Jan. 16, 2002
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Up this week
The University of Missouri women's gymnastics team opens the 2002 home season hosting Southeastern Missouri State at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, January 20 in the Hearnes Center.
Tickets for Mizzou gymnastics are available by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia), or at the Hearnes Center Ticket Office. Group rates and season tickets are also available. Please contact the ticket office for more information.
Bring on the Otahkians
Southeast Missouri State is currently ranked seventh in the GymInfo South Central Region after two losses to start the 2002 season. Southeast opened the year in a double-dual meet against Florida and Central Michigan. The Otahkians finished second on the event scoring 187.150 behind Florida who took the meet title with a 194.175. In their second showing of the year, SEMO fell to Illinois State 191.400-188.625. Southeast faces Northern-Illinois and Wisconsin-La Crosse on Fri., Jan. 18, before competing against the Tigers on Sunday.
Sophomore Ashley Godwin leads the Otahkians this season. She scored a team-high 9.700 on the balance beam against Florida and Central Michigan. She also finished second in the all-around (38.850) and won the vault (9.750) competition at Illinois State.
The Otahkians finished the 2001 season with a 10-10 record with a 55th-place ranking in the final GymInfo standings. Southeast Missouri State Head Coach Patt Stotzheim returns 10 letterwinners and welcomes seven newcomers to her third season as an Otahkian. She has a 15-25 record at SEMO and an 87-64 career record overall.
In the MU-SEMO rivalry, Missouri owns the series 12-6. The Tigers defeated the Otahkians last season 191.150-187.850.
MU Gymnastics Coverage
Don't miss the Missouri Tigers when they appear as special guests with Pepper and Friends. Mizzou gymnastics joins Paul Pepper on Fri., Jan 18 at 10:00 a.m., to give the Mid-Missouri area a small sample of the excitement awaiting them during the 2002 season. Tune into KOMU-TV Channel 8 to catch the Tigers.
Tigers vs. the Nation
Missouri made a little history starting 2002 with its highest season opening score (193.275) in program history. The mark ranks Mizzou 20th in the NCAA GymInfo standings-MU's highest opening position to date.
In addition, the Tigers are ranked 6th in the country scoring a 48.900 on the balance beam. Mizzou is also tied for 21st on the vault (48.425) and 25th in on the floor exercise (48.150) in the national standings.
Mizzou in the South Central Region
After rounding out the 2001 season ranked 10th overall in the GymInfo South Central Region, Missouri has opened the new season taking a dramatic step in the ranks. Following its first meet against Bowling Green, MU stands in fifth-place.
In event rankings, the Tigers top the charts with the second-highest regional score on the balance beam (48.900) and are ranked fifth on the vault (47.825), bars (47.800) and floor exercise (48.150).
MU against the Big 12
Competing against three top-15 teams in the Big 12 Conference, the Tigers are second in the league on the balance beam. Nebraska leads the field with a 49.150 beam high on the year.
Rating Robinson
Freshman Alisha Robinson exploded onto the college scene tearing down all five Mizzou freshman records in her first meet against Bowling Green. The 2001 U.S. power tumbling champion led the Tigers with a 9.900 on bars, a 9.925 on vault and posted a 9.875 on both the floor exercise and balance beam.
The freshman rounded out her inaugural showing leading Missouri with a 39.575 all-around score-the mark tops the MU record book as both the highest individual all-around score and the highest score by a freshman in school history. Robinson topped the podium winning all events except the floor exercise, which was captured by BGSU's Marny Ostreneg, the 1999 NCAA floor exercise champion.
In addition to setting a new Mizzou all-around record, her vault score ties Robinson for the program's meet record. She shares the title with Jessica Haag who also hit a 9.925 at the Big 12 Championships in 1999.
Robinson was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for her performance. She is the first gymnast under Head Coach Rob Drass to receive the award.
GymInfo Standings
Robinson opens the 2002 season tied as the nation's fourth finest all-arounder. The freshman is tied for sixth in the NCAA Division I on the uneven bars, seventh on the vault and 10th on the balance beam.
In the South Central Region, Robinson leads the field as the top all-around competitor. Her closest opponent is Randi Liljenquist (39.425) from the University of Arizona. In individual events, Robinson is second on vault bars and beam and is tied for seventh on the floor exercise.
Hamm Hits the Mark
Veteran Alina Hamm contributed solid marks against Bowling Green scoring 9.650 on the vault. The junior also scored a 9.800 on the balance beam and was third in the all-around scoring a 37.950 to boost the Tigers. Hamm is ranked 12th in the region as an all-arounder. She is also tied for 11th in the region on beam, 27th on vault and ranks 31st on the floor.
Freshman Fire
Freshmen Ashley Asraf and Rachael Dombart made their first collegiate competition an impressive outing. Asraf, a Tom's River, N.J., native, scored a 9.550 on vault and a 9.775 on the floor exercise. The freshman is tied for 22nd in the region on the floor and 31st on the vault.
Dombart, of Woodstock, Ga., put up solid marks during her first collegiate showing helping the Tigers with a 9.600 on the uneven bars and a 9.700 on the balance beam. Dombart is tied for 17th in the region on beam and ranks 28th on bars.
Tiger Tidbits
* Junior Leah Gremaud highlighted the Bowling Green meet scoring a 9.750 on beam and a 9.600 on bars. She is tied for 12th on beam and 28th on bars in the region.
* Transfer Rachel Bridges opened the 2002 season leading the Tigers off scoring a 9.775 on beam. She also threw a 9.575 on the vault. She is tied for 11th in the region on the beam and 30th on the vault.
* Lauren Owca earned a 9.625 leading off the Tigers on the vault-the score is her third-highest career mark in the event and ties her in 28th-place in the South Central Region.
* Sophomore Andrea Nervig topped the charts for Missouri scoring a 9.825 on the uneven bars against Bowling Green. The score is her second-highest career mark on the apparatus and ranks her eighth in the South Central Region.
* Sophomore Lindsay Davis highlighted her first meet scoring a 9.650 on the vault to rank 27th in the region.