Tiger Gymnasts Head West for Weekend in Utah
2/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
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Feb. 14, 2001
Missouri vs. BYU and Utah State
Meet #5 at BYU * Fri., Feb 16 * Provo Utah
Meet #6 at Utah State * Sat. Feb 17 * Logan, Utah
Participants: University of Missouri (3-4) vs. No. 15 BYU
University of Missouri (3-4) vs. No. 34 Utah State
Start Time: Both meets scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
Series: Mizzou leads the all-time series with BYU, 8-2
Utah State leads the all-time series with Mizzou, 1-3
Coaches:
Missouri: Rob Drass (Penn State '90) 11-14 at MU (2nd season), 11-14 overall (2nd season).
BYU: Brad Cattermole (BYU `76) 172-210-1 at BYU (13th season),
172-210-1 overall (13th season).
Utah State: Ray Corn (N. Colorado `71) 383-224-2 at Utah State
(24th season) 383-226-2 overall (24th season).
Mizzou Gymnasts Head West for Utah Double-Dip
After wrapping up a four-meet home stand last weekend against Iowa State, the University of Missouri gymnastics squad will travel west this weekend to the state of Utah for two key meets. The Tigers will take on No. 15 BYU on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Provo and will then to head to Logan on Saturday to face the Aggies of Utah State University.
No. 52 in the Polls but...
Mizzou is currently ranked No. 52 in the latest GymInfo poll. Teams are ranked according to average scores thus far this season. However, the Tigers have improved every time out this year from their season-low 184.625 performance at Ball State, to their season-best 194.425 performance against Nebraska on Jan. 28. Besides being the fifth-highest score in school history, MU's 194.425 is one of the nations Top 25 scores.
The Tigers are also facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation with seven of their 11 opponents still in the GymInfo top-25.
A Look at BYU
Coming into this weekend, BYU is definitely one of the hottest teams in the nation. In their second meet in four days, the Cougars defeated Southern Utah University, 196.225 to 194.150 in Cedar City, Utah, on Monday night. BYU scored above a 196 in their second straight meet and Kelly Parkinson scored her season best in the all-around at 39.550.
The Tigers faced BYU earlier this month in the State Farm Cat Classic with the Cougars taking the team title while Mizzou finished in second place. The Cougars are 6-1 on the year and are ranked No. 15 in the latest GymInfo Rankings. BYU is led by Parkinson, who took home the all-around championship of the Cat Classic earlier this month.
A Look at Utah State
Despite turning in a season-high 194.900 the Aggies lost their second consecutive meet over the weekend falling to Denver (195.900) Saturday night. The Aggies are 3-5 on the year and are currently ranked No. 34 in the GymInfo Rankings. The Aggies are similar to Mizzou in that they have several very young gymnasts competing this season including seven freshman and four sophomores.
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 during his time here.
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.
Last Time out for the Tigers...
Tigers Fall to X-Tremely
Tough Cyclones
Despite sophomore Leah Gremaud's second balance beam win in as many weeks, the University of Missouri gymnastics team fell prey to the Iowa State Cyclones, 196.475-190.500 in the 11th Annual AT&T Broadband Gymnastics X-Treme. Gremaud put up a score of 9.850 tying, ISU's Shelly Kringen for top beam honors.
ISU's mark of 196.475 is a season-high for the Cyclones and is the second-highest mark a Tiger opponent has put up this season behind Nebraska's 197.050 on Jan. 28. ISU also broke X-Treme rcords in all four events averaging 49.125 per event on Sunday.
The Tiger were solid to open the meet on vault, recording a score of 47.600. However, bars is where the trouble began. After three solid routines and a career-high mark of 9.500 by sophomore Shannon Brett, the Tigers had three falls. After a fall on beam, sophomore Laura Forbes put on a great show for the 740 in attendance on floor recording a career-high 9.775 but it wasn't enough to make a dent in the Cyclone lead.
Davis is "D" Bomb
Tiger freshman Lindsay Davis, (her teammates call her D) completed a very successful meet at last weekend's Cat Classic. Davis has been rock-solid for the Tigers in the all-around competition all season. She broke the freshman all-around record with her mark of 38.900 eclipsing the mark of 38.850 that was set just last weekend by teammate 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.
Grrrremaud, Grrreat on Beam>
Coming into her sophomore year, Leah Gremaud looked to be one of the major contributors for the Tigers on three events (vault, bars, and beam.) Gremaud started out slow but has awakened from her early season sleep in a big way. 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 followed up that historic effort with another beam title this past weekend in the AT&T Broadband Gymnastics X-Treme against Iowa State. Gremuad put up a score of 9.850.
Stop!...Hamm-er Time
On Jan. 28 against Nebraska, sophomore Alina 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. If Hamm, Davis, and Nervig continue to put up big numbers in the all-around competition, the Tigers will be a team their opponents... can't touch (Feel free to insert your own MC Hammer reference anywhere in that last note).
Floor Music...You Name It...We're Using It
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)
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 2/11/01 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, 9.525 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Bars ,9.750 (twice) -Floor, 9.925 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) Alina Hamm -Vault, 9.750 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Bars, 9.875 (vs. SEMO 1/21/01) -Beam, 9.800 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Floor, 9.825 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -All-around, 39.225 (vs Nebraska 1/28/01) Heather Holden -Beam, 9.725 (Cat Classic 2/2/01 Lindsay Davis -Vault, 9.725 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) -Bars, 9.700 (three times) -Beam, 9.800 (Cat Classic 2/3/01) -Floor, 9.775 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) -All-around, 38.900 (Cat Classic 2/2/01) Katie Myers -Vault, 9.300 (vs. Nebraska) Andrea Nervig -Vault, 9.625 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Bars, 9.875 (vs. SEMO 1/21/01) -Beam, 9.775 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Floor, 9.725 (vs. SEMO 1/21/01) -All-around, 38.850 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) Lauren Owca -Vault, 9.650 (vs. Nebraska 1/28/01) -Floor, 9.675 (twice) Tiger Records set as of 2/11/01 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)
