Feb. 14, 2002
Coming Up
The No. 18 ranked University of Missouri women's gymnastics team returns to the Hearnes Center to host the Cardinals of Ball State on Sun., Feb. 17 at 8:00 p.m. As a special promotion, the BSU meet is student night. All MU students get into the competition for just $1. As an adage, the first 500 students through the turnstile will receive complimentary concession items.
The Tigers take a five-day reprieve before jumping back into the arena hosting No. 4 ranked Oklahoma and Centenary at the Boone County Sooner Showdown on Fri., Feb. 22 at 7:00 p.m. The Showdown is gymnastic and dance club night where member of local groups are invited to attend for just $2. It is also Truman Club night where all TC member receive free entry and parent tickets are discounted for $2.
The Showdown will be the first Webcast, a live video stream to the internet, put on by the Missouri Athletic Department. Check the department website at www.mutigers.com for updated information.
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.
Ball State Cardinals
Sophomore Quiana Williams has played an instrumental role in the Ball State season. She scored a 9.775 to take top honors in the vaulting competition at Circle of Stars and recorded a career-best 9.875 to win the floor competition.
Mary Roth is in her 17th season coaching the Cardinals. She was named the 1989 MAC Coach of the Year and totes a 145-146 career record at BSU. Ball State returns 12 letterwinners to the 2002 squad and adds seven newcomers.
The Cardinals lead the BSU-Mizzou rivalry with a 5-2 series record.
Tigers vs. the Nation
Missouri made a little history starting 2002 with its highest season opening score (193.275) in program history. The mark ranked Mizzou 20th in the NCAA GymInfo standings-MU's highest opening position to date. After a solid 194.750 performance to top Southeast Missouri State, a 194.700 effort against No. 4 ranked Nebraska and a tremendous 194.475 performance in the 2002 State Farm Cat Classic, the Tigers move up two spots and slip into 18th-place with a 194.260 meet average.
In addition, the Tigers top the field in two events. Missouri is ranked 9th in the country on the balance beam averaging 48.650-including Mizzou's 49.050 record high against No. 9 ranked Iowa State. Mizzou is also ranked 19th on the floor with a 48.640, highlighted by a new MU floor score when the Tigers recorded a 49.250 at the Cat Classic.
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 standings to rank fifth in 2002. Mizzou sits behind Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arizona and Arizona State in the regional rankings.
In event rankings, the Tigers are second in the region on the balance beam and level the field sitting fifth on the floor exercise, uneven bars (48.640) and vault (48.285).
Robinson Rewrites the Records
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.
Robinson Rocks the Cat Classic
In her inaugural State Farm Cat Classic, Robinson showed spectators why gymnastics is an awe-inspiring sport. After rounding out her first three events in grand fashion, throwing a 9.825 on vault, a 9.875 on bars and a 9.850 on beam, Robinson stunned the crowd with a nearly flawless floor routine. The freshman nailed a 9.925 routine to tie the Missouri and Cat Classic floor record and set a new freshman record in the event for the third time this season. The routine pushed Robinson to top the all-around podium with a 39.250-the Cat Classic's second-highest all-around score to date.
Advancing to the individual championships on the second night of competition, Robinson once again came out with fire. She finished second in the vault championship scoring a 9.825 and third on the balance beam recording a 9.850. As the last competitor of the night, all eyes were on the freshman as she took the floor. Not about to disappoint nearly 3,000 fans, Robinson once again dished out a nearly perfect routine, including a flawless double back layout. A panel of four judges unanimously scored the routine a 9.950 setting new Missouri and Cat Classic marks for the second time in two days.
Robinson in the Rankings
Robinson has earned a place among the nation's elite after another 9.8+ meet against Iowa State. The freshman recorded a 9.825 on the vault and balance beam and topped the Tigers scoring a 9.875 on the floor and bars against the Cyclones.
The scores boost Robinson to top 2002 as the nation's seventh finest all-arounder with a 39.330 average. The freshman is ranked 17th in the NCAA Division I on the vault averaging a 9.845.
In the South Central Region, Robinson leads the field as the second all-around competitor. She is just .105 points from Oklahoma's Mariana Goncalves that leads the region. In individual events, Robinson is ranked fourth on bars (9.830), fifth on vault, seventh on balance beam (9.810) and is 10th on the floor exercise (9.845).
Nervig 'Nocks the Records
Sophomore Andrea Nervig has shined for Mizzou on the uneven bars this season. She has recorded a 9.825 or higher on the apparatus in each of her five meets this year. She scored an impressive career tying high with a 9.875 to finish second against Southeast Missouri State. Nervig again repeated the feat at the 2002 Cat Classic where she finished third with duplicate mark.
In two other meets, Nervig posted her third-highest career score against Bowling Green and Nebraska (9.825) to open the season. In addition, the sophomore tied her all-time vault mark throwing a 9.650 on the apparatus to finish fourth in the meet against SEMO.
In the South Central Region, the sophomore is ranked sixth on the uneven bars averaging a 9.825.
All About Asraf
Freshmen Ashley Asraf, a Tom's River, N.J., native, scored a 9.550 on vault and a 9.775 on the floor exercise in her first collegiate meet against Bowling Green. She came back to take top honors in the floor exercise against Southeast Missouri State scoring an MU season-high 9.875. The mark tied Asraf with Alisha Robinson with the highest Missouri freshman mark on the apparatus, prior to the Cat Classic. In addition to her record-tying performance, Asraf finished fourth on vault (9.650) and third on beam (9.700) against the Otahkians.
At the 2002 Cat Classic, Asraf highlighted the night scoring a 9.825 on the floor exercise. She also put up a 9.600 as Mizzou's lead off on vault.
The freshman is ranked 38th in the region on the floor exercise averaging a 9.670. She is 43rd on beam and 58th on vault.
Dishing on Dombart
Rachael 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. In her second time out, the freshman opened the MU bars rotation landing a 9.675. She highlighted the MU-NU meet scoring a 9.675 on the balance beam.
Dombart capped off a solid Cat Classic showing scoring a 9.750 on the balance beam to advance to the individual finals where she posted a career-high 9.800 on the apparatus.
The freshman has continued to put up solid marks during Big 12 Conference competition. Against No. 9 ranked Iowa State, Dombart threw a 9.675 bars routine and nailed a 9.750 beam performance.
Dombart is ranked 26th in the South Central Region averaging a 9.620 on the balance beam. She is tied for 34th on the uneven bars with a 9.625 average.
Keeping up with Gremaud
Junior Leah Gremaud proves that history can often times repeat itself. At the 2002 Cat Classic, Gremaud became Missouri's first two-time beam champion scoring a 9.925 to mirror her record-setting mark from last season and win the team competition on the apparatus. She is the first Mizzou gymnast to win the same back-to-back event title at the Classic since 1991-92 when Jennifer Sand was the two-time floor exercise champion. Gremaud followed up her record-tying performance recording a 9.850 to finish second in the individual championship.
Gremaud owns three other individual event titles on the year taking top honors on beam against Bowling Green, Southeast Missouri State and No. 9 ranked Iowa State.
The junior highlighted the BGSU meet scoring a 9.750 on beam and a 9.600 on bars. Gremaud came back to boost her scores against SEMO throwing a 9.800 to win the beam competition. The junior also reached new personal heights against the Otahkians scoring and a 9.800 to finish fourth in the floor exercise and establish a new career-high mark in the event.
Against ISU, the junior scored her third 9.900+ mark on the balance beam tying with Cyclone Stephanie Sweitzer for first-place honors.
Gremaud averages a 9.835 on the balance beam to rank 17th in the NCAA Division one and second in the South Central Region. She also ranks 46th on the floor exercise and 56th on the uneven bars.
Breaking Down Bridges
Transfer Rachel Bridges opened the 2002 season leading the Tigers off scoring a 9.775 on beam against Bowling Green. She also threw a 9.575 on the vault against both BGSU and Southeast Missouri State.
The junior set a career-high scoring a 9.800 on the balance beam against Nebraska to help the Tigers. Before topping her career-mark scoring a 9.800 to start Mizzou on the floor exercise during the Cat Classic team competition.
She boosted the Tigers to a record high beam score nailing a 9.775 as Mizzou's lead off. She also scored a 9.650 on the vault.
Bridges is ranked 31st on the balance beam in the South Central Region.
Dishing on Davis
Sophomore Lindsay Davis tied the MU sophomore record when she threw a 9.850 on the uneven bars against SEMO. The score is a new career-mark for Davis who also scored a 9.800 against Nebraska.
She highlighted the 2002 Cat Classic recording a 9.725 on the vault and a 9.750 on bars during team competition. Performing in the individual championship, Davis finished fourth on vault throwing a 9.825.
Davis recorded a 9.725 on the vault and a 9.750 on the uneven bars to boost Mizzou against Iowa State.
Davis is ranked 31st in the South Central Region averaging a 9.670 on the vault and is 38th on the uneven bars with a 9.580 average.
The Forbes Forecast
Junior Laura Forbes nailed a 9.850 floor routine against Southeast Missouri State to finish second in meet standings and tie the junior record in the event. At the 2002 Cat Classic, she scored a 9.800 during the team competition and came back to record a 9.850 to tie for third in the individual championship. Against Iowa State, the junior recorded a 9.775 on the balance beam and floor to boost the Tigers.
Forbes ranks 10th in the region on the balance beam with a 9.775 average. She is also ranked 29th on the floor averaging a 9.725
Hamm Hits the Mark
Junior Alina Hamm took home her first all-around title topping the podium with a 39.100 against Southeast Missouri State. Hamm scored solid marks in the meet finishing second on the vault (9.725) and beam (9.775), third in the floor exercise (9.825) and fourth on bars (9.775).
Against Nebraska, Hamm finished fourth in the all-around scoring a 38.800. She topped the meet throwing a 9.800 on the uneven bars and a 9.775 on the floor. The junior highlighted the 2002 Cat Classic recording a 9.825 on the floor exercise during both the team competition and during the individual championships.
Hamm is ranked 17th in the South Central Region as an all-around competitor averaging a 38.437. She is also ranked for 21st on the floor, 40th on beam, 44th on the uneven bars and 47th on vault.
The junior was sidelined during the Iowa State meet due to a hand injury sustained in practice. Her participation will be made on a meet-by-meet basis.
Tiger Tidbits
* Sophomore Lauren Owca earned a 9.625 leading off the Tigers on the vault against Bowling Green-the score is her third-highest career mark in the event.
* Junior Laura Anson returned to the Tiger lineup after taking a redshirt season while recovering from post concussion syndrome. In her first meet of the 2002 season, Anson scored a 9.725 on the vault against Iowa State.