Jan. 23, 2004
Mizzou Hosts Southeast Missouri State Bringing the record setting action back to the Hearnes Center, the Mizzou gymnastics team hosts Southeast Missouri State on Sun., Jan. 25 at 2:00 p.m. Keeping up with the 20-year in-state rivalry, the Tigers and Otahkians face off in Missouri's third dual meet of the season.
Special Promotions The MU-SEMO meet is Truman Club Day where all members of the youth club receive free admission to the event with a $3 discount ticket for guests.
Fans attending the Missouri-Nebraska men's basketball game on Jan. 24th are invited to bring their ticket stub and receive a $2 discounted ticket to the gymnastics meet.
Scouting Southeast Missouri State The Otahkians are 3-0 on the year picking up a trio of victories in their opening meet. Southeast Missouri State topped the field against Hamline University, Winona State and UW-Whitewater last Sunday scoring a 185.075 team total.
Senior Ashley Godwin took the all-around title scoring a 37.700. She also won the bars and floor events scoring a 9.575 and a 9.825 respectively. Tara Boldt picked up the beam title for SEMO scoring a 9.800. She also finished second on bars and floor with scores of 9.300 and 9.575.
Last season the Otahkians were 8-11 on the year with a 46th-place finish nationally. In their last match-up, the Tigers defeated the Otahkians at the 2003 Corvette Cup to boost Mizzou's series record over SEMO to 14-6.
Mizzou's Grand Opening MU has kicked off its season in grand fashion scoring its highest season opening scores in the program's 25-year history.
The Tigers opened 2004 posting a 195.350 against Iowa State. While the score wasn't enough to edge the Cyclones, it made history as the highest season opening mark. Typically working up their skill level throughout the season, the Tigers recorded their first 195+ mark in their last dual meet of the 2000 season. Last season, the Tigers' didn't post a 195 score until its fourth meet of the year.
In Missouri's second meet of the season, the Tigers took their feat a step further scoring a 196.050-the program's third highest all-time score. Again the Tigers set the pace posting the mark earlier in a season than ever before.
Mizzou in the Rankings Opening the 2004 season ranked 24th, the Tigers have quickly ascended the national pedestal coming in with a 15th-place ranking-it is the highest ranking Mizzou has achieved (the Tigers finished 2002 ranked 17th overall).
Boosting the Tigers to national prominence, Mizzou is also ranked in the nation's top-20 on each event. Missouri is ranked ninth in the nation on vault and floor, 12th on beam and 18th on bars.
Missouri is also ranked the fourth finest team in the South Central Region this week. The Tigers are tied for first in the region on floor sharing a 49.175 high with Arkansas. Mizzou is also ranked third in the region on vault and beam and fifth on bars.