Dec. 11, 2002
Columbia, Mo.-The Mizzou gymnastics team ushers in the 2003 competitive season with a pre-season exhibition meet on Sun., Dec. 15 at 2:00 p.m. The Tigers face off in their annual Black & Gold intrasquad scrimmage in the Hearnes Center. Admission is free to the public.
The Mizzou 2003 season gets underway in January as the Tiger host nationally ranked Iowa State on Sunday the 12th at 2:00 p.m. Missouri also hosts four premier events this season including the annual State Farm Cat Classic and Corvette Cup quad-meets. In addition, the Tigers welcome top programs from the conference when they host the Big 12 Championships Sat., March 29. Rounding out the action, Missouri hosts the NCAA Central Regional competition on Sat., April 12.
Facing the competition, the 17th-ranked Missouri Tigers bring a loaded arsenal of seasoned veterans and exiting newcomers to the arena. The 2003 Tiger return their entire competitive line-up from the previous season and add four talented freshmen to the mix.
All-American Alisha Robinson looks to once again reach record-breaking heights on her way to a second NCAA Championship appearance. Last year, Robinson broke five-of-six Missouri individual and freshmen records on her way to being named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She went on to win the NCAA North Central Regional all-around title and advance to the NCAA Championship where she finished seventh on vault.
Joining Robinson in the star-studded lineup, All-Big 12 beam performer Rachael Dombart, two-time NCAA qualifiers Lindsay Davis, Alina Hamm and Andera Nervig have each raised their level of competitive difficulty during the off season. Also upgrading their routines, sophomore Ashley Asraf, juniors Rachel Bridges and Katie Myers, senior Laura Forbes each look to put in big scores for the Tigers.
Bolstering the ranks newcomers Kelley Andersen, Jodie Heinicka, Katie Roets and Lauren Schwartzman bring a wealth of competitive experience to the table as Missouri's finest recruiting class to date. The Missouri program looks for each of these four athletes to consistently contribute in at least two events during the upcoming season.
Catch all the action of the 2003 Tiger season beginning with the Black & Gold intrasquad scrimmage by purchasing season tickets. Packages are available by calling the Mizzou Athletic Ticket Office at 1-888-CAT-PAWS or 884-PAWS locally. For more information and to keep up with the Mizzou Tigers during the year check out the official website of Missouri Athletics at www.mutigers.com.