Tiger Open 2002 Big 12 Conference Season
1/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 23, 2002
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Up this week
The University of Missouri women's gymnastics team opens the 2002 Big 12 Conference season in Lincoln, Neb., when it faces the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sun., Jan. 27 at 2:00 p.m.
The Tigers return home to host Mizzou's premier event, the 22nd Annual State Farm Cat Classic, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 1-2 at 7:00 p.m. The Auburn Tigers, Brigham Young Cougars and Pittsburgh Panthers round out the four-feline line-up. Mimicking the national championship, the first night of events will consist of the team competition with Saturday's venue serving as a forum for individual event specialists.
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 Cornhuskers
Nebraska is 2-1 on the season owning victories over Iowa (194.600-193.225) and Iowa State (196.025-195.700). The Cornhuskers only loss on the year has come at the hands of the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs 196.350-196.875.
The Huskers currently rank fifth in the latest GymInfo standings with a season-high score of 196.350. Nebraska owns a 39 meet home win streak, including 34 straight Bob Devaney Center wins under coach Dan Kendig.
Topping the Cornhusker lineup, Julie Houck is currently tied for fourth in the nation on the uneven bars scoring a 9.925. Nebraska has five gymnasts ranked in the top-25 on the balance beam. Laura Goss and Richelle Simpson tie in at 15th scoring a 9.875 while Jen French, A.J. Lamb and Tami Harris are tied in 25th place with a 9.850. Simpson also leads NU in the floor exercise ranking sixth in the NCAA with a 9.950 season topper. She is tied for 21st scoring a 39.300 in the all-around.
Nebraska rounded out the 2001 season with an impressive 23-1 season record going 4-0 in the Big 12 and claiming the conference title. The Cornhuskers went on to finish fifth at the NCAA Championship. Nebraska returns nine letterwinners and adds two newcomers to its 2002 roster.
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. After a solid 194.750 performance to top Southeast Missouri State last weekend, the Tigers move up six spots and slip into 14th-place.
In addition, the Tigers are ranked ninth in the country scoring a 48.900 on the balance beam against Bowling Green and Missouri broke in with the NCAA's 10th highest uneven bars score this week with a 49.075 against SEMO. Mizzou is also ranked 16th on the floor exercise (49.050) and is tied for 29th on the vault (48.450) 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 standings. Following its first meet against Bowling Green, MU slipped into the in fifth-place spot before advancing into fourth-place with a 194.750. Mizzou sits behind Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona in the regional rankings.
In event rankings, the Tigers top the charts with the season-highest regional score on the uneven bars posting a 49.075 against SEMO. Mizzou ranks third on the balance beam (48.900) and are ranked fifth on the vault (47.850) and floor exercise (48.150).
MU against the Big 12
Competing against three top-10 teams in the Big 12 Conference, the Tigers lead the league on the uneven bars. Oklahoma comes in a close second with a 49.050 season-high.
First Ups for 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.
Robinson Rocks SEMO
In her first home meet of the season, Robinson took home two event titles winning the vault (9.800) and uneven bars (9.900) competition. She finished fourth on the balance beam (9.675) and floor exercise (9.700) and finished out the competition with a second-place finish in the all-around (39.075).
GymInfo Standings
Robinson tops 2002 tied as the nation's fourth finest all-arounder with a 39.575. The freshman is tied for 10th in the NCAA Division I on the uneven bars, 11th on the vault and 15th 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 (39.550) from the University of Arizona. In individual events, Robinson is second on vault and bars, is third on beam and is tied for seventh on the floor exercise.
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).
The veteran also 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 tied for sixth in the region as an all-arounder. She is also tied for 15th in the region on bars, 15th on beam, 21st on floor and 24th on vault.
Nervig 'Nocks the Records
Sophomore Andrea Nervig followed up an impressive first meet finishing second and tying her career-high bars mark (9.875) against Southeast Missouri State. Nervig posted her third-highest score against Bowling Green (9.825) to open the season.
In addition, Nervig tied her all-time vault mark throwing a 9.650 on the apparatus to finish fourth in the meet.
Nervig ties for 22nd in the country on bars. In the South Central Region, the sophomore is tied for third on bars and 34th on vault.
Freshman Fire
Freshmen Ashley Asraf and Rachael Dombart continue to make their mark on the Missouri program putting forth two impressive showings in 2002.
Asraf, a Tom's River, N.J., native, scored a 9.550 on vault and a 9.775 on the floor exercise 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 ties Asraf with Alisha Robinson with the highest Missouri freshman mark on the apparatus. In addition to her record-tying performance, Asraf finished fourth on vault (9.650) and third on beam (9.700) against the Otahkians. The freshman is tied for seventh in the region on the floor, 22nd on beam and 34th 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. In her second time out, the freshman opened the MU bars rotation landing a 9.675. Dombart is tied for 26th in the region on beam.
Keeping up with Gremaud
Junior Leah Gremaud owns two individual event titles on the year taking top honors on beam against both Bowling Green and Southeast Missouri 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.
Gremaud is tied for 15th in the South Central Region on the balance beam. She is tied for 12th on beam and is tied for 24th on the floor.
Tiger Tidbits
? 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. She is tied for 15th in the region on the beam and 44th on the vault.
? 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 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. Forbes is tied for 14th in the region on the floor.
? 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 and ranks her fourth in the region on the apparatus.
