Feb. 16, 2006

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 11 Missouri Tigers return home on Friday, Feb. 17 for a meet against No. 6 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. CST in the Hearnes Center. The meet is the last regular season Big 12 Conference matchup as Missouri has already faced Iowa State and Nebraska this season. Missouri will not face another Big 12 opponent until the conference championships on Saturday, March 25 in Lincoln, Neb. at 7 p.m. CST in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Sooners are coming off a 196.275-196.050 loss to Iowa State on Friday, Feb. 10 while the Tigers bested No. 25 Illinois 195.500-195.125 in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Fans attending the event are encouraged to arrive early and park on the east side of the Hearnes Center. The University of Missouri is hosting the state high school wrestling tournament at Mizzou Arena so parking will be limited.

Mizzou uphends No. 25 Illinois...
Facing its ninth ranked opponent of the season, the No. 8 Missouri Tigers bested No. 25 Illinois 195.500-195.125 in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, Feb. 11. With a 49.075 on vault, Mizzou eclipsed the 49.0 mark on the event for the first time this season and has now recorded at least a 49.0 on all four events in 2006.

Three different Tigers took home event titles, led by Crater's vault and floor titles after scoring a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively. Heinicka claimed her fifth-consecutive bars title with a 9.850 on the event while Perry recorded a 39.000 in the all-around for the third such title of her brief collegiate career.

Heinicka finished second on vault with a 9.850 while Schwartzman tied for third with a 9.800. Perry recorded a 9.800 on bars for second place and a 9.775 tied Zigler for third. On beam, Schwartzman's 9.850 gave her second and Hatcher and Pezzullo tied for fourth with a 9.800 while Perry also tied for third on floor with a 9.800.

Tigers in the rankings...
Despite a 195.500-195.125 win over No. 25 Illinois on Feb. 11, the Tigers dropped to No. 11 in this week's national poll. In individual events, Mizzou ranks fifth on beam, ninth on bars, 13th on vault and 15th on floor in the nation. Schwartzman ranks third nationally on beam while Heinicka is tied for third on bars. Additionally, Perry ranks 15th in the all-around.

About Oklahoma...
Like Missouri, Oklahoma is currently 0-2 in the Big 12. However, the Sooners enter this week's meet as the top ranked Big 12 squad at No. 6. Oklahoma is coming off a 197.475-195.950 loss to top ranked Georgia on Feb. 12 and also fell to Iowa State 196.275-196.050 on Feb. 10.

The Sooners rank as the fifth best vault, sixth best floor, and seventh best bars and beam team and the nation. Individually, Brittney Koncak-Schumann ranks fifth in the country on vault with a 9.879 average.
Mizzou vs. Oklahoma: 11-38-1

Homestand ahead...
Including Friday's contest against Oklahoma, the Tigers will compete in the comfy confines of the Hearnes Center for the next three meets. Next week, Mizzou hosts the 26th annual Cat Classic featuring Ball State, Northern Illinois and Pittsburgh. The team competition will take place on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. CST while the individual event finals will be on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. CST. Then on Friday, March 3, Mizzou completes its homestand with a dual against non-conference foe Centenary at 7 p.m. CST in the Hearnes Center. Earlier this season, the Tigers bested the Ladies 195.575-190.100 in Schreveport, La.

The Callaway Bank Cat Classic...
Next Friday's meet marks the 26th annual Cat Classic. Missouri will face Ball State, Northern Illinois and Pittsburgh in the team meet on Friday. The following night, individual qualifiers will compete in the individual event finals.

Not just a sport of wins and losses...
Unlike other sports, gymnastics polls are not based on a team's record but by scores. The first seven weeks of the season, rankings are compiled by highest or average score. Next week, the Regional Qualifying Score comes into effect. The RQS uses a team's six highest scores, three of which must be away scores, drops the highest score, and averages the remaining five scores.

Tiger Tidbits
Nicole Bowman
Led off the floor lineup against Nebraska and scored a career-high 9.725 ... improved her career-best on bars with a 9.650 against Arkansas ... had a then-personal best 9.500 on floor against Arkansas.

Whitney Crater
Won the vault and floor titles with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively ... the 9.875 on vault was a season high ... tied for fifth on floor at Nebraska with a 9.825 ... recorded a 9.850 on vault and floor against Centenary and Air Force for second and third place finishes, respectively ... finished tied for first on floor with a 9.825 and recorded a 9.800 on vault to tie for fourth place against Arkansas ... ranks tied for 25th on vault and 25th on floor in the South Central Region.

Alicia Hatcher
Recorded a 9.800 on beam to tie for fourth place against Illinois ... scored a career-high 9.850 on bars to finish in fourth place against Iowa State ... also set a career-high on floor with a 9.750 and posted a 9.775 on beam ... placed fourth on beam with a career-high 9.850 while also recording a 9.800 on bars and 9.725 on floor at Nebraska ... recorded a 9.825 on bars against at Centenary to finish second ... finished in fifth place on bars with a 9.725 against Arkansas ... ranked ninth in the South Central region and 45th nationally on bars.

Jodie Heinicka
Won her fifth straight bars title with a 9.850 against Illinois ... also finished second on vault with a 9.850 and scored a career-high 9.750 on beam ... has won bars titles in five of six meets this season ... she tied for fifth at the Super Six Challenge ... cored a 9.925 on bars for the fourth-straight week to claim first place honors against Iowa State ... finish tied for second on for the second straight week against Iowa State with career-high tying 9.850 ... against Arkansas on Jan. 13, became the first Tiger to perform a full-twisting double-layout dismount on bars ... is tied for third nationally on bars and is first in the South Central Region with a 9.900 average. Also ranks 50th nationally and 13th in the region on beam.

Ashley Khederian
Earned a 9.700 on floor and a 9.625 on bars against Illinois ... competed on bars and floor against Iowa State and posted a 9.725 on floor. ... scored a 9.800 on floor at Centenary for a season-high ... in the bar lineup for the second-consecutive year at the Super Six Challenge, Khederian did not disappoint with a 9.700 on the event.

Katie Kluga
Was in the bars and beam lineup against Illinois and earned a 9.700 on beam ... competed on bars and beam against Iowa State and posted a 9.725 on beam ... set a career-high on beam with a 9.775 at Nebraska ... recorded a 9.750 on both bars and beam at Centenary, which earned her a third place finish on bars ... tied Lauren Schwartzman with a team-high 9.700 on beam to help the Tigers place third on the event at the Super Six Challenge ... ranks 33rd on beam in the region.

Adrianne Perry
Won her third all-around title of the season with a 39.000 at Illinois. Also finished second on bars and tied for third on floor ... Finished tied for third on beam with a 9.825, and tied for fifth on bars and vault with a 9.800 and 9.675 against Iowa State ... also posted a 9.800 on floor and finished fourth in the all-around with a 39.100 ... Improved her all-around personal best with a 39.300 at Nebraska to finish in second place ... tied for first on beam and tied for fifth on floor and vault at Nebraska ... for the second week in a row, won the all-around title at Centenary while finishing first on vault and second on floor ... won the all-around with a 39.025 against Arkansas in her first home meet and the first all-around competition of her collegiate career ... ranks fifth in the South Central region and 15th nationally in the all-around ... also ranks fifth in the region and 35th nationally on floor and sits in the top-100 on vault, bars and beam nationally.

Amanda Pezzullo
Recorded a 9.800 on beam to tie for fourth at Illinois ... competed in the vault, beam and floor lineups against Iowa State and posted a 9.725, 9.700 and 9.675, respectively ... tied for fifth on vault with a 9.750 against Nebraska ... also recorded a 9.775 on beam and a 9.700 on floor ... set a career-high with a 9.900 on beam against Centenary and Air Force to tie for second place ... also recorded a 9.700 on floor ... had an impressive meet against Arkansas after recording a 9.825 on vault to finish tied for second place ... ranks 10th on beam in the region and 43rd nationally.

Lauren Schwartzman
Finished first on beam for the fourth time this season and recorded a season-high 9.800 on vault to tie for third ... scored a 9.950 on beam for the second time this season against Iowa State to claim first place ... also posted a 9.850 on floor to tie for first place and scored season-high 9.775 on vault ... marked the third-highest beam score in program history with a 9.950 at Centenary to match her own score set in 2004 ... also finished first on beam and floor after recording a 9.900 on the floor exercise ... won the beam title against Arkansas with a 9.850 on the event and tied Perry for third place on floor with a 9.800 ... ranks third nationally and in the South Central Region on beam and is tied for 42nd nationally and tied for seventh in the region on floor.

Sarah Zigler
Had a solid meet against Illinois with a 9.775 on bars and a 9.700 on floor ... also set a career-high on floor after scoring a 9.775 in exhibition ... tied for second on bars against Iowa State with a 9.875 ... the score marks the second week in a row Zigler tied her career-high ... recorded a 9.875 on bars with against Nebraska to tie for fifth place ... also recorded a 9.700 on vault ... finished third on vault against Centenary and Air Force after notching a 9.800 ... placed first on vault with a career-high 9.850 and finished third on bars with a 9.800 against Arkansas ... ranks tied for 25th on vault and 42nd on bars in the region.

Missouri in the National Rankings
Event Rank
Vault 13th
Bars 9th
Beam 5th
Floor 15th
Team 11th

Tigers in the National Rankings
Jodie Heinicka: 3rd(t)-UB; 50th-BB
Alicia Hatcher: 45th-UB
Adrianne Perry: 15th-AA; 35th-FX; 67th-BB; 71st(t)-VT; 72nd-UB
Amanda Pezzullo: 43rd-BB
Lauren Schwartzman: 3rd-BB; 40th(t)-FX

Missouri in the South Central Region
Event Rank
Vault 4th
Bars 3rd
Beam 2nd
Floor 5th
Team 3rd

Tigers in the South Central Region Vault
17t. Adrianne Perry
24. Jodie Heinicka
25t. Whitney Crater, Sarah Zigler
38t. Lauren Schwartzman

Bars
1. Jodie Heinicka
9. Alicia Hatcher
20. Adrianne Perry
42. Sarah Zigler

Beam
3. Lauren Schwartzman
10. Amanda Pezzullo
13. Jodie Heinicka
16. Adrianne Perry
33. Katie Kluga
46. Alicia Hatcher

Floor
5. Adrianne Perry
7t. Lauren Schwartzman
25. Whitney Crater
27. Amanda Pezzullo
37t. Ashley Khederian

All-Around
5. Adrianne Perry

GymInfo Top 25 Poll(Feb. 13)
1. Georgia
2. Utah
3. Alabama
4. Michigan
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
7. Iowa State
8. Nebraska
9. UCLA
10. Stanford
11. Missouri
12. Arizona State
13. LSU
14. Arizona
15. Penn State
16. Denver
17. Auburn
18. Kentucky
19. Oregon State
20. Minnesota
21. Arkansas
22. Southern Utah
23. Illinois-Champaign
24. North Carolina
25. BYU