March 16, 2006

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COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 13 Missouri Tigers conclude the regular season with Senior Night on Friday, March 17 against SEMO at 7 p.m. in the Hearnes Center. The meet marks the final time seniors Jodie Heinicka, Lauren Schwartzman and Sarah Zigler will compete in the Hearnes Center. Following the meet but before the awards presentations, the Tigers will honor the three seniors for their contributions to the program. Fans are encouraged to arrive early due to the state high school basketball championships at Mizzou Arena on Friday.

Next Saturday, the Tigers travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the 2006 Big 12 Championships against conference opponents Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma at 7 p.m. in the Devaney Center. Missouri will open the meet on beam while Iowa State starts on vault, Oklahoma starts on bars and Nebraska opens on on floor. The teams will rotate the events in the traditional Olympic rotation.

Mizzou uphends No. 34 Iowa ...
The No. 12 Missouri gymnastics team defeated the No. 34 Iowa Hawkeyes 192.600-190.800 in the second to last regular season meet of the season on Saturday night in Iowa City, Iowa. With the victory, the Tigers improve to 12-8 on the season. Adrianne Perry won the seventh all-around title of the season and the beam and floor titles.

Jodie Heinicka nabbed her ninth bars title of the season with a 9.800 and finished second on vault with a 9.775. Alicia Hatcher claimed second place on bars with a 9.775, followed by Sarah Zigler in third.

In addition to Perry's top finish on beam, Julie Abaray scored a 9.725 to take second while Katie Kluga and Hatcher finished third and fourth, respectively.

Tigers still among nation's elite...
The Tigers slipped one spot to No. 13 in this week's GymInfo National Top 25 Poll but can still end the season ranked in the top 10. Mizzou is a mere tenth of a point behind No. 10 UCLA, No. 11 Nebraska and No. 12 Arizona State. On individual events, the Tigers rank fourth on beam, 11th on bars, tied for 15th on vault and 18th on floor nationally.

Schwartzman ranks as nation's best...
For the third time this season and the fifth of her career, senior Lauren Schwartzman ranks as the nation's top beam worker with an RQS of 9.920 this week. She is tied for the nation's top spot with Georgia's freshman sensation and 2004 Olympian Courtney Kupets. Schwartzman also led the nation on the event on March 6, Feb. 20 and twice in 2004.

Terrific Tigers...
In addition to Schwartzman's ranking, other Tigers find themselves ranked among the nation's best. Heinicka is tied for fifth on bars, tied for 56th on vault and tied for 85th on beam. Perry ranks as the country's 20th best all-around performer as well as ranking tied for 22nd on the beam. Whitney Crater is tied for 38th on vault and floor, Amanda Pezzullo is tied 39th in the nation on beam, Zigler is tied for 36nd on bars and Hatcher is tied for 49th on the bars and 70th on beam.

Big 12 rotations announced...
Event rotations for the 2006 Big 12 Championships were announced on Tuesday. After starting on floor for the past three seasons, the Tigers will open the meet on beam. Mizzou then moves to floor and vault before ending the meet on bars.

Big 12's on the small screen...
The Fox Sports Network will air the 2006 Big 12 Gymnastics Championships on tape delay throughout the much of the country as listed below:

Thursday, March 30, 2006
FSN Arizona: 12 p.m. MST
FSN Bay Area: 12 p.m. PST
FSN Detroit: 12 p.m. EST
FSN Midwest (Non-Blues): 11 a.m. CST
FSN New England (Non-Celtics): 12 p.m. EST
FSN North (Minnesota): 12 p.m. CST
FSN North (Wisconsin): 12 p.m. CST
FSN Northwest: 12 p.m. PST
FSN Ohio (Non-Caveliers): 12 p.m. EST
FSN Pittsburgh: 12 p.m. EST
FSN Rocky Mountain: 12 p.m. MST
FSN South: 3 a.m. EST
FSN Southwest: 12 p.m. CST

Friday, March 31, 2006
FSN Chicago: 12 p.m. CST
FSN Midwest: 12 p.m. CST
FSN New England: 1:30 p.m. EST

And the winner is...
Seniors Jodie Heinicka and Lauren Schwartzman are nominees for this year's prestigious AAI American Award, which is college gymnastics equivelant of the Heisman Trophy. The award is given to a senior student-athlete whose career reflects a true leader in all that she does both inside and outside the gym.

Looking ahead to Regionals...
A total of 36 teams will qualify for six different NCAA Regionals, with Arkansas (South Central), Georgia (Southeast), Iowa State (North Central), LSU (Central), Michigan (Northeast) and Stanford (West) serving as hosts. The top 18 teams will be seeded as shown:

Region 1: No. 1, No. 12, No. 13
Region 2: No. 2, No. 11, No. 14
Region 3: No. 3, No. 10, No. 15
Region 4: No. 4, No. 9, No. 16
Region 5: No. 5, No. 8, No. 17
Region 6: No. 6, No. 7, No. 18

Joining the three seeded teams in each Regional will be the top three unseeded teams from that region. The top two teams from each Regional will then qualify for Nationals. Based solely on this week's rankings, Missouri would travel to the Southeast Regional in Athens, Ga. to face No. 1 Georgia, No. 12 Arizona State and the Southeast region's top three non-seeded teams. The NCAA will announce the official Regional pairings on Monday, March 27.

Tigers excell in the gym and classroom...
The Mizzou gymnastics team earned a perfect 1000 in the NCAA's Athletic Progress Rate, released on March 1, which marks the second-straight year the squad recorded a perfect score. At the time of the APR release, only two gymnastics teams earned a perfect score and ranked in the top-10: Missouri and Iowa State.

A new set of Tigers...
On Nov. 11, 2005, Missouri head coach announced the signing of four gymnasts for the 2007 season. The incoming recruits include Danielle Guider (Nutley, N.J. / U.S. Gymnastics Development Center), Meghann Raub (West Lafayette, Ind. / Wright's American Gymnastics), Becky Scholle (Chesterfield, Mo. / GymQuarters) and Liz Straatmann (Blue Springs, Mo. / GAGE).

About SEMO...
The No. 48 Redhawks enter Friday's contest 8-8 on the season and currently out of possition to qualify for the NCAA South Central Regional with an RQS of 191.590. Last weekend, SEMO finished fourth against Arizona, Denver and Cal-State Fullerton at Arizona's quadrangular with a 190.500.

If the season ended today, the Redhawks would have four all-around qualifiers for NCAA Regionals: Sandra Blake, Brystol Powelski, Alison Ezell and Danyelle Aber.
Mizzou vs. SEMO: 20-8

Tiger Tidbits

Julie Abaray
Was in the beam and floor lineups for the first time all year and also competed on bars at Iowa ... finished second on beam against the Hawkeyes ... competed on bars against Centenary and SEMO and posted a 9.750 at SEMO's Outback Invitational ... in the bars lineup for the second-straight week at the Cat Classic and scored a career-high 9.775 ... qualified for the Cat Classic individual event finals on bars and finsihed in sixth place ... was in an event lineup for the first time in 2006 against Oklahoma after recovering from an ankle sprain that sidelined her for the start of the season... recorded a 9.725 on bars against the Sooners.

Nicole Bowman
Was in the floor lineup against Centenary and SEMO this past weekend ... competed on floor for the Tigers against Oklahoma and scored a 9.575 ... 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, a mark she set at the Super Six Challenge ... had a then-personal best 9.500 on floor against Arkansas.

Whitney Crater
Ranked tied for 38th on vault and on floor in the nation ... competed on vault and floor against Iowa ... picked up three event titles over the weekend with both vault and floor at SEMO and the floor title against Centenary ... won her first Cat Classic individual event title on floor with a 9.875 and finished second on vault ... In the Cat Classic team competion, recorded a 9.850 on vault ... won her second-consecutive vault title with a 9.875 against Oklahoma while tying for second on floor with a 9.875 ... won the vault and floor titles with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively against Illinois ...the 9.875 on vault was a season high ... recorded a 9.825 on floor and a 9.775 on vault against Iowa State to finish in tied for fourth and fifth, respectively ... 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.

Alicia Hatcher
Tied for 49th on bars and 70th on beam nationally ... placed second on bars and tied for third on beam at Iowa ... won her first career event title after with a 9.825 on bars at SEMO to tie Heinicka ... tied her career-high on bars against Centenary with a 9.850 ... earned top-four finishes on bars, beam and floor at the Cat Classic individual event finals ... at the Cat Classic team finals, recorded a 9.825 on beam to tie for third place and a 9.800 on bars for fourth ... recorded a 9.825 on beam against Oklahoma to tie for fifth place ... 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.

Jodie Heinicka
Tied for fifth nationally on bars, 56th on vault and 86th on beam ... won her ninth bar title of the season with a 9.800 and finished second on vault at Iowa ... set a career-high and team season-high on vault with a 9.900 to take the event title against Centenary ... tied Hatcher with a 9.925 at SEMO to earn her eighth bar title of the sesaon ... earned the Cat Classic vault title with a 9.800 and finished second on bars with a 9.800 ... at the team finals, tied for first on bars with a 9.875 ... won her sixth-straight bars title of the season against Oklahoma with a 9.850 ... tied for third on vault with a 9.825 and recorded a career-high 9.775 on beam ... won the bars title with a 9.850 against Illinois, also finished second on vault with a 9.850 ... scored 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 ... has won bars titles in six of seven meets this season after tying for fifth at the Super Six Challenge ... against Arkansas on Jan. 13, became the first Tiger to perform a full-twisting double-layout dismount on bars.

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
Tied for third on beam at Iowa with a 9.700 ... scored a 9.750 at SEMO to finish fourth on beam ... earned fifth place on beam at the Cat Classic individual event finals ... was in the bars and beam lineup at the Cat Classic team finals and against Oklahoma ... 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.

Adrianne Perry
Ranks 20th nationally in the all-around, tied for 22nd on beam, 43rd on floor and 84th on bars ... won the all-around, beam and floor titles at Iowa ... claimed all-around titles against Centenary and SEMO and tied Crater for the floor title at SEMO ... won the Cat Classic all-around title with a career-high tying 39.300 and finished second on beam .... tied for first on floor at the Cat Classic team finals ... finished second in the all-around with a 39.125 against Oklahoma ... won her third all-around title of the season with a 39.000 at Illinois, also finished second on bars ... against Iowa State, finished tied for third on beam with a 9.825 ... set an all-around personal best for the third straight week with a 39.300 at Nebraska to finish in second place ... recorded a career-high 9.875 on beam and 9.850 on bars to go along with a 9.825 on floor ... tied for first on beam and tied for fifth on floor and vault at Nebraska ... won the all-around title at Centenary while finishing first on vault and second on floor ... won the all-around with against Arkansas inher first all-around competition ... has a balance beam move named after her called "The Perry."

Amanda Pezzullo
Ranks tied for 39th on beam and 99th on vault in the nation... finished third on beam and vault against both Centenary and SEMO ... won her first Cat Classic individual title after scoring a 9.825 on beam ... finished tied for third on beam at the Cat Classic team finals ... recorded a 9.825 on beam to finish tied for fifth against Oklahoma ... 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 ... 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.

Lauren Schwartzman
Ranks tied for first in the nation on beam ... also ranks tied for 58th on floor in the country ... competed only on vaut at Iowa and posted a 9.625 ... claimed her seventh and eighth beam titles of the season against Centenary and SEMO ... recorded a season-high 9.850 on vault against Centenary to finish second on the event ... finished second on floor at the Cat Classic individual event finals ... took home top honors on beam and floor at the Cat Classic team finals ... scored a 9.950 on beam for the third time this season in the Cat Classic ... earned her fifth beam and seventh total title of the season with a 9.900 against Oklahoma ... tied for second on floor against the Sooners with a 9.875 ... finished second on beam and recorded a season-high 9.800 on vault to tie for third against Illinois ... 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 ... 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.

Sarah Zigler
Tied for 36nd on bars in the nation ... finished third on bars and tied for fifth on vault at Iowa ... recorded a 9.800 on vault against both Centenary and SEMO ... claimed her second-straight bars title against Centenary with a 9.875 ... won her first career Cat Classic individual title with a 9.850 on bars ... tied for first on bars with a 9.875 in the Cat Classic team finals ... finishd fifth on vault with a 9.800 against the Sooners ... 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.

Mizzou in the National Rankings

1. Georgia (197.225)
2. Utah 196.425)
3. Florida (196.335)
4. Iowa State (196.340)
5. Alabama (196.315)
6. Oklahoma (196.210)
7. Stanford (196.085)
8. LSU (196.065)
9. Michigan (196.020)
10. UCLA (195.850)
11. Nebraska (195.845)
12. Arizona State (195.810)
13. Missouri (195.790)
14. Auburn (195.690)
15. Arizona (195.280)
16. Penn State (195.130)
17. Oregon State (195.045)
18. Kentucky (194.895)
19. Denver (194.725)
20. Arkansas (194.705)
21. Minnesota (194.670)
22. West Virginia (194.500)
23. BYU (194.185)
24. Illinois-Champaign (194.060)
25. North Carolina (193.985)

Tigers in the National Rankings

Whitney Crater
VT: T38th
FX: T38th

Alicia Hatcher
UB: T49th
BB: T70th

Jodie Heinicka
UB: T5th
VT: T56th
BB: T85th

Adrianne Perry
AA: 20th
BB: T22th
FX: 43rd
UB: T84th

Amanda Pezzullo
BB: T39th
VT: 99th

Lauren Schwartzman
BB: T1st
FX: T58th

Sarah Zigler
UB: T36th