March 7, 2001
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Missouri at No. 11 Iowa State
Meet #8 * Sun., March 11 * Ames, Iowa.
Participants:
University of Missouri (4-9 overall, 0-4 in Big 12)
Iowa State Univeristy (7-4 overall, 1-2 in Big 12)
Start Time:
Meet is scheduled to start at 2 p.m..
Series:
Mizzou leads the all-time series, 22-16
Via the Web:
Live scoring will be provided at www.mutigers.com
Coaches:
Missouri: Rob Drass (Penn State '90) 12-19 at MU (2nd season), 12-19 overall (2nd season).
Iowa State: K.J. Kindler (Iowa State `92) 7-4 at ISU (1st season), 7-4 overall (1st season).
Tigers Continue to Aim for Regionals in Ames
The University of Missouri gymnastics team will take the five hour trek northward to Ames, Iowa, on Sunday to face No. 11 Iowa State in a Big 12 battle. The Tigers are fighting ferociously for a spot in NCAA Regional competition and need a quality showing on the road this weekend to keep their hopes alive.
The Tigers will face a team capable of putting up big numbers this weekend in the Cyclones. ISU put up its highest score of the season when MU and ISU sqared off at the AT&T Cable Gymnastics X-Treme, 196.475-191.150 on Feb. 11. Head coach Rob Drass said that the Tigers are still looking to put together a complete meet and that this weekend is a great opportunity.
"We have a great opportunity to improve our case for regionals," Coach Drass said. "Iowa State is a good team and we have to put together a complete meet this weekend in order to compete them."
MU Quickly
Missouri is coming off of a third place finish in their own Corvette Cup on Sunday...MU registered a score of 193.075 at the Cup, their second-highest score of the season...Sophomore Laura Forbes set a school record on floor this past weekend with her 9.925 effort.
Qualifying for Regional Competition
is as Easy as R-Q-S
The Tigers have only two regular season meets left in their 2001 season and are 4-9 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12. They are currently ranked No. 47 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, 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 March 5, the Tigers are currently eighth in the South Central Region and if the regionals were to start today, would have an RQS of 192.545. Mizzou looks to make up some ground on the South Central Region with two road meets remaining.
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.
A Look at the Cyclones
The Iowa State women's gymnastics team is coming off of a hard fight in the quadrangular in Florida on March 2. No. 11 ISU took second place (195.075) over Kentucky (193.700) and Ball State (193.500) while falling to No. 9 Florida (195.175). The Cyclones are now 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12.
The Cyclones are led by junior all-arounders Shelly Kringen and Sissy Huey, who took first and second, respectively, at the MU AT&T Cable Gymanstics X-Treme in January. ISU is currently in third place in the North Central region with Regional Qualitfying score of 195.755. This will be the second of three times the Cyclones and Tiger will clash with the final matchup happening in two weeks at the Big 12 Conference Championships. Iowa State is the defending Big 12 Champions.
Forbes a Force on Floor
Tiger sophomore Laura Forbes has been a quiet, consistent performer for the Tigers on floor and beam all season. She had not recorded a score higher than 9.775 on floor until last Sunday when she had a break-out 9.925 performance at the Corvette Cup. The Columbia native's first career championship was also good for a school record on floor eclipsing fomer Tiger greats Shannon Brown, Amanda Peterson, and Charise Schrupp's mark of 9.900. Behind Forbes' great performance, the Tigers set a new school record on floor with a score of 49.200. No Tiger competitor scored lower than a 9.700 during the course of the rotation.
The Veteran Rookie
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 38.414 in all-around competition. She has broke the freshman all-around record twice this season most recently recording a 38.925 in the 2001 Corvette Cup. That effort eclipses her own mark of 38.900 she set at this years Cat Classic.
She boasts the Tigers highest all-around average (38.414) and has set career bests on vault (9.800), bars (9.750) and floor (9.850) over the course of the past three meets.
MU Continues Assault on Career-High List
Several Tiger gymnasts tied or set personal bests during last weekends Corvette Cup. 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 set a career-high on floor this past weekend with a score of 9.825. 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 Revisited
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 six times on beam and picked up her third beam title of the season last Sunday in the Corvette Cup with her 9.900 effort. Gremaud also set a school record during the beam competition of the Cat Classic on Feb. 2. She 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 four meets and recorded a 38.900 mark at Oklahoma on Feb. 25 good enough for third place.
Building With a Hamm-er
The Tigers continue to improve as the season prorgresses. A major factor in the teams development has been the sucess of sophomore Alina Hamm. Hamm experienced a mini-mid season slump before setting career-highs on vault (9.775) and floor (9.875) in the past two meets. She has recorded all-around scores higher that 39.000 three times this season
On Jan. 28 against Nebraska, Hamm served notice to the Tiger faithful in attendance that it was indeed "Hamm-er time." The Springfield, Mo., native recorded then career-high marks on vault, beam and floor 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."
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) Recent Action...
Forbes Sets School Record on Floor,
Tigers Finish Third in 7th Annual Lathrop & Gage Corvette Cup
The University of Missouri gymnastics team continued to fight for a spot in NCAA Regional competition on Sunday taking third place in the 7th Annual Lathrop & Gage Corvette Cup with a score of 193.075. Mizzou finished behind the Oklahoma Sooners (195.075) and the Bowling Green State Falcons (194.825). The Tigers had several brilliant moments during the meet that teams with a pre-game car show including what was an awesome display on floor. The Tigers set a new MU school record on their final event of the afternoon with a 49.200-effort propelling them into third place.
Despite their inconsistencies as a team, several Tigers individually had great meets. Senior Ann Gietler competed in her final home event as a Missouri Tiger on Sunday and definitely went out with a bang. The two-time academic all-Big 12 selection tied for first place honors with OU's Carla DeMartini on the unveven bars with a 9.850 effort. Despite Gietler's efforts on bars, the Tigers struggled on what is usually their strongest event with three falls and recorded a score of only 47.450 compared to their average of near 48.000.
On beam, sophomore Leah Gremaud picked up her third beam title of the season with a score of 9.900, which also eclipses the former Corvette Cup record of 9.850 held by four other athletes. Gremaud has won all three of her titles this season in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center and holds the school record (9.925) and the third highest score (9.900) on beam in MU history.
The Tigers also got a strong showing on floor. Columbia native and sophomore Laura Forbes claimed her first career championship with a career-high effort of 9.925. Not only did Forbes post a career-high, she also recorded the highest score in MU school history. Every MU floor competitor set or tied career-high marks on the floor exercise including sophomore Alina Hamm, who tied for third place with her mark of 9.875. Hamm continued to string together quality all-around efforts as well as she eclipsed the 39.000 plateau once again slating a 39.025.
Freshman Lindsay Davis also put together a quality all-around performance, overtaking her own freshman MU all-around record with her score of 38.925. Davis finished fourth in the vault and fifth in the all-around competition.
2001 Tiger Individual Titles
Alina Hamm T-1st Bars-9.875-SEMO, 1/21/01 1st Floor-9.775-SEMO, 1/21/01Ann Gietler T-1st Bars-Corvette Cup, 3/4/01
Leah Gremaud 1st Beam-9.900-Corvette Cup, 3/4/01 1st Beam-9.850-Iowa State, 2/11/01 1st Beam-9.925-Cat Classic, 2/2/01 Lindsay Davis 1st Beam-9.800-Cat Classic, 2/3/01 1st All-Around-38.775-SEMO, 1/21/01 T-1st Beam-9.725-SEMO, 1/21/01
Laura Forbes 1st-Floor-9.925-Corvette Cup, 3/4/01
Andrea Nervig T-1st Bars-9.875-SEMO, 1/21/01
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.
Career Highs as of 3/4/01
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, 9.925 (Corvette Cup 3/4/01) 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 (three times) -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, 9.875 (Corvette Cup 3/2/01) -All-around, 39.225 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) Heather Holden -Beam, 9.750 (at BYU 2/16/00) Lindsay Davis -Vault, 9.800 (Corvette Cup 3/4/01) -Bars, 9.750 (twice) -Beam, 9.800 (Cat Classic 2/3/01) -Floor, 9.850 (vs. Utah State 2/17/01) -All-around, 38.925 (Corvette Cup 3/4/01) 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 (twice) -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, 9.825 (Corvette Cup 3/4/01)
Tiger Records set as of 3/4/01
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) Laura Forbes -Floor score MU Record (9.925 Corevette Cup 3/4/01)