Feb. 26, 2003
On the docket ...
No. 27 ranked Mizzou gymnastics welcomes Eastern Michigan, Southeast Missouri State and Texas Woman's University to the Hearnes Center to compete in the Ninth Annual Corvette Cup. The Tigers host a four-team event that is coupled with a classic Corvette show. The meet begins at 2:00 p.m., while the car show begins at 12:00 p.m.
Tickets to the Corvette Cup are available by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or by stopping by the Hearnes Center ticket office. Tickets are good for both the Corvette show and the gymnastics meet.
Corvette Cup Itinerary
Joining a love for classic cars and Tiger tumbling, the Ninth Annual Corvette Cup is an event to inspire any adventure enthusiast. Opening the venue spectators can get a glimpse of some of the contest entries when the Corvette participants lead a road tour on Sat., March 1 at 1:30 p.m. Drivers will leave from the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.
Spectators wanting to get a bird's-eye-view of their favorite road warriors can then attend the car show on Sunday beginning at 12:00 p.m. Festivities include door prizes, raffle drawings and an auction. At 1:30 p.m., the venue moves into the Hearnes Center arena where the Missouri Tigers host the 2003 Corvette Cup quad-meet. Following the competition, trophies will be awarded to top competitors in both the gymnastics meet and the car show along with a donation presentation to the Dream Factory charity organization.
Former Missouri Governor Roger B. Wilson serves as the Corvette Cup Grand Marshall and will be on hand to present awards.
Marking up Mizzou
Continuing to pounce the competition, the Tigers continue to score top marks with a 194.150 showing against No. 13 ranked Oklahoma last week. Missouri tied the program's third-highest vault total for the second time during the 2003 season posting a 49.075.
The meet follows the Tigers' star-studded victory taking the 23rd Annual Cat Classic title where Missouri set three meet records including the all-time vault and balance beam scores. Mizzou posted a 49.150 collective on both events to set the records and topped the evening scoring a 195.875 to post the highest team score in the meet's prestigious history.
On its way to the championship podium, Mizzou knocked off two ranked opponents in No. 10 Arizona and No. 20 Brigham Young. The Tigers also set a new precedent scoring the second-highest team score in the history of the Missouri program.
Eying Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is 3-6 on the year scoring its highest 2003 team total against William & Mary with a 193.125. The Eagles are led by all-arounder Natalie Hashimoto who has thrown 9.900 routines on the vault and uneven bars so far this season. She earned her season high all-around mark of 39.025 against Bowling Green.
Last season, Eastern Michigan finished 15-9 with a 3-4 showing in the Mid-American Conference where it finished tied for fourth. The Eagles rounded out their 2002 season with a 44th-place finish in GymInfo standings.
Scouting Southeast Missouri State
The Otahkians join the Corvette Cup rotation coming from a second-place finish at the Bronco Triangular hosted by Western Michigan. Posting a score of 193.475, SEMO fell beneath Western Michigan's 194.325 and topped Ball State's 192.725. Southeast is currently ranked 46th nationally and 11th in the South Central Region with a 191.900 regional qualifying score.
In 2002, Southeast finished 9-12 with a 50th-place ranking by GymInfo.
Texas Woman's Trivia
The Pioneers are 3-11 on the year averaging a 190.864 team score following seven meets. Adding to its highest score of the season, a 193.375 against Bridgeport, Texas Woman's is currently ranked 12th in the South Central Region with a 190.705 regional qualifying mark. All-around competitor Luci Romberg, who is averaging a 38.225 all-around total, leads the Pioneers.
Texas Woman's finished the 2002 season with a 16-12 record and a 47th-place GymInfo ranking.
Tigers in the Rankings
Owning a 6-5 season record and a No. 27 ranking, the Tigers continue to top the nation on all four apparatus. Bringing their regional qualifying score to 194.405 after seven meets, the Tigers are currently ranked with a season high score of 196.475. Missouri is ranked 22nd in the country on the vault with a 48.740 RQS. The Tigers are 27th on the balance beam (48.430) and 28th on floor exercise (48.830) and 31st on the uneven bars (48.460).
In the South Central Region, Missouri ranks fifth overall averaging a 194.439 team total. The Tigers are also in fourth-place standings on the vault (48.700) and fifth on the floor exercise (48.825). The Tigers are ranked sixth in the region on the balance beam (48.414) and seventh on the uneven bars (48.500).
Schwartzman Stands Out
Freshman Lauren Schwartzman once again dazzled the crowd and trounced one of the nation's top competitors scoring a 9.900 on the balance beam against No. 13 ranked Oklahoma last weekend. Leading Missouri on two events, she also topped the Tigers scoring a 9.875 on the floor exercise against the Sooners.
The meet comes on the heels of Schwartzman's dynamic performance at the 23rd Annual State Farm Cat Classic. Winning four event titles and setting two school records to earn Big 12 Gymnast of the Week honors, during the first night of team competition, Schwartzman scored a 9.925 on the balance beam, which was a personal-best and tied the MU all-time and freshman records. The score also tied the Cat Classic record. On floor exercise, Schwartzman again won top honors with a 9.850. The two scores advanced her to the individual championships on Saturday. Schwartzman put up back-to-back 9.900 routines on beam and floor to take the Cat Classic individual beam title and tie for top floor honors.
Coming out in her inaugural season as one of Mizzou's most consistent competitors, is giving Mizzou fans a glimpse of the ever-increasing ability of the Tiger program. In seven meets this season, including five against top-20 opponents, Schwartzman has finished in the top third on both beam and floor. She has rounded out a seven-meet stint with seven individual event titles, including a Cat Classic record.
Schwartzman is already seeing recognition in the rankings. The freshman owns an impressive 9.860 regional qualifying score on the floor exercise to rank tie for 34th in the NCAA Division I. In the South Central Region, Schwartzman is tied for eighth on the balance beam with a 9.860 RQS. She is also ranked 17th in the region on the floor exercise owning a 9.760 RQS.
Robinson Revs Up
After sitting out Mizzou's first meet of the season due to a foot injury, All-American Alisha Robinson is back on track posting up the same event winning marks that led to her 2003 Big 12 Freshman of the Year recognition. At the Auburn Invitational, Robinson won the vault scoring a 9.900 and rewrote the Missouri sophomore records on the apparatus. She also scored a 9.825 to boost the Tigers on the floor exercise. Last week, Robinson set the stage as the Tigers only all-around competitor against Oklahoma. She scored a 9.875 to lead Missouri on the vault and posted a 9.850 to help the Tigers on the floor exercise. She rounded out the evening with a 38.975 all-around mark.
Appearing in her first quad-event meet of the year, Robinson scored a solid 39.175 to finish third in the all-around. Robinson opened the meet scoring a 9.850 on the vault to tie the sophomore record on the apparatus and finish second. Moving onto the uneven bars, she handily won the event recording a 9.900 to once again tie the sophomore high. Rounding out her meet, Robinson scored a 9.750 on the balance beam and a 9.675 in her first floor routine of the year.
After three all-around performances, Robinson has not competed in enough four-event meets to earn a regional qualifying score and is therefore absent from the South Central all-around rankings. On individual apparatus however, Robinson owns a 9.385 RQS on the uneven bars to rank her 49th in the region. She is also ranked 48th on the balance beam with a 9.375 RQS.
Davis Decimates Mizzou's Record Books
Junior Lindsay Davis can't be held down, even after taking a nasty fall on the vault during the Cat Classic that resulted in stitches, she was up and running in MU's next meet against Auburn. Despite some pre-meet jitters, the veteran pulled through for the Tigers scoring strong marks opening the meet with a 9.775 floor routine.
After her first tentative meet back, Davis tackled her demons with an exhibition vault against Oklahoma. Working a watered down version of her usual skill, Davis scored a 9.625 on the 9.800 valued element. Bolstering her comeback, Davis also put up solid marks recording a 9.750 on the uneven bars and floor exercise.
Davis' rebound adds glamour to her already profound record-setting junior season. Helping Missouri's 196.475 trampling of Illinois State, Davis performed as Mizzou's only four-event competitor recording two career-high marks on her way to scoring Missouri's second-highest all-around score in program history. Davis opened her meet scoring a career-high 9.875 vault. She went on to post a 9.850 to tie for top honors on the uneven bars, set another career-mark on the beam scoring a 9.850 and rounded out her evening scoring a 9.850 on the floor exercise. Tallying a 39.425 all-around total, Davis' mark bests her previous career-high by more than a point and also establishes a new Missouri junior record.
Davis' star-studded performance was foreshadowed by glimpses of greatness earlier in the season. The junior scored a 9.900 on the uneven bars to tie Mizzou's junior record on the event and set a new personal career high against No. 4 ranked Nebraska
Tallying her success in the record books, Davis is ranked 25th in the South Central Region on the floor exercise with a 9.730 regional qualifying score. Davis is also ranked 35th on the uneven bars (9.535).
Bridges on a Roll
Coming in as one of Missouri's most consistent athletes, junior Rachel Bridges continues to support the Tiger program with routine marks. Scoring a 9.825, to own five of seven vaults on the year scoring above a 9.8, including two 9.850 career-high performances, Bridges helped the Tigers earn their third-highest team vault score. She also put up solid marks on the balance beam and floor exercise for the Tigers scoring two 9.775 routines.
Helping to build her team high 9.714 vault average, Bridges earned top honors on the event advancing to the Cat Classic individual competition with a second-place 9.825 finish. She followed up taking third in the finals scoring her third 9.850 mark of the year.
The feat comes on the heels of her first two-career-high vaults when finish second on the apparatus against Illinois State and took the dual-meet title against then No. 18 ranked Pittsburgh, In addition, Bridges' 9.850 also ties the fifth-highest vault score in Mizzou history.
Overall, Bridges is ranked 66th in the NCAA Division I maintaining a 9.790 regional qualifying score on the vault. She is also tied for 65th on the balance beam with a 9.765 RQS. In the South Central Region, Bridges leads Missouri as the 13th ranked vaulter and balance beam contender. She is also ranked 46th owning a 9.580 RQS on the floor exercise.
Nervig Sets the Bar
Bolstering the Tigers to their first Big 12 victory in six years and a follow-up 196.475 record setting meet against Illinois State, junior Andrea Nervig once again added weight to the Missouri lineup scoring a 9.800 on the floor exercise at the Auburn Invitational. Opening the meet on the floor, the athlete was sidelined from her two other standard events after twisting her ankle. Still on the mend against Oklahoma, Nervig filled in her standard spot on the MU bars lineup, helping Mizzou with a 9.850 team high score.
Before hobbled by her injury, the junior was on target against ranked opponents. Facing then No. 4 ranked Nebraska, she scored a 9.825 on the uneven bars and helped the Tigers record their eighth-highest team floor score in program history nailing a 9.875 routine for the second straight meet. Topping the charts against No. 18 ranked Pittsburgh, Nervig won both the uneven bars and floor exercise titles. She scored a 9.875 to tie for first on floor and posted a 9.850 to top the competitors on bars.
Prior to her pouncing of the Panthers, Nervig won the uneven bars competition scoring a 9.875 against the ISU Cyclones. She also put up a 9.725 on the floor and a 9.575 on vault to boost the Tigers over Iowa State.
Nervig's 9.875 bars scores this season ties as Missouri's 11th-highest all-time mark on the apparatus.
Dombart Drives Forward
Sophomore Rachael Dombart continues to earn her keep as a bi-event specialist after one of the finest meets of her career. In her second Cat Classic competition, Dombart scored a 9.825 and tied for third-place overall on the uneven bars. She went on to again tie for third-place honors on the balance beam scoring a 9.875. Both marks advanced the sophomore to the individual championship meet where she put up another 9.875 to finish second on beam behind Tiger teammate Lauren Schwartzman.
She followed up the meet helping the Tigers to a third-place finish at the Auburn Invitational after scoring a 9.725 on the uneven bars and a 9.750 on the balance beam. She also scored a 9.750 on the bars against Oklahoma.
Dombart is ranked for 14th in the South Central Region on the uneven bars toting a 9.760 regional qualifying score. She also tops in as the region's 27th-finest balance beam contender owning a 9.635 RQS.
Harping on Heinicka
Freshman Jodie Heinicka had a break out meet at the 2003 Cat Classic winning the individual bars championship with a 9.875 career-high. The mark came on the heels of a 9.800 showing during team competition and a seventh-place tie on the apparatus. In addition, Heinicka also earned top marks on the vault recording a 9.825 to tie for fifth.
Maintaining her rhythm at the Auburn Invitational, Heinicka scored a 9.825 to tie for second on the vault before putting up a duplicate 9.825 mark on the uneven bars. Keeping up her momentum against Oklahoma last week, the freshman scored a 9.775 on both the vault and uneven bars to help boost Missouri.
Making her way into the South Central Region rankings, Heinicka comes in as the area's 47th vault bars contender with a 9.500 regional qualifying score.
Hamm Makes it Happen
Rounding out her collegiate career in signature style, senior Alina Hamm has continued to ground Mizzou with consistency. Opening the season, she pulled out a 9.800 floor routine to finish second on the event and rally the Tigers against the Iowa State Cyclones and their first Big 12 Conference victory in six years.
She went on to improve her scores as a two-event participant against then No. 4 ranked Nebraska, Hamm scored a 9.725 on the vault and opened Missouri's floor lineup tying her career-high mark on the apparatus with a 9.825. Maintaining her steady strides at the Cat Classic, where she opened the meet scoring a 9.825 on the vault and setting a new career-mark, the senior tied for second overall in the competition and advanced to the individual championships on the event where she scored a 9.775 to tie for fifth.
Keeping stride during her last two showings against Auburn and Oklahoma, Hamm again held strong scoring a 9.800 on the floor exercise before throwing a solid 9.750 vault and 9.775 uneven bars routine against the Tigers. She then followed up scoring a 9.775 vault against the Sooners.
Hamm is currently ranked 19th in the South Central Region on the vault owning a 9.715 regional qualifying score. She is also ranked 29th with a 9.720 RQS on the floor exercise.
Roets on the Rise
Proving herself as a valuable contributor to Missouri's depth, Katie Roets has delivered stability to Mizzou's faltering lineup against Auburn and Oklahoma. Helping to fill in the gap created by the injured Andrea Nervig, Roets has plugged the gap competing in multiple events. The freshman came on strong throwing a 9.575 on her first vault of the season against Auburn. She then scored a 9.800 on the uneven bars and a 9.775 on the balance beam to post career-highs on both apparatus.
Taking the plunge against No. 13 ranked Oklahoma, Roets kept her cool and skillfully provided the Tigers with a solid performance scoring a 9.825 career-high on the vault. Her contributions have reaffirmed the abilities Roets' displayed earlier in the year when she opened her career scoring a 9.775 on bars to help Mizzou best Iowa State. Helping the Tigers against Pittsburgh, Roets scored a 9.625 on bars. Keeping in tune with her previous notes, Roets scored a 9.675 on bars against Nebraska and put up a solid 9.625 helping the Tigers record their highest all-time beam score.
Getting the Low-Down on Owca
Junior Lauren Owca has served as a Missouri standard on the uneven bars this season providing the Tigers with valuable contributions. Competing in all seven meets on the apparatus, Owca has posted three 9.7+ marks on the year.
Asraf on the Assist
Sophomore floor specialist Ashley Asraf continues to add stability in the Tiger lineup posting solid scores. In her first meet of the year against Iowa State, she pulled out a 9.775 floor routine to help the Tigers best the Cyclones.
Performing as a two-event competitor against Pittsburgh, Asraf redeemed her pervious score on the balance beam scoring a solid 9.725. Bolstered by her improvements, the sophomore recorded a 9.775 on the floor to help Mizzou post its 11th-highest all-time floor score. Helping to better Missouri's floor mark against Illinois State, Asraf scored a 9.775 on event leading the Tigers to their eighth-highest team score in program history.