Jan. 30, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Continuing its steady climb up the polls, the Missouri gymnastics team is ranked No. 7 in this week's GymInfo National Top 25 poll to earn the highest ranking in program history. Last week's ranking of 10th marked the previous program high, which was also set during the 2004 season on Feb. 9 and 12. The Tigers started the season ranked No. 16 but have improved each week, moving to 14th, 10th and finally seventh.
"Being ranked seventh makes a statement to the rest of the country that we're a good team this year and we're going to be in the hunt," said Missouri head coach Rob Drass. "I think we've gotten people's attention at this point in time, now it's time to make a statement. But while we're thrilled with being ranked seventh, we still have a lot of work to do."
With all four teams ranked ninth or higher, the Big 12 Conference is the best represented conference in the top 10. Oklahoma leads the way at sixth, while Nebraska is eighth and Iowa State ranks ninth.
The Tigers also rank fourth nationally on beam, seventh on bars, tied for 14th on vault and 15th on floor. In the South Central Region, Mizzou is second on bars and beam, tied for fourth on vault and fifth on floor. As a team, the Tigers rank second in the region behind only Oklahoma.
Individually, senior Jodie Heinicka is the best bars performer in the South Central Region and is tied for fourth nationally on the event. Freshman Adrianne Perry is second in the all-around, third on beam and tied for vault on vault in the region and is tied for eighth nationally in the all-around while senior Lauren Schwartzman ranks third in the region on beam and floor and tied for sixth nationally on beam.
Missouri next hosts Big 12 rival and No. 9 Iowa State on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. CT in the Hearnes Center. The two squads met at the Super Six Challenge on Jan. 6 when Iowa State placed third with a 194.050 and Missouri finished sixth with a 192.700.
"Our conference is very strong, we have No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 in the country," said Drass. "It will be a battle this weekend. You'll see two top 10 teams fighting it out. It's going to come down to who really performs and competes the best."