Tiger Gymnasts Battle for Big 12 Championship this Weekend
3/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 21, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Big 12 Championships Edition
Meet #12 * Sat., March 24 * Norman, Okla.
Participants:
University of Missouri (4-11 overall, 0-5 in Big 12)
No. 9 Iowa State University (9-5 overall, 3-2 in Big 12)
No. 20 University of Oklahoma (15-4 overall, 2-2 in Big 12)
No. 4 University of Nebraska (15-1 overall, 4-0 Big12)
Start Time: Meet is scheduled to start at 7 p.m..
Series:
Tigers lead the series with ISU, 22-17
Oklahoma leads the series with MU, 14-7
Nebraska leads the series with MU, 24-3
Via the Web: Live scoring will be provided at www.mutigers.com
Coaches:
University of Missouri: Rob Drass (Penn State '90) 12-21 at MU (2nd season), 12-21 overall (2nd season).
No. 9 Iowa State University: K.J. Kindler (Iowa State `92) 9-5 at ISU (1st season), 9-5 overall (1st season)
No. 20 University of Oklahoma: Becky Switzer (Oklahoma City `76) 221-98 at OU (18th season) and Steve Nuno (Massachusetts `79) 15-4 at OU (1st)
No. 4 University of Nebraska: Dan Kendig (Kentucky `79) 138-27 at NU (8th season), 251-137-1 overall (18th season)
Stormin' Back to Norman
Tigers look for first Conference Championship since 1991
For the first time since 1997, the University of Oklahoma will be hosting the Big 12 Women's Gymnastics Championships. The event will take place on this Saturday, at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla. The Lloyd Noble Center is located at the southwest corner of the Imhoff Rd. and Jenkins Ave. intersection, just north of Highway 9. Four teams - Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma - will compete in the championships. Iowa State won the conference crown last year in Ames, Iowa. Tickets for the meet are five dollars for adults and two dollars for children (12 and under). For more information, call the University of Oklahoma Athletic Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or (800) 456-4668.
MU Quick Facts
The Missouri Tigers Women's Gymnastics team travels to Norman, Oklahoma this weekend for the Big 12 Gymnastics Championships...The Tigers are looking for their first conference title since 1991...Mizzou recorded its second-highest team score of the year in their last meet against No. 24 Michigan State posting a 194.125...the score is the eigth-highest team score in school history...the Tigers hit 23 of 24 routines for the first time this season against the Spartans...Sophomore Alina Hamm continued to excel as she finished second in the all-around competition with her 39.075 effort...The Tigers register a 193.180 RQS heading into the Big 12 conference meet.
Big 12 Gymnastics Championships To Be Tape Delayed On FOX
The 2001 Big 12 Gymnastics Championships, hosted by the University of Oklahoma on Saturday, will be televised on tape delay by FOX Sports Midwest on Thursday, March 29 at 12 midnight. There will also be numerous repeats, aired by FOX regional channels all over the country. Check you local listing for dates and times of these repeat showings.
Big 12 Announces Women's Gymnastics Academic All-Big 12 Team
The Big 12 Conference honored 16 student-athletes who have been named to the 2001 Women's Gymnastics Academic All-Big 12 Team, the conference office announced Tuesday. Senior Ann Gietler (Mesa, Ariz.) and sophomore Leah Gremaud (St. Peters, Mo.) were named to the first team while sophomore Shannon Brett (Easton, Pa.) was named to the second team.
"This is a nice honor for our kids and represents their commitment to excellence both in the gym and in the classroom," head coach Rob Drass said.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the women's gymnastics academic all-league squad consisted of seven combined first-team members with nine on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or better grade-point average, while the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests
Qualifying for Regional Competition is as Easy as R-Q-S
The Tigers enter the post-season with a 4-11 overall record and an 0-5 mark in the Big 12. They are currently ranked No. 48 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 19, the Tigers are currently eighth in the South Central Region and if the regionals were to start today, would have an RQS of 193.180. While making regional competition is probably not going to be a possibility, the Tigers could have several individuals qualify in both all-around and individual event competition.
A Look at Iowa State
The Iowa State Gymnastics squad improved their regular season record to 9-5 with a victory over intrastate rival Iowa, Tuesday in Ames. The 196.400-193.950 win marked the second of the season and the16th-straight against the Hawks. The Cyclones set a school record team score on vault with a 49.400 and a second-ranked floor exercise score of 49.525.
Iowa State junior and leading all-arounder Shelly Kringen scored a perfect 10.0 on the vault to become the first ISU gymnast ever to do so in that event and only the second in history on any event. The Cyclones hold a 2-0 advantage in the season series with the Tigers.
A Look at Oklahoma
The Tigers will face the Sooners for the third time this season at the Championships with OU holding a 2-0 advantage. Under the direction of former Olympic Coach Steve Nuno and long-time head head coach Becky Switzer, OU has strung together an impressive record of 15-4 while going 2-2 in the Big 12. The Sooner currently are in third place in the South Central Region with an RQS of 195.440.
A Look at Nebraska
The Huskers bettered 197.000 for the sixth time this season, defeating eighth-ranked Arizona State 197.100-195.575 last Saturday. The Huskers became the first team since Utah, which posted a 193.875-193.250 victory on Feb. 2, 1996, to defeat the Sun Devils at home, and the only team other than Utah to post a victory at the Wells Fargo Arena in the last nine years. The Huskers are 15-1 on the season, 4-0 in the Big 12, and 1-0 against the Tigers this season.
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.
MU Continues Assault on Career-High List
Several Tiger gymnasts tied or set personal bests during last weekends meet at Michigan State. For a complete list of career-highs set during the 2001 season, please turn to page four in the Tiger Superlatives section.
The Young and the Restless
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. 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 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 38.470 in all-around competition. She has broke the freshman all-around record three times this season most recently recording a 38.975 at Iowa State on March 11. That effort eclipses her own mark of 38.925 she set at this year's Corvette Cup.
She boasts the Tigers highest all-around average (38.470) and has set career bests on vault (9.800), bars (9.750) and floor (9.850) over the course of the past four meets.
Building With a Hamm-er
The Tigers have definitely improved as the season has progressed. A major factor in the teams development has been the success of sophomore Alina Hamm. Hamm experienced a mini-mid season slump before setting career-highs on vault (9.775), beam (9.800) and floor (9.875) in the past four meets. She has recorded all-around scores higher that 39.000 four 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.
Precision Personified
Sophomore Leah Gremaud has been outstanding on beam all season. However, over the past four weeks, Gremaud has really started to flex her muscle. She has finished no worse than second on the four-inch wide apparatus in the past four meets and recorded scores of 9.800 at OU and 9.900 at the Corvette Cup, Iowa State, and Michigan State.
The St. Peters, Mo., native has scored a 9.700 or higher eight times on beam and picked up her fourth beam title of the season at Michigan State last weekend. 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 for top mark in the Big 12 this season.
It's A.G.
In some circles, the acronym "A.G." represents the term "all good." Ann Gietler, or A.G. has been all-good and is a woman on a mission this season. The Tiger senior is nearing the end of her college career, but she is definitely not slowing down to smell the roses. The thee-time academic all-Big 12 selection has been on a roll the past five meets on bars averaging a score of 9.8375. She has recorded four second place finishes and picked up a first place finish at the 7th Annual Corvette Cup. Gietler tied a career-high on Sunday, Mar. 11 at Iowa State with a 9.875 effort on bars.
You've Got Some Nervig
Tiger freshman Andrea Nervig has made the most of her all-around opportunity this season. Nervig set the then MU freshman all-around record earlier this season with her 38.850 effort against Nebraska before teammate, roommate and classmate Lindsay Davis eclipsed the mark with her score of 38.975 that still stands.
"Drew" as her teammates call her, has recorded career-highs of 9.650 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.775 on beam and 9.825 on floor She is averaging over 38.000 during the course of the 2001 season in all-around competition.
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 March 4 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 former 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 that rotation.
Living the Vida Owca
It has definitely been a crazy college career so far for Wheaton, Ill. freshman Lauren Owca. Owca has made the journey from not competing in the first meet of the season at Ball State, to being one of the valued contributors for the Mizzou squad. She competes on vault and floor and has recorded career-high marks of 9.675 on vault at Utah State and 9.825 on floor in Corvette Cup competition. Also in a season where falls have been a problem for the Tiger squad, Owca has hit 100% of the routines she has attempted.
However, it is really not fair to use a Ricky Martin headline for the solid freshman who uses Van Halen in her floor routine. My deepest apologies.
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...
Last Time Out...
Tigers Put Together Best Effort of Season but Lose to No. 24 Michigan State
The University of Missouri gymnastics team used its last regular season meet as the stage for their most complete effort of the season but it wasn't quite enough as the Tigers dropped a tough meet No. 24 Michigan State Spartans,
The Tigers were very consistent slating scores of 48.100 or higher on every event for the first time this season. Mizzou was down by only .325 points going into the final rotation and equaled a team season best on beam with their 48.775 effort, but Michigan State used a 49.200 mark on floor to seal the deal. The 194.125 was the second-highest score put up by the Tigers this season and eighth best team score in MU history.
Sophomore Leah Gremaud continued to be impressive on beam for the Tigers, taking her fourth beam title of the season, her second in three weeks with a 9.900 effort. The mark equals the third best MU beam score of all time, which Gremaud has set three times this season.
Alina Hamm scored better than 39.000 for the fourth time this season against the Spartans with her 39.075 effort. Hamm tied for first on vault (9.750), tied for fifth on bars (9.775) and tied for fourth on beam with a career-high mark of 9.800.
Tiger Superlatives Career Highs as of 3/17/01
Ann Gietler -Bars, 9.875 (twice) 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 (twice) -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 (three times) -Beam, 9.800 (Cat Classic 2/3/01) -Floor, 9.850 (twice) -All-around, 38.975 (at Iowa State 3/11/01) 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, 9.825 (at Iowa State 3/11/01) -All-around, 38.850 (twice) Lauren Owca -Vault, 9.675 (vs. Utah St. 2/17/01) -Floor, 9.825 (Corvette Cup 3/4/01) Laura Anson -Vault, 9.700 (at Michigan St. 3/17/01)Tiger Records set as of 3/17/01
Lindsay Davis -All-around score by a freshman (38.975 at ISU) 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)
2001 Tiger Individual Titles Alina Hamm T-1st Bars 9.875 SEMO 1/21/01 T-1st Vault 9.750 at Michigan St. 3/17/01 1st Floor 9.775 SEMO 1/21/01Ann Gietler T-1st Bars 9.850 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 AA 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
