and set a career-high on beam (9.750) on Feb. 16 against BYU.
The Equilibrium Apparatus Aficionado Showcases Skill on All Events
Despite the Tigers late-season struggles on balance beam, sophomore Leah Gremaud has been a very consistent scorer on the apparatus this season. The St. Peters, Mo., native has scored a 9.700 or higher five times on beam including her 9.800-second place effort at Oklahoma. Gremaud set a school record during the beam competition of the Cat Classic on Feb. 2. Gremaud put up 9.925 to tie the MU record set by Shannon Brown at the Big 12 Championships in 1999. Gremaud's 9.925 score ties the ninth-highest score in the nation this season and is her career-high.
Gremaud has also recently showcased her talent in the all-around competition. She has competed in all four events the past three meets and recorded a 38.900 mark this past weekend at Oklahoma recording a third place finish.
Hamm-ing It Up
Despite battling illness and exhaustion in Utah, sophomore Alina Hamm registered two solid performances for the Tigers. Hamm hit all seven routines (she did not compete in the all-around against BYU) and did not record a score lower than 9.650 on any event. Hamm placed second in the all-around competition against Utah State with a mark of 39.050, the second time she has recorded a score over 39.000 this season
On Jan. 28 against Nebraska, Hamm once again served notice to the Tiger faithful in attendance that it was indeed "Hamm-er time." The Springfield, Mo., native recorded career-high marks on vault (9.75), beam (9.800) and floor (9.825) on her way to a mark of 39.225, the best all-around score by an MU gymnast in school history. The former record was set in 1999 by Amanda Peterson who slated a 39.175 during the Cat Classic.
Totally Floored
The 2001 Tigers have a new choreographer as first-year assistant coach Kira Atkinson assumes the controls. Tiger floor routines will feature everything from the Beastie Boys to music from the soundtrack of "The Last of the Mohicans."
Mizzou used that music on their way to a season-high mark of 48.900 on floor against BYU last Friday. Four of the six Missouri competitors in the event set new career-highs and continue to rock the crowd with their high-energy up-tempo routines.
The Tigers continued their assault of floor last Sunday with a 48.825 effort against the Sooners. Here is a run down of some of the artists the Tigers will feature on floor this season. Laura Forbes: Mark Anthony's "I Need To Know"
Ann Gietler: DMX's "Party Up" Andrea Nervig: The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" Alina Hamm: Beastie Boys' "Slow Ride" Laura Anson: Lenny Kravitz' "American Woman" Lindsay Davis: Rusted Root Medley (Sorry, no Neal Diamond)
Last Time Out for the Tigers
Tigers Struggle on Beam, Lose to No. 18 OU
The University of Missouri gymnastics team was on the road for the third meet in two weeks on Sunday and lost a tough meet to the Oklahoma Sooners, 194.275-191.975.
Mizzou looked very strong going into beam and put up its second highest point total on floor of the season (48.825). However, for the second straight meet, the Tigers were in a dog fight going into the final rotation down only .05 points, but could not hang on with five falls on beam.
One of the MU competitors who did put together a complete meet was sophomore Leah Gremaud who continued her strong sophomore campaign. In only her third meet competing in the all-around competition, Gremaud put up a season and team high 38.900, good enough for third place. Gremaud's best finish was on beam with a 9.800 effort while also tying her career mark on floor (9.75). Senior Ann Gietler bounced back from a nagging knee injury and placed second on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.825, her best effort since her 9.850 effort on Feb. 2 at the Cat Classic.
Freshman Lauren Owca continues to improve as she bested her career-high score on floor putting up a 9.750 while freshman Katie Myers put up a career-high score on vault. Tiger freshman Lindsay Davis also had a solid meet placing fourth in the all-around while tying her personal best on bars with a 9.750-effort.
Tiger Superlatives
The Tigers are five weeks into their 2001 season and several records and career-highs have been established. Listed below are the new marks that have been recorded so far.
New Career Highs as of 2/25/01
Ann Gietler -Bars, 9.875 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) Shannon Brett -Bars, 9.500 (vs. Iowa State 2/11/01) Laura Forbes -Beam, 9.750 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) -Floor, 9.775 (vs. Iowa State 2/11/01) Leah Gremaud -Vault, 9.575 (at Oklahoma 2/25/01) -Bars ,9.825 (twice) -Beam, 9.925 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) -Floor, 9.750 (twice) -All-around, 38.900 (at Oklahoma 2/25/01) Alina Hamm -Vault, 9.775 (at Oklahoma 2/25/01) -Bars, 9.875 (vs. SEMO 1/21/01) -Beam, 9.800 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Floor, 9.825 (twice) -All-around, 39.225 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) Heather Holden -Beam, 9.750 (at BYU 2/16/00) Lindsay Davis -Vault, 9.725 (twice) -Bars, 9.750 (twice) -Beam, 9.800 (Cat Classic 2/3/01) -Floor, 9.850 (vs. Utah State 2/17/01) -All-around, 38.900 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) Katie Myers -Vault, 9.325 (at Oklahoma 2/25/01) Andrea Nervig -Vault, 9.625 (twice) -Bars, 9.875 (vs. SEMO 1/21/01) -Beam, 9.775 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Floor, 9.800 (vs. Utah State 2/17/01) -All-around, 38.850 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) Lauren Owca -Vault, 9.675 (vs. Utah St. 2/17/01) -Floor, 9.750 (at Oklahoma 2/25/01
Tiger Records set as of 2/25/01
Lindsay Davis -All-around score by a freshman (38.900 Cat Classic) Alina Hamm -All-around score MU Record (39.225 vs. Neb.) *Leah Gremaud -Beam score MU Record (9.925 Cat Classic 2/2/01) *Ties a school record