March 16, 2004
#14 Missouri Tests Big 12
The #14 ranked Mizzou Tigers jump into the 2004 post-season competing in the Big 12 Championship on Sat., March 20 at 7:00 p.m. Iowa State hosts the league tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, in the Knapp Center on the Drake University campus.
Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. Live stats will be available on both the Iowa State and Big 12 websites (www.cyclones.com or www.big12sports.com).
Following the Big 12 Championship, the Tigers await seeding in the NCAA Regional Championships. Seeding and announcements will be made on released on Mon., March 22.
Tiger Rankings
Missouri is currently ranked 14th in the nation owning a 196.775 Regional Qualifying Score.
Keeping in the national top-25 in each event, Mizzou ranks 11th on vault (49.285) and beam (49.210), 13th on bars (49.215) and 21st on floor (49.340).
In the South Central Region, the Tigers are tabbed the second finest team overall. Mizzou is also ranked second of beam, third on vault and bars and fourth on floor.
Tiger Tidbits
In 11 meets this season, Mizzou's standard vault lineup of Rachel Bridges, Whitney Crater, Amanda Pezzullo, Alisha Robinson and Lauren Schwartzman have scored a 9.8 or above on 45-of-52 vaults.
Missouri has recorded eight of the program's top-12 vault totals in 2004, including its 49.375 all-time high scored at the Texas Woman's Invitational.
Setting Mizzou's all-time team total at the Texas Woman's Invitational, the Tigers tallied a 197.475 to win the quad-meet.
In addition to a team total and vault record, Mizzou also scored the program's highest uneven bars score throwing a 49.400.
The Tigers have recorded the program's top-five team totals on vault, bars, beam and floor during the 2004 season.
Missouri has scored a 49.575 floor high twice this season winning both the Cat Classic and Mizzou Invitational titles. Likewise, the Tigers also own two 49.325 beam record performances.
Mizzou defeated Oklahoma for the first time since 1996 claiming just its second Big 12 victory. In addition, the 197.000-196.750 victory ranks as the Tigers' third highest team total.
Besting then #8 Oklahoma, Missouri recorded the program's second highest beam score with a 49.325. The Tigers also tied the third highest bar (49.250) and fifth highest floor (49.350) scores.
Entering the 24th Annual Cat Classic ranked #12 Missouri bested then #18 Penn State, #25 BYU and Kentucky to claim its second consecutive Cat Classic title.
Stepping up to the CC podium, the Tigers brought down three previous team records and won each team event title.
Mizzou scored the program's first 197+ mark. The Tigers rallied a 197.350 to score the team's second highest all-time score.
MU kicked off the year scoring its highest season opening score in the program's 25-year history posting a 195.350 against Iowa State.
Continuing their opening stanza, the Tigers took their feat a step further scoring a 196.500 against Southeast Missouri State and a 196.050 against New Hampshire. Prior to that, the Tigers' had only tallied two 196+ team scores in program history during the 2003 season.
Mizzou in the Big 12
Missouri rounds out the 2004 regular season placing second in the Big 12 Conference owning a 15-3 record--it is the highest regular season Big 12 finish the Tigers have seen to date.
The Tigers own a 1-2 Big 12 Conference record picking up their only league victory over Oklahoma.
In individual event highs, Lauren Schwartzman is the only gymnast in the conference to score a 10.000 on beam. She performed flawless routines against both Iowa State and at the Texas Woman's Invitational.
She also joins Alisha Robinson and ISU's Erin Detholf scoring a league high 9.975 on floor this season.
Jodie Heinicka and Alisha Robinson tie to lead the Big 12 with a 9.950 bar high.
Scoring a 9.975 vault twice in 2004, Alisha Robinson ties the league's third highest score.
Alisha Robinson and Lauren Schwartzman both received Big 12 Gymnast of the Week honors in 2004.